This might be stretching the definition of thrift store a bit, but it’s truly one of my favorite places in the whole state and I love to introduce people to it. The UW Swap Shop is a big warehouse in Verona (very near Wisconsin Brewing Company) that has twice-weekly public sales. Swap is actually an acronym for “Surplus with A Purpose” and their goal is to reduce the University of Wisconsin’s environmental footprint. They receive up to 20 tons of surplus material each week and 92% of it is redistributed or recycled. They take care of a truly humongous amount of computer equipment and ensure that it gets reused or properly recycled.
Because they take in items from the university as well as other government agencies, you never quite know what you’ll find at the Swap Shop (or in their online auctions) and that’s what makes it so darn fun. Nowhere else in the state will you find quite the same collection of stuff and looking through their weekly preview pictures on Facebook is one of the highlights of my week.
The shop is open Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4 pm for UW departments, municipalities, public schools and state agencies. But they are open to the public on Tuesday and Friday from 8 am to 2 pm and on the second Saturday of every month from 8 am to 12 pm.
Foursquare/WendyS
Everything available in the Swap Shop is first offered to other campus departments, state agencies or tax-supported organizations that may benefit from another department’s unwanted materials. If they cannot find a state agency, school, municipality or non-profit group that can use these materials, the surplus property is made available for sale to the general public.
Facebook/UWSwapShop
With 20 tons of stuff coming through here on a daily basis, the inventory is constantly in flux and you never know what you may find.
Facebook/UWSwapShop
A recent switch of athletic apparel sponsorship meant that all the stuff with the old company logo had to go.
Facebook/UWSwapShop
UW-Madison alums are familiar with these trays for more than just carrying food - they know they great make sleds when the snow finally starts to fall.
Facebook/UWSwapShop
It’s always interesting to imagine the provenance of the items that end up in the Swap Shop - and also to wonder what you might do with the items.
Facebook/UWSwapShop
You’ll spend plenty of time trying to talk yourself out of buying items you know you don’t really need, but kind of don’t want to live without.
Facebook/UWSwapShop
Or you just might find a pretty awesome piece of UW memorabilia.
Facebook/UWSwapShop
If I thought the USPS would approve, this would be my new mailbox already.
Facebook/UWSwapShop
The Swap Shop is just a truly awesome state enterprise that looks to keep things out of landfills while creating opportunities for reuse. It enables non-profits and schools to access things they might otherwise not be able to afford. And it’s like the world’s most interesting yard sale week in and week out.
Facebook/UWSwapShop
The Swap Shop is located at 1061 Thousand Oaks Trail., Verona, WI 53593. You can find out more about them on their website here.
Foursquare/WendyS
Facebook/UWSwapShop
Definitely make sure to follow them on Facebook for reminders of the public sales as well as previews of what is available that week accompanied by some fairly entertaining captions.
Looking for more great Wisconsin thrift stores? Check out 14 Incredible Thrift Stores In Wisconsin Where You’ll Find All Kinds Of Treasures.
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