On a sidewalk near East Cesar Chavez Avenue in East Los Angeles, a small black-and-white checkered box sits outside a home. Open it, and it reveals a surprise: toy keychains, friendship bracelets, bubble blower, Disney figurines and other colorful knick-knacks.
The trinkets are free, but with one catch: Visitors are encouraged to take an item and swap it with another fun treasure.
It’s one of a series of trinket trade boxes popping up across Los Angeles County, including Rosemead, El Monte and Whittier. The exchanges have also gained traction on TikTok, where videos of similar displays continue to circulate. A Worldwide Sidewalk Joy map on Google details where they are taking place…