Have you come across The Swap-O-Matic yet? It's a vending machine art project that travels around Brooklyn, allowing users to exchange goods without exchanging money. Its utopian sense of "value" is similar to websites like Thingheap—only with a neat retro '50s logo! Check out a promo video below.
Lina Fenequito of Good World Media, the main designer and creator, explains the goal of her project: "to promote a shift in culture away from an emphasis on unconscious consumption towards a more sustainable way of life through reusing and trading." All items in the machine are considered equal: you can put in a pair of old shoes and take out a collectible Tintin statue if that's what you find. The concept revolves around making recycling and reusing fun, without all the baggage of currency (or perishable sugary treats).
The machine has been located from the Parsons The New School for Design, where Fenequito earned her master's degree and now teaches, to the Lower Eastside Girls' Club. You can currently find it at the Ample Hills Creamery, an all-natural ice cream shop in Brooklyn.
