Mathom Swap

"It was a tendency of hobbit-holes to get cluttered up; for which the custom of giving so many birthday-presents was largely responsible. Not, of course, that the birthday-presents were always new; there were one or two old mathoms of forgotten uses that had circulated all around the district; but Bilbo had usually given new presents and kept those that he received." -- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

1. mathom: A relatively trivial object that has been given as a present. Strictly, a mathom is probably NOT an object with a tendency to decay (i.e. fruitcake), nor an object of obviously poor construction (i.e. a crooked handmade sweater or junk), nor a family heirloom or a useful "hand-me-down" article (i.e. toddler clothing), nor one which requires expensive upkeep (i.e. a large, exotic pet -- a proverbial white elephant). Such objects most likely persist because they are slightly too valuable or unusual to dispose of outright or give away, yet have such limited use or appeal that no one actually wants them.

One woman's mathom is (perhaps) another's treasure: this swap will exchange any mathom you may have had lying around for years and years --- what's yours? An old wedding/birthday/Christmas/graduation present still in the box? Something you bought on a whim and have never used? One mathom, one partner.

This swap is open to all, no 1s or unexplained 3s please. I'll check profiles and ban any questionable swappers. Please rate 5 if you receive your swap: this swap is a throw of the dice... :)