Icelandic Facebook Groups: Gefins, allt gefins!

So, you’re a poor Icelandic millennial working tirelessly on your new post-bluegrass-electronic EP. Luckily, your rich grandma just bought you a dope apartment downtown. While it’s totally cool to rock the mattress-on-the-ground traphouse look, what are you supposed to do if you want, say, a table and chairs to eat your vegan ramen on? Well, it’s your lucky day, dude.

“Gefins, allt gefins!” translates to “Giving, all giving!”, but colloquially, it means “Free shit.” This group, which contains upwards of 70,000 Icelanders, is the place where people give away or ask for stuff for free. While the group is mainly used for furniture and mattresses, it’s not uncommon to see things like clothing, haircuts, tchotchkes, and the occasional box of old VHS tapes mixed in. It’s a free-for-all that’s always good for a little time-suck at work. Bizarre hidden gems lie just a click away.

But real talk: If you’re a new parent, “Gefins, allt gefins!” can be a lifesaver. Baby clothes/strollers/car seats/potties are super expensive and super temporary—why splash out when you can get them for free on Facebook? The group is also great when you’re broke but it’s bae’s birthday. Surprise! Here’s a stained loveseat! They’ll remember that jewel forever.

If you desperately need a specific item, though, you can always put up an “Óska eftir” (“Asking for”) post. This is how the author of this post got a new hairdryer and a super cool rug. Wowee! Other friends have gotten new-with-tags beds and couches with these posts. I mean, you know what they say: “Ask and you shall receive.”

Try it out: Ask for a Chanel bag or Camaro—you never know who’s lurking.

(If this works, please let us know.)

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