Need a hard hat, birdbath or bag of marbles? Want to get rid of an easel, ball gown or bathtub? A smattering of Web sites like Freecycle and Freesharing have sprung up to connect two kinds of people: those desperate to offload their junk and those eager to acquire it.

It's a brilliant solution to the age-old cluttered-garage problem. For generations, pack rats have been plagued with guilt as they fretted, stalled and ultimately sent outdated armchairs and baseball cap collections to local landfills.

Now folks can log on to Web networks like Around Again and Sharing Is Giving, register for the group in their city or county, post a notice for, say, the used microwave they want to give away ... and wait. People or charities looking for just such an item can then email the giver and arrange to come and get it — for free.

Freecycle, the largest of these giveaway sites, has attracted over 5.5 million members in 85 countries. Founder Deron Beal created it five years ago."My wife and I wanted to give an extra bed away," says Beal, a resident of Tuscon, Ariz. "Goodwill doesn't take beds and none of our friends needed it so I sent out the first email in May of 2003 offering that bed and announcing the founding of The Freecycle Network."

With over 10,000 new members each week, the popular site solves three real problems: Clearing out clutter, helping people save money and diverting junk from landfills.

"It was founded as a green concept," says Beal, who estimates that Freecycle keeps 500 tons out of junkyards each year. "I think it succeeds, though, because it's fun." Indeed, wacky items on these sites range from run-down sailboats to housebroken Labradors to chunks of broken concrete.

"I started my local group primarily to get rid of an old mobile home that was in my backyard," says Eric Burke, who founded Freesharing, a network with more than 250,000 members. "The trailer was packed floor to ceiling with used tires. Over three months, the trailer and all its contents disappeared right down to the I-beams, which someone used to build a new garage at their house."

Frequent free-sharers say the system has its downsides. Most sites, for example, require you to register before you can post a giveaway or view anyone else's posts. And once you register, you'll receive frequent emails updating you on newly posted items.

But Freecycle's Beal says that's outweighed by the good feelings that come from seeing generosity at work. "If we bi-peds were not basically good and giving, Freecycle would not work. But it does — on a massive scale," he says. "That's a beautiful, life-affirming message that beats the heck out of the nightly news."

Check out these other free-sharing networks:
• Recycle4Free
• FreeMesa
• Freesouces Recycling Network
• Throwplace
• ReuseItNetwork

Or, to find a network near you, enter your zip code at Overcylce.