Does anyone use Freecycle at all? If so, has the crap you've gotten from folks on the list any good, or just someone's junk that's still junk?

It really depends... I've used it to clear out stuff - giving away tons of books, computer(s) & parts, kid stuff, and even a fridge. I've also gotten a ton of hand me down clothes for my daughter (mostly good quality), lots of books, I even scored a textbook I ended up needing which would have cost me ~$90. The best thing I ever got though was a curio cabinet which I've had appraised and is worth ~2k.

Atlanta is has a really active freecycle group though - I think there are 5 or 6 in the metro area alone.

yeah, i've given more than i've gotten, but i've gotten brand-new stuff. most of the stuff isn't junk at all -- it's just stuff that's not useful to someone anymore, or stuff with one flaw that people are a little reluctant to sell 'cuz they don't want to be bitched out by an unhappy customer.

the only problem i have isn't the stuff, it's the flakiness of a lot of the people. you'd think that if you're giving people free stuff, they'll actually show up. nope. i tend to get about a 50% flake rate. sometimes the first three people to ask for something just don't show up.

i've been selling stuff on craigslist for purely nominal fees -- like $5 -- just because people don't seem to take it seriously if there's not money involved.