What's this jewelry swap business?

Hmmm...I received this interesting invite, and my first thought was WOWWWW, what a great idea!  I get to go shopping for cool jewelry without any money...and have fun....and meet new people....and have fun.....oh, I said that already.  Here's an idea for you and your friends, especially if you are tired of BUNCO or old chips &; dip nights or forays to the movie together.  Check this out....

So I had this friend who sent me this invite:

"Are you like me…do you have a drawer full of costume or silver jewelry and accessories that seemed like a good idea at the time?  Well, you know the saying…one woman’s clutter is another woman’s treasure!

Discover new favorites at our First Annual Jewelry and Accessory Swap and Get Together!!!

For each item you bring in you will receive one token allowing you to choose from among the treasures of the other guests.  Any items remaining will be donated to a local thrift store.

Just to clarify, all remaining items will be donated.  Dollar value of items will not be taken into consideration.  It will be a one-for-one swap.  It is possible you will leave with fewer items than you brought.  This swap is for fun!"

I've seen this concept done for kids toys (all in great condition) but never for jewelry.  Participants were also supposed to bring a dish to share.  That is up my alley too...minimal prep and food-making for the host, everyone gets to be a part of it....sounds like a winner.

Here is the list of swappable items my friend listed:

*Reading glasses you’ve “outgrown”
*scarves
*belts
*all kinds of sturdy jewelry

So did I go?  Not this time around due to another commitment, but I had to agonize and hear about all the great things others picked up at this event...how's that for feeling left out?  You can bet I'll be first at the door for the next one...you see, I am partial to scarves and necklaces and those two items are the first things I look for in my travels and when discovering a new shop around here.

Do you have any great ideas of similar ideas or things that can be fun for a group of ladies?