New trend of Trinket Trade Boxes emerges up and down the Central Coast
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - It's a simple box with a connection to a larger world.
Trinket trade boxes are popping up on street corners and outside businesses up and down the Central Coast.
They're similar to little free libraries, but instead of trading books, you trade bracelets, small toys or mugs.
"When I saw that, (trinket trade boxes) I said Lompoc really could use this," said Kaitlyn Rispoli, known as the trinket trade fairy in Lompoc and created Lompoc Trinket Trade. 'I think I was like, I would love to see one of these, so how about I make one?"
Rispoli first discovered trinket trade boxes on TikTok.
"I set up three of them in Lompoc. I always love when someone tags me on Instagram, or I just kind of see the kids running up to the boxes, and they're always so excited to trade and see what's inside," said Rispoli.
Trinket trading brings joy to people of all ages at a time when some hobbies are becoming too expensive.
"I feel very happy. I feel like I'm a kid again when it comes to like, having these little, like, toys or figures that I didn't have when I was a kid," said Content Creator and Trinket Trader, Lina Hall.
Hall says she puts great care and thought into her trades.
I'm going to trade this BTS figure because I already have one, a duplicate, so this is a duplicate. I'm going to trade it for this (BTS) one."
Some boxes have expanded to themes like a box known as the Tiny spells and trinket trade box in Ventura or a box made by a family in Santa Paula with a Pokemon theme.
"This (trinket)box here is our Pokemon theme. Our kids are really into Pokemon right now, so we're going to have Pokemon trinkets, probably Pokemon card," said Robert Johnson, one of the creators of the Pokemon box and can be found on Instagram under Professor Oaks Trading Post
"It's not limited to just Pokemon," said Jennifer Johnson creator of the Pokemon box and can be found on Instagram under Professor Oaks Trading Post "You know, if somebody wants to come and trade like my little pony for something Pokemon, that's totally okay. and it doesn't even have to be limited to just children. you know, adults can come by and trinket trade as well. It's so fun to see all the different stuff because you could go everyday to the same boxes, but there's constantly different things inside the box."
There are rules, when it comes to trading, like protect the boxes, trade fairly and don't fill them with broken or worn out junk.
"This carabiner is broken, some things like this are scratch, somebody else is probably not going to want to wear that," said Rispoli. "When you walk up to the box, you know, be gentle with the boxes. they're utility boxes, but still, if you're being rough with them, they could break. When you open the box, if you see trash, honestly, just grab it and toss it."
The website Worldwide Sidewalk Joy has maps, so you can find out if a trinket trade box is near you.
Happy trading to all.
