Hundreds of locals pored over clothes, books, and other knickknacks in the heart of the Mission District on Saturday afternoon. The community gathering of individuals and their goods, talents and foods was all part of a money-less exchange called the “Really Really Free Market.”

The event took place in the fifth floor of ArtSF, a community space at 110 Capp St. utilized by local artists and musicians for creative expression.

The main tenet of the Really Really Free Market (RRFM) is the idea of bringing almost anything, be it food, clothes or a skill, and sharing it with other individuals. Free of any cash or comparable bartering tokens, of course.

“Usually you look around and everybody’s selling something,” said Ray Sykes, a 27-year-old who brought some of his neighbor‘s stuff to give. “But here, everybody’s giving something. It’s kind of in opposition to today’s economic paradigm, and it’s a lot more efficient.”

The RRFM, which was started in April 2005, usually can be found on the last Saturday of each month in Dolores Park. According to an event organizer, it was brought indoors briefly because of the cooler weather.

Going up five flights of stairs did nothing to discourage young and older people alike from bringing their contributions, and walking away with something they needed.

“It’s similar to Burning Man, in that you don’t need money, it’s in that spirit,” said Rose Bay, a 48-year-old Glen Park resident. “I came looking for a laptop case for my computer, and I found one, so now I can return the one that I bought.”

Bay talked about the benefits of the RRFM for not only those who came in with goods to leave for others, but other individuals who had nothing to begin with.

“Homeless people and street people come by and are like ‘wow,’” said Bay. “I don’t think it fits into our capitalist society, and that’s what’s so charming about it.”

Kirsten Brydum, one of the organizers who does online publicity for the event, said that the idea for the free exchange flowed from opposition to the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) and other free trade moves. Brydum, who explained how she raises awareness by posting to online calendars and giving word-of-mouth invitations, made it clear that the RRFM was an event run by everyone, not just her or other organizers. Essentially, everyone who shows up is simultaneously a participant and an organizer.

“I’m most blown away by people’s desire to give,” said Brydum, a 24-year-old Mission resident. “It’s giving without expecting something in return, and not trying to find a profit, but showing that you care for the people in your community.”

Brydum spoke about the generosity of the community as a whole, citing how a local café and grocery store donated espresso and fresh produce respectively, when they were told about the exchange.

The Really Really Free Market included musical talents, juggling instructors, hula hoop girls, tarot readings and massages. A ripped dollar bill sat in a small dish beside a big Ziploc bag of pretzels, adding visual emphasis to the currency-free nature of the event.

“If you’re going to destroy the economy, you’ve got to give stuff away,” said Joe Mama, a 30-year-old ArtSF founder. “This is commerce that doesn’t support the war, the fucking government doesn’t get a cut.”

The dreadlock-sporting Mama, whose friends confirmed that he wasn’t using a bogus name, said that he performs in third-world countries all across the globe, and that in many places people don’t have the same wasteful tendencies as Americans.

“Go travel to other countries where they’re used to not having money to spend,” said Mama. “Those people would love to just have a few dirty T-shirts.”

Christian Fenderson gave away a bicycle seat, and was thrilled to be taking home a shirt and a wetsuit top from the event. He praised the sense of community and the interaction that came out of the event’s premise, pointing out a noticeable difference between those lingering around the studio and those who hustle through big chain stores.

“It brings people a little closer together, like if one of us gives something for free, then maybe we won’t need money as much,” said Fenderson, a 32-year-old from Bernal Heights. “It connects to why people work so many hours to buy junk, and hopefully now people are thinking more about the product of their labor.”

While people were milling about the fifth floor of the building, Daniel Ross set up his spread of free items outside on the corner of Capp and 16th Streets. He used his admittedly-limited command of the Spanish language to inform all passersby that everything was free for the taking, including the pasta salad and apples.

“There’s this compulsion for people to buy things that they think will bring a lot of satisfaction to their lives, and they don’t end up using them,” said Ross, a 41-year-old Sunset resident. “People buy a lot of things they don’t need, and they don’t even realize they have these things that other people need.”

Not long after that, a homeless man in tattered clothing bent down to scoop some pasta salad into his newest possession, a coffee mug he gleaned from Ross’ collection.