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Many years ago there was NeighborGoods, a site that facilitated free loans of tools from neighbors. (Possibly they had paid options, but I only remember the fre

by SamBam 1y ago

Many years ago there was NeighborGoods, a site that facilitated free loans of tools from neighbors. (Possibly they had paid options, but I only remember the free part myself.) I loved it. I put all my own tools up on it for anyone to use. A few people borrowed my drill once it twice. I borrowed a ladder from someone. Some people even had their kayaks on there, as they lived near the river. I loved the free aspect because that just made sense. We're in a dense urban neighborhood, why do we really need an impact driver for ever single house, or a wheelbarrow, or an oscillating saw? If I know my neighbor wants one, I'm glad to lend it. The world needs less consumption and more sharing.

GouacheApp 1y ago
Absolutely — couldn’t agree more. In most neighborhoods, there’s really no need for everyone to own the same tools, especially for things you use once or twice a year. That mindset of sharing over consuming is exactly what we’re trying to support with Patio — whether it's lending for free, renting, or just making it easier to know who has what nearby. The more we can encourage that kind of local connection, the less we all need to buy — and the better it is for everyone.
- J7jKW2AAsgXhWm 1y ago
  Tool lending library is the best I’ve found so far for tools. The best part is not having to store all the tools.
  - GouacheApp 1y ago
    Absolutely — not having to store all the tools is a huge plus. That’s a big part of what we’re aiming for with Patio too: easy access to tools without the hassle of ownership or storage.
- jogjayr 1y ago
  I like tool libraries. I belong to one myself. But I also own some tools, like a car jack and and torque wrench, even though I use them exactly twice a year. If I relied on the tool library for those, they'd be checked out all month when I most needed them to put on or remove winter tires.
  - GouacheApp 1y ago
    Yeah, that makes sense — some tools are just worth owning if you know you’ll need them at specific high demands times. I think that tool libraries arent a full replacement for personal gear, especially for high demand and seasonal stuff. I see them more as a complement, great for one off jobs or trying things before buying.
GouacheApp 1y ago
Curious though — when you were lending or borrowing items, did you ever run into any issues or friction? Things like no-shows, damage, or unclear expectations? We’re trying to learn from real experiences to make it smoother for everyone.
- SamBam 1y ago
  Interestingly when I try to give things away for free on Craigslist (yes, I'm old, I still use CL) I am frustrated to no end by no-shows. I've occasionally charged $5 just because that seems to filter out people who will actually come. But I don't remember that being an issue with NeighborGoods. Maybe it was the community nature of it, that you really felt like you were borrowing from a neighbor, instead of just getting some free stuff to re-sell. I never dealt with damage. I think actually IF I were charging per hour, I might care more, because then it feels like a business transaction. If I'm putting stuff up for free, then it's because I'm willing to lend to neighbors. (Obviously I'd feel different if someone broke my $400 drill press or something.)
  - GouacheApp 1y ago
    Thats exactly my mindset too. We're planning to give free basic tools (skilsaw, drills, sanders) that we're getting from people that dont use it anymore to ppl that will use it for real. I don't think we need all the tools that we owns, all the time, and if our neighbors can lend it, its a pleasure to do so. Damage can happens but at the end of the day, we're neighbors lending to each others so we can figure it out most of the time at least!
itake 1y ago
Seattle has a few non profit tool libraries. Membership is $60/yr. Instead of buying a $200 bulky tool I use once every 5 years that I have to keep sharp and maintain, I just go there. For items that I use once per month, I still keep handy, b/c driving 20+ minutes is just not worth it. Their tools are also in good condition and there are volunteers that maintain them. They also help with bike repairs too. Specifically, I am a member here: https://seattlereconomy.org/ https://seattlereconomy.org/
- GouacheApp 1y ago
  That’s awesome — Seattle’s tool libraries are a great example of how well this model can work. That kind of affordable access to well-maintained tools makes a huge difference. With Patio, we’re looking to support and expand that model, especially in areas without a local library, and provide tools to help existing ones grow and serve their communities even better.
  - batch12 1y ago
    Off topic, but almost all of your recent comments feel AI generated to me. Maybe I'm reading into things, but the structure looks AI, lots of bangs and a whole lot of em dashes. They also don't match the style of your previous comments, last in 2022.
    - GouacheApp 1y ago
      Totally fair to call that out, and I get why it might come across that way. But nope, not AI-generated. Just me trying to be clearer and a bit more structured lately. Sorry if it fell off.
      - Freak_NL 1y ago
        That thing where your every first sentence starts with a short statement followed by an em-dash and then continues? Stop that. That's what's really annoying people. Em-dashes as such are fine — really, you can use them if you want — but that gimmick isn't helping you.

by SamBam 1y ago

GouacheApp 1y ago

Absolutely — couldn’t agree more. In most neighborhoods, there’s really no need for everyone to own the same tools, especially for things you use once or twice a year. That mindset of sharing over consuming is exactly what we’re trying to support with Patio — whether it's lending for free, renting, or just making it easier to know who has what nearby. The more we can encourage that kind of local connection, the less we all need to buy — and the better it is for everyone.

J7jKW2AAsgXhWm 1y ago
Tool lending library is the best I’ve found so far for tools. The best part is not having to store all the tools.
- GouacheApp 1y ago
  Absolutely — not having to store all the tools is a huge plus. That’s a big part of what we’re aiming for with Patio too: easy access to tools without the hassle of ownership or storage.
jogjayr 1y ago
I like tool libraries. I belong to one myself. But I also own some tools, like a car jack and and torque wrench, even though I use them exactly twice a year. If I relied on the tool library for those, they'd be checked out all month when I most needed them to put on or remove winter tires.
- GouacheApp 1y ago
  Yeah, that makes sense — some tools are just worth owning if you know you’ll need them at specific high demands times. I think that tool libraries arent a full replacement for personal gear, especially for high demand and seasonal stuff. I see them more as a complement, great for one off jobs or trying things before buying.

GouacheApp 1y ago

Curious though — when you were lending or borrowing items, did you ever run into any issues or friction? Things like no-shows, damage, or unclear expectations? We’re trying to learn from real experiences to make it smoother for everyone.

SamBam 1y ago
Interestingly when I try to give things away for free on Craigslist (yes, I'm old, I still use CL) I am frustrated to no end by no-shows. I've occasionally charged $5 just because that seems to filter out people who will actually come. But I don't remember that being an issue with NeighborGoods. Maybe it was the community nature of it, that you really felt like you were borrowing from a neighbor, instead of just getting some free stuff to re-sell. I never dealt with damage. I think actually IF I were charging per hour, I might care more, because then it feels like a business transaction. If I'm putting stuff up for free, then it's because I'm willing to lend to neighbors. (Obviously I'd feel different if someone broke my $400 drill press or something.)
- GouacheApp 1y ago
  Thats exactly my mindset too. We're planning to give free basic tools (skilsaw, drills, sanders) that we're getting from people that dont use it anymore to ppl that will use it for real. I don't think we need all the tools that we owns, all the time, and if our neighbors can lend it, its a pleasure to do so. Damage can happens but at the end of the day, we're neighbors lending to each others so we can figure it out most of the time at least!

itake 1y ago

Seattle has a few non profit tool libraries. Membership is $60/yr. Instead of buying a $200 bulky tool I use once every 5 years that I have to keep sharp and maintain, I just go there. For items that I use once per month, I still keep handy, b/c driving 20+ minutes is just not worth it. Their tools are also in good condition and there are volunteers that maintain them. They also help with bike repairs too. Specifically, I am a member here: https://seattlereconomy.org/ https://seattlereconomy.org/

GouacheApp 1y ago
That’s awesome — Seattle’s tool libraries are a great example of how well this model can work. That kind of affordable access to well-maintained tools makes a huge difference. With Patio, we’re looking to support and expand that model, especially in areas without a local library, and provide tools to help existing ones grow and serve their communities even better.
- batch12 1y ago
  Off topic, but almost all of your recent comments feel AI generated to me. Maybe I'm reading into things, but the structure looks AI, lots of bangs and a whole lot of em dashes. They also don't match the style of your previous comments, last in 2022.
  - GouacheApp 1y ago
    Totally fair to call that out, and I get why it might come across that way. But nope, not AI-generated. Just me trying to be clearer and a bit more structured lately. Sorry if it fell off.
    - Freak_NL 1y ago
      That thing where your every first sentence starts with a short statement followed by an em-dash and then continues? Stop that. That's what's really annoying people. Em-dashes as such are fine — really, you can use them if you want — but that gimmick isn't helping you.