In the movie Taipei Exchange, two girls open a coffeehouse with a special bartering system. Coffee is the only thing paid for by money while other items are exchanged for things of equivalent value or quality. This creative system saves the once-declining business and customers start to share the stories, either sad or happy, behind the swapped bric-a-brac.
Now, this romantic concept has been introduced to Guangzhou. Nestled in a quiet neighborhood on Yulei Er Jie, Xingfu Exchange Shop claims to be the first bartering store in the city. Covering less than 15 square meters, it looks crowded, with a great number of objects placed on the shelves.
“We welcome all kinds of goods as long as it is of acceptable quality,” says Lun Zi, a 30-year-old man who opened the shop in 2013. Unsurprisingly considering the open policy, Xingfu Exchange is home to a wide range of decorations, electronics and accessories, from a 1980s Hitachi TV set and a 1970s Zhonghua gramophone to ceramic piggybanks, silver earrings and leather bags. Even though almost all things at the shop are secondhand, they are always clean and in good shape.
Before visitors can begin trading in their unwanted knickknacks, Lun assesses what value their goods have. Once this is done, customers choose from items which are of the same value. For example, your antique tape recorder can be traded for a vintage typewriter. With so many hidden gems waiting to be found, the shop also attaches price to everything so that customers who have nothing to exchange can still purchase a great find.
On the right side of the shop’s entrance hangs a big board with lots of memos stuck to it. “Although quality is what I value, I also cherish the memories hidden behind things. So I put this board here to encourage customers to leave notes about the things they exchange here,” says Lun with a smile. “The ending of one story may be the beginning of another.” WW
// 12 noon-9pm (closed on Mondays). 35 Yulei Er Jie, Tiyu Xi Lu, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 广州市天河区体育西路育蕾二街35号 (132 5021 3033)
