acts of kindness
October 2008 
Shopdropping a.k.a. Droplifting & Reverse Graffiti
Posted on Jul 8th, 2008
by 
Joy Bringer
Joy Bringer
How about some really UNIQUE & FUN random and/or deliberate acts of kindness?
Here are several great ideas thanks to the highly Pronoic Rob's Free WIll Astrology.
Shopdropping, also known as droplifting, is the incredible act of reverse shoplifting: going into stores and putting things onto the shelves.
Shopdroppers have their own reasons for doing what they do. Some are social and political culture jammers who want to raising awareness about consumerism or adding warnings to dangerous products. Others seek to promote their own product, such as an album left in a record store. Still others do it for their own amusement and artistic fulfillment without expectations of any kind of return. ( I recommend the latter/lastest :)
Mixed Messages: a shop dropping intervention
Some shopdrop projects are individual endeavors while others are the work of highly organized groups, such as the Droplift Project.
It might not surprise you to learn that reactions to shopdropping or droplifting vary as much as approaches to it and reasons for doing it. Some people find it harmless and amusing while others find it shocking and disturbing.
Pronoic warning & proclaimer: Shopdroppers who are caught are variously freed by confused police or held on charges related to destruction of property or even fraud. :)
Reactions or other shopdropping thoughts, experiences & suggestions? :)
And if you really like the idea, you may like another unconventional one - Reverse Graffiti...
Thanks to Rob Brezsny &, the Droplift Project & weburbanist.com for the fun & inspiration...
Access: PublicTagged with: Shopdropping, droplifting, pronoia, reverse graffiti, acts of kindness, random, deliberate, Joy, Free will astrology
I worked in a smaller in-mall bookstore for over five years, and during that time, we had a consistent shopdropper. I'd never in my life ever heard of going into a store to LEAVE merchandise until it started happening in our store. It went on for years. It was likely the same person the whole time; the books were always highly esoteric and gently used Hindu texts that seemed quite bit out of place in the cultural and intellectual backwater that is the Inland Empire of Southern California. (Our clientele, too, tended not to be the kind of person to have any interest in such things.) Because the bookstore was no Barnes and Noble in size, the books were even easier to spot when they appeared. Our shopdropper invariably filed them in the correct area under the religion section, even.
The books were usually just tossed (if other people found them first) or saved and taken to charity and dontated (if I found them.)
I love this!! Good ol' Rob….what fun it would be to do this on a large gaia size scale. What would be a really simple statement we could create and leave somewhere en masse?
wow… crossposting to God Pod
I'd heard of this before. The Reverse Graffiti was new to me though.
What a story and experience Lisa. I am yet to witness such live but I intend to create some… :)Thanks for connecting and for your priceless Hawaii insights!
Janet, Rob continues to surprise and delight us in numerous ways and inspire us too!What a great idea you have! How about Leave stickers of “Pay it forward” or “Surprise someone”. I even had the idea of en masse reverse panhandling where we offer small amounts of money to strangers just to change their perception of giving. More to come! :)
Nicole - how wonderful of you to spread the kindness and ingenuity & thus introducing me to the vibrant and dynamic God pod - thank YOU!
Marmalade feel free to share your story and even tell us of new and more such rare acts!
it's always a pleasure!