Trinket trade fosters community connections through item exchange
By Bryce Oselen
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BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (WVTM) — Maegan McCormick has launched the Birmingham Trinket Trade, a community project located on the side of “The Electric” in Avondale.
“I just wanted to find a way to bring joy and happiness to the community and kind of make like a community project where we could all come by and take something and leave something and just brighten some people’s day,” McCormick said.
McCormick said she started the project after researching similar initiatives and finding none nearby.
“I was researching if there was any kind of close to me and didn’t come upon any, so I figured I would go ahead and start my own,” McCormick said.
The Trinket Trade features a box filled with items such as keychains, toys, stickers, and more. People of all ages are welcome to stop by and trade items, fostering connections within the community. McCormick said the box has been active for about two weeks and has gained significant attention.
“Yeah, it’s going on week two, and yeah, it’s been extremely popular ever since I posted it on TikTok. It got a lot of views on there, and so people have been stopping by kind of all hours of the day, which has been fun,” McCormick said.
Antonio Wright, kitchen manager at The Electric, said the box has drawn visitors even late at night.
“Even at night, from nine to ten to eleven o’clock when I leave from closing, I see a line of people actually out here at the Trinket Box, so a lot of people have been real happy with it,” Wright said.
McCormick said the project has become so popular that the Trinket Box now has its own trinket box. She hopes to expand the initiative and keep it running.
“Yeah, I love to have people stop by any hour of the day. You’re welcome to stop by, and I definitely encourage it, and I love to see the community’s love for it,” McCormick said.
She also expressed her desire to create a Trinket Trade Box for the city of Hoover.
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