but I do get the point, and I would definitely consider sending good things there first. My stuff though is normally really past it before it gets passed on. usually to the rubbish bin.I've picked up some wonderful things myself from freecycle, the best being an A701a kenwood mixer.
I'm so pleased that one didn't go to a charity shop, they probably would have thrown it out as it was beyond dirty, and broken, and now it makes me wonderful cakes. it did take me the better part of 4 months to repair, and required my brothers knowledge of circuit diagrams to work out how to adjust the speed, but twas my own soldering iron that fixed the dodgy connection. 