I got talking to Daniel, the hard-working bloke running a business called Endless Engineering, through Instagram one day.
Daniel makes monkey bars. Like, serious ones. Put it this way, if a 200 year cyclone came, these things would still be firmly planted in your backyard.
Being an entrepreneurial guy, Daniel liked what the Smashed Avo Project was doing. After mulling over it for a few days, I got this message from him:
Daniel: ‘Hey, I’d like to offer this yellow monkey bar rig for the trade’.
I received a Facebook message back in late September from a lady named Wendy. Her sense of humour grabbed my attention when she jokingly offered her husband or grandchildren in exchange for Item 7, the alto saxophone. Not surprisingly, Wendy quickly retracted her offer…with her tongue still planted firmly in-cheek!
‘…oh wait, that’s illegal, and the sax was be for my Husband’s 60th birthday so after 35 years I’d like to keep him…well maybe not after he starts playing it…’
Continue reading “What’s rarer than diamonds?”When someone asks me what I’d consider swapping for, I usually suggest an unused item from their garden shed.
Well, Jamie G from Palm Beach trumped me with this offer…
Mike P contacted me recently on Facebook Marketplace in response to Item 7, the alto sax.
“My offer is …a pair if hand made American cowboy boots. I bought them after growing up wanting to be the Lone Ranger…the real one. He was black not white. So, bought Lucchese’s.”
I kid you not, Kenny G just sent me an offer for the alto sax!
But initially that’s not what grabbed my attention. Being a lover of all things vintage, especially cars, my virtual ears pricked up when I saw this…
“For trade: An old mercedes steering wheel that’s been fully restored”
Peter B recently offered this swap for Item 7, the alto sax.
“Swap for 2 rubber blow up dinghies? Both have timber transomes to take petrol motor.”
I admire the tenacity of David W who recently sent me a message about the alto sax.
I received a familiar message yesterday…
‘Hello, is this still available?’
It was from a bloke named Kevin F who lived in Bauple, and he was referring to the current item, a saxophone. I responded, and said ‘Hey Kevin, yes, it most certainly is!’
Kevin: What type of things are you considering swapping it for ?…
Crazy or not crazy 🙂
Me: Crazy is cool! I’m open to all sorts of things. Whatever you have I’ll certainly consider.
But what he responded with I wasn’t quite ready for….
Continue reading “Sheepish offer”A couple of days ago I got an email from this bloke, Mike’s his name. He’s the real deal, makes lamps out of up-cycled machinery parts.
He offered me my choice of lamps in exchange for Item #7, the alto saxophone.
And you’ll never guess what Mike wants to use the sax for….
Continue reading “Handmade Industrial Lamps”Riley in Fairfield caught my attention with his message in response to my current listing, the alto sax…
I’ll swap you a whole ass car!
And here’s the car.
It’s a Hyundai Excel.
Well, I’m certainly no mechanic but to me it looks like it may need a little work.
Continue reading “A mechanic’s delight”I got this message yesterday:
Hi Jake, What about a taxidermied freshwater crocodile? Cheers mate Dennis.
I was intrigued. I mean, how could you not be? We’re talking about one of nature’s most majestic beasts. So Dennis shared a bit more info…
Continue reading “Snap this up”I got a message from Oliver recently offering a swap for the current item, the alto sax.
“I got vintage audio mixer with wooden frames on its sides. Was used in a radio station in Brisbane.“
I’m super excited to announce I’ve found a new home for item 6, the nine carat gold ring, in exchange for this sweet alto saxophone.
This offer to swap the current item for a Vietnam war era cigarette lighter really sparked my curiosity.
I was particularly moved by the story that Blythe shared with me via Facebook Marketplace:
Continue reading “Vietnam War relic”Today I was offered a used Toyota sewing machine from a lovely lady name Mary Anne, as a potential swap for the current item.
I received this message on Facebook Marketplace earlier today in response to the advertisement for the current item (the 9 carat gold ring)…
Grant: Wat about a prehistoric shark tooth
Me: Photo of the prehistoric shark it came from?
Grant: Nope only got the tooth
Me: How do you know it’s prehistoric?
Continue reading “Prehistoric shark’s tooth”
Today I received an offer that got me a bit hot under the collar (hopefully that’s not a sign that a certain virus setting in!)
Continue reading “Things are heating up”A lively chap named Chris put forward this offer for the current item, the 9 carat gold ring:
….it’s a tile from the Titanic’s main Smoking Room. They had to be perfect, so they ordered about four times more than they needed. These excess tiles were used to cover the floor of the White Star Lines Offices until they went bankrupt. Has a photo of Smoking Room in background framed photo, the tile is attached to, along with the story.
Continue reading “Tales from the Titanic”I got a message from Benji today in response to the Gumtree ad for my current item, the 9 carat gold ring.
I’ve got something cool.
A NOS bottle.
Continue reading “Fast and furious”Jenny S contacted me today via Gumtree, in response to my ad for the current item , the 9 carat gold ring.
I have a piece of the Berlin Wall I’d like to offer you. It isn’t large. My Sister also has a piece. My brother was in Berlin at the time of the wall coming down. He lived in London for 20 years.
Pretty fascinating, but how do I know it’s the real deal?
Continue reading “Piece of the Berlin Wall”I’m was feeling a tad porky after eating my bodyweight in glazed ham on Christmas day, so it was a pleasant distraction to receive a ‘ping!’ from Scotty in Kingscliff offering a new item in exchange for Item #3, the surfboard traction pad. Turns out Scotty also has a little case of the post-Christmas blues, receiving a gift that he doesn’t have a use for right now.
What was the gift he swapped?
Continue reading “Beam me up, Scotty”Had a classic enquiry come through on Gumtree today for Item #3, the surfboard traction pad.
You know the one:
‘Hi, I’m wondering if this is still available?’
I’m sure I’m not the first to admit that as a frequent Gumtree user, it’s hard to refrain from being a complete smartass when enquiries like this come through. I mean, why would it be listed if it wasn’t still available….
Continue reading “High fives”
A local chap named James contacted me yesterday offering a pre-loved antique Danish dining chairs in exchange for Item #2, my cane magazine rack.
Now I’m the first to admit to not knowing a great deal about the furniture of yesteryear (whilst also of Scandinavian descent, my oldest piece of furniture is from the 2008 Ikea range).
This morning I heard the familiar ping of a Gumtree enquiry and habitually opened the app without much thought.
I was greeted with this….
After almost 4 months of receiving random offers to trade for item #1 (a fresh serving of smashed avo on toast from your local cafe) I’ve finally committed to a trade. Continue reading “First trade is done and dusted!”
I received a rather humorous offer from a bloke named Chris earlier today.
Chris replied to my Gumtree ad offering a trade for his Big Mouth Larry Lobster.
Smashed avo on toast. It’s good stuff and arguably, Australia does it better than anyone in the world.
In fact, right now there are probably thousands of cafes across the nation serving up drool-inducing plates of smashed avo worthy of enough Michelin stars to make the Southern Cross jealous.
