Xchange Anybody?

The other day I saw this interesting ad in the paper "Anything for Anything" offer from one of the leading kitchen appliances' manufacturer. I jumped at seeing it. Now I didnt jump because I saw anything red in the ad but because I found the opportunity to get rid of the junk I called utensils. So immediately I got my big bag out and put the "pressure cooker" which I got handed down to me from three other flatmates centuries ago, a "kadai" benefit another friend who didnt want to see his newly wed wife see what he cooked in, couple of "chai pots" which looked worse than the ones vendors have and a "tava" which was from before when java was discovered and trooped to the shop. Three hours later I came a proud owner of a brand new iodized cooker, non stick "kadai", non stick "tava", non stick oven compliant "chai pot" and a host of wooden ladels and spoons. Wow! didnt even notice the 3000 bucks it had burnt into my credit card - I had overcome the urge to store something.
Well, its not remarkable that I got new utensils but the point I am trying to make is that barter system is back big time these days. It is one of the mechanisms the marketeers have come up with to keep the engine of our economy running.
The fact is that I have this issue with me - I just cant let go. I still have the miniature cars which I collected when I was a kid, still have my old cricket bat, still have all my old books, still have a host of things which I dont even remember about in a host of old boxes. Is there anybody out there who can relate to it? If yes you know exactly what I am talking about.
Thus the exchange schemes have come as a boon for me. I strongly believe some intelligent folks in the Whartons, Harvards, IIMs of the world did a study and realized that if they can get all hoarders like me to get rid of their hoarded junk they can make money and presto exchange schemes were born. Now I want to find out which was the first exchange scheme of the modern times. In the meantime the local gadget store has offered me another offer - give me your 29" CRT TV and take a brand new LCD HD crystal panel - hmmmmm...interesting!