Barbies, bracelets and rings: Viral trinket box unlocks Westcott’s whimsy
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Outside the Westcott Barber Shop, passersby may notice a small pink box to the left of the front door. Inside live mini Barbie dolls, friendship bracelets and other small knickknacks waiting for someone curious enough to take a peak. But what is it?
“I thought it would be a fun little community-building activity in Westcott,” Melissa Spangenberg said. “People really appreciate a little whimsy.”
Spangenberg, who lives in the Westcott-University neighborhood, set up a “trinket box” outside the barbershop she and her husband own. The miniature wooden box, which sits on top of a wood plank, is anchored in a bucket of cement. It’s inspired by the Little Free Library movement, but instead of borrowing and returning books, trinket box visitors can trade items for free.
The idea came to Spangenberg almost a year ago after watching TikToks of the boxes coming up across the country — tiny boxes filled with cute trinkets.
A trinket box is a new or repurposed wooden or plastic box where residents can leave and trade small trinkets with each other anonymously. The trend was first popularized by the swapping movement, which involved repurposing empty electrical boxes as a way to connect with others during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A toy car, a pair of sunglasses and various bracelets wait for bystanders to claim them from the “trinket box” outside Westcott Barber Shop. One of the inspirations for the boxes is the Little Free Library movement, which began in 2009. Liam Cain | Contributing Photographer
Westcott’s box taps into a broader interest in collecting and exchanging small objects, where part of the appeal comes from searching for something unexpected. Similar to geocaching, trinket boxes give people a reason to get out, explore their surroundings and leave with a small treasure.
Spangenberg, who received her masters degree in social work from Syracuse University in 2020, said Westcott felt like a natural place for the project. The neighborhood’s mix of longtime residents, local businesses and students made it the perfect place for the novelty, Spangenberg said.
The box, which Spangenberg’s husband built and she painted, started off with just a few bracelets and Labubus, Spangenberg said. But since then, the box has seen many types of trinkets, from rings and hair ties to pins and mini Barbie dolls.
While the box isn’t surveilled like others similar to it, Spangenberg is pleasantly surprised by the community’s treatment of the box — its interior and exterior. More visitors are choosing to leave things rather than take them, Spangenberg said.
“I didn’t expect everyone to respect it or just leave it alone,” Spangenberg said. “It’s equally as great to see the community respect this little project.”
SU sophomore Liz Holt said she was running through Westcott a few days ago when she noticed the large pink box. She wasn’t aware of the trinket box trend beforehand, so it took her by surprise that she could leave with something for free.
“I opened the box and inside was a Taylor Swift friendship bracelet, which was so cool,” Holt said. “I took it to my roommate, who is a total Swiftie, and she explained the (trinket box) to me.”
What started as an observation on her frequent Westcott runs became a heartwarming surprise for Holt. Although she doesn’t live directly in the neighborhood, Holt plans on using the box as a halfway break point for her runs.
The box has also been a surprising addition to the neighborhood. Nicholas Martino, who was visiting his grandmother in Syracuse, said he’s seen similar boxes around his home in New York City. Coming across one in the Westcott stood out to him because he didn’t expect the trend to spread so quickly.
“(Westcott) is a peaceful place to be,” Martino said. “I never would have expected to see this trend up here, and I mean that in a nice way.”
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For Spangenberg, seeing people of all ages using the box has become one of her favorite parts of the project.
“There’s kids and adults who come by,” Spangenberg said. “It is so cute to me.”
Her idea also seems to sit well with others, too. The owner of Eastwood businesses The Curd Nerd and The Wedge replied to one of Spangenberg’s TikToks and asked her about the possibility of making similar boxes for their storefronts.
While the idea is something Spangenberg is considering for the future, she plans on just thinking about Wescott for now. It would be great to have a positive impact on others, but her current focus is on the people who live in the Westcott community, Spangenberg said.
“I definitely want to keep it up,” Spangenberg said. “For now though, I want to figure out more of what other people want to trade here.”
