Swapping Reviews

Book Swapping Reviews

2009-12-12T20:50:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of different sites where you can trade different media materials so that you can get used books for free. Here are a few of the pluses and minuses of the book swapping sites that I've personally used.

Swaptree

Pros

You can trade books for dvds, cds or even video games.

Computer automatically makes matches for you.

Easy to print postage

Cons

Minimal support available.

You're supposed to send the book the day after the trade goes through which can be rushed.

No clear cut repercussions if a trader doesn't send an item. It may hurt their rating so other users won't trade with them but you still will have sent something without having gotten anything in return.

Computer automatically matches you with trading partners. This means that you might get an item that you feel is of less value then what you are receiving. The solution to this is to only put up items that you don't care about and only ask for media products that you genuinely want and would give anything you have for. The system has gotten better lately about trading high priced items with other priced items.

Lots of items for trade but I receive more trades from other swapping sites.

Paperbackswap

Pros

Works on a credit system. This means that you get to request a book for every book that you send out. However, you can request one of the millions of books that are listed.

You can trade the credits you earn between the Swapacd and Swapadvd sites for a variety of uses.

Popular site with lots of books, forums and support.

Printable postage.

Gives you a couple of days to send out your book.

Cons

Long lines because of the numbers of users. You might have to wait several months or even years to send out a book that is popular. The same goes if you want a popular book. It basically works on a first come first serve basis.

Paperbackswap recommends sending books wrapped in paper to save on envelopes which can lead to books being damaged. Since the site is free to use you have to basically ask the member to give your credits back to you.

Use book swapping reviews to avoid a lot of the pitfalls that are inherent with the smaller sites such as not having penalties in place or just not having a variety of books to trade. You can turn this into a hobby and make a lot of friends in the process. Determine which site is best for you depending on the kinds of books you have to trade and what items you'd like to receive in return and how long you are willing to wait for them.

Swapping DVDs Online Free Tips

2009-12-12T20:49:00.001-07:00

One of the pitfalls to swapping dvds online for free is that it can be addictive. Once you learn that you can get DVDs that you would otherwise be unable to afford and it's so easy it becomes a habit. You may want more DVDs then you have to trade. Here are tips to maximize your swapping experience and get the items you are looking for.

Just because something is free doesn't mean that you really want it. You can save a lot of credits just by going through your wish or want list and deleting items that are no longer important to you. Your kids or husband may have asked for a new release and then forgotten that they ever wanted it when it became available months or even years when it finally is your turn.

Find cheap DVDs. You might come across a whole box of DVDs at garage sales or flea markets for just a few dollars. Even if these items aren't exactly what you want as long as they have the original cases and are in good condition you can swap them. You'll want to watch out for discs that aren't worth the full credit price such as the thin releases at the dollar store.

Find something else to trade. At many trading sites you can transfer your credits to the owner's dvd and cd counterparts. At swaptree you can even trade all three mediums plus video games on the same site. You might want DVDs but you have lots of books you can send out.

No one has to know that you regift or reswap. You may be disappointed on Christmas morning when you get two sets of the same dvds or you receive an item that someone really bought because they wanted to watch it. The solution to this is to swap it for something just for you. Whoever you send it to will appreciate the fact that it's still in the wrapping. If you peruse the forums you'll find that never been watched DVDs are in demand because other people may be trying to save money on gifts as well. (Read the TOS carefully to see if this is allowed. Many swapping sites frown upon people who are trying to cut in line both on the sending and receiving sides.) It can be your little secret just as long as the giver doesn't ever ask to borrow the DVDs they gave you.

Swapping DVDs is an economical way to get new DVDs and get rid of older items. You can maximize these tips to make the most of your trading sites.

Trading DVDs Online for Free

2009-12-12T20:48:00.002-07:00

Trading DVDs online is a way to get free movies while cleaning out any media items that you don't need anymore. This is a legal way to get discs and it can be fun to. Here are a few details about the best trading sites so that you aren't disappointed with your experience.

You'll usually need to have the original case when you swap DVDs for legal reasons. You may want to put a small piece of bubble wrap or tissue on top of the disc before you close the case so that the disc has less of a chance of sliding out during transit.

Some members of swapping sites have canceled their movie rental subscriptions because of how cost effective trading is. You can keep a movie forever if you want to or you can just send it on to someone else and request a new one. You never have to buy any discs and you can quit whenever you want to. You'll need to have a little bit of patience because new popular movies are always highly in demand. This means that it could take you months to get that new release.

At swapadvd discs are credited per disc. So if you want a box set you might have to spend 6 credits on it. You can buy extra credits in the kiosk (or forums although purchasing from other members is at your own risk). These items usually cost $4.95 a credit as of 2009. This is a great price on a single DVD but you may find that it really adds up if you are requesting and keeping a lot of box sets. Of course you can always earn credits just by sending your movies to other members.

With swaptree the system works differently so it just depends on what your style is. You'll be matched with traders who will send an item you want and then you directly send the item they want. There may even be trades with three or more people involved. You can't really guarantee that your person is going to send your item although there is a rating system, you can't be sure of someone's reputation if they are new. Any item on your have list can be traded for items on your want list so you may not always feel like the items you are getting are worth what you traded.

The one unknown in your DVD swapping is the postal service. You'll need to make sure that you always keep up to date on when there is an increase in postage so that you don't accidentally send items out with deficient postage. Some sites will allow you to mark the exact day that you will mail the item and then it will alert you or notify you of any differences.

Trade CDs: How to get Free or Almost Free Discs

2009-12-12T20:48:00.001-07:00

Trading CDs is a legal way of getting almost free music. Sure, mp3's are a popular form of music but you might not be able to play them in your car or you may not have an mp3 player.

CDs are one of the more fragile items that you can trade. This is one of the reasons why swapacd requires you to pay $.50 per CD. You'll usually get your credit back if your item is broken in the mail. It really doesn't even work if you send the item in its original case, the case often arrives in pieces and might scratch the CD. You might want to write "non machineable" on packages that you send out so your item doesn’t arrive in fragments. Swapacd recommends sandwiching the discs between cardboard before you send them out.

You won't find millions of discs for trade the way you will DVDs and books. However you may also not have the competition so you can get the CDs you want fast. You'll want to carefully read about whether or not the site you swap with allows promotional CDs to be sent out since this is a restriction in many services.

You'll want to choose reputable sites when you are looking to swap cds. You want one that updates its database often so you can list your newest CDs or offer the latest releases. It's important that you check your email often so that you don't miss out on trade opportunities.

You may find more trades if you request items that don't have the artwork. You'll need to set your basic minimum requirements of what is acceptable to you. Double check to make sure that you have the artwork when you send it out so you don't disappoint the member. You can always send the disc information even if the member requests the bare minimum as a nice surprise.

Another item of concern is how much box sets are worth. On swapacd you'll receive one credit for each disc. On Swaptree you might be offered trades for a single disc unless your set is considered to be of high value. Be aware of the rules so you don't feel like you are getting ripped off when you trade disc sets.

Paperback Trading by Swapping

2009-12-12T20:47:00.002-07:00

Paperbackswap is a free online book trading site. There are literally millions of books to choose from and you can try it for free. When you list your first ten books you will receive a credit. Then you can request a book from anyone on the site for free. The credit system works that whenever you send out an item you receive a credit. Then you can request any of the millions of books available. If an item isn't "in stock" then it's put on your wish list. When you are first in line the system will automatically hold the book until you decide whether you want it or not.

It's not just for paperbacks. Audio books will cost you two credits and you can also get hardback books for just one credit. If your book is really popular you may want to "wish" for several versions of it, just don't forget to delete the other wishes when you get the first one.

This is an opportunity to reuse items. You can give the items you don't want to someone who does but also gives you the opportunity to help clean out someone else's bookshelf. You can even save and reuse the envelopes that your items come in if they are in good condition.

Make the most out of your credit. You might find that a lot of the books you want have several hundred members willing to send them out. Head over to the forums to see if anyone who has these books are offering a two for one or three or even four for one sale. You use the forum at your own risk so deal with reputable traders.

Be patient this is one of the secrets to being successful on this site. You have to wait for your book to ship and the other members have a period of several days where they can send it out. This site doesn't work well if you want really popular or new items right now. You'll really have to be on top of when items are published so you can be the first in line, otherwise you might be waiting for years and you won't even be able to remember why you wished for a book.

The paperback swapping trade is an opportunity to be frugal and still get the items you want. It's environmentally friendly and lets you make connections from all over the country.

Get Free Books Online

2009-12-12T20:47:00.001-07:00

One of the easiest ways to get free books online is to join swapping sites. This gives you the opportunity to trade the books you already have in your house for new books that you actually want to have in your house. Then when you finish reading those books you can just switch them out for new ones. You can stop trading at any time and you don't really have any obligation.

There are several advantages to using swapping sites instead of using other "free book" sites. Most of these new free book sites require you to pay shipping per book and then you have to buy a certain amount of books at regular price to get your free items. You also will not have a huge selection of books; you might even have to end up paying for books you didn't really want as a way to fulfill your contract. You won't have to worry about any of these things when you swap items online. You’ll just be receiving used items that another trader doesn’t want anymore.

Another reason to swap books online is that it will help you clear out the clutter and recycle at the same time. You might not clean out your bookshelves often because you just don't know what to do with the things that you don’t read anymore. You can now send them to someone else who can enjoy them. It gives old books new life.

There may be a lot of books that you want to own or your library has but you just can't afford to build a library. You can swap books for just a few dollars in postage per book and it gives you the change to connect with other people from all over the country who have your same literary tastes.

There are many different sites where you can get free books online. It's just a matter of figuring out whether you also want to trade DVDs and cds so you can determine if you need to find a site that encompasses all three. You'll want to look for a system that is easy to use, inexpensive or free and has wide selections of books.

It's rare to find books that are completely free. Usually you will have to pay the postage to send an item to someone. Then you get to pick an item form someone else for free. You'll also need to pay for the cost of shipping supplies but even then you'll still be getting your books for a lot less than buying new or even at a used bookstore.

Book Exchange Advice : How to Get Free Books Online

2009-12-12T20:46:00.000-07:00

When you are swapping or trading books online there are a few things that you need to do to ensure a successful out come. This way you can form a new hobby and get free items at the same time; you might even make friends in the process.

When doing a book exchange you need to make sure that you save money while still allowing your book to reach its destination. You might want to wrap your book in bubble wrap or plastic so that it doesn't become damaged with water.

Look to Media Mail. This will save you money on postage but it can take several times longer then sending an item first class. It's an opportunity to save money but make sure that the person that you are trading with knows how you are going to ship the item so they don't become impatient and then leave you negative feedback.

Read the rules, all of the rules. Most swapping services prohibit you from selling the items you receive. Each site will have different rules and you want to make sure that you know and follow of them to ensure a lasting relationship.

Be honest about the quality of your items. Depending on the site you use there may just be a blanket policy about what condition items may be sent in or you will have to rate the item when you list it. You may receive negative feedback or eventually be banned from the site if you don't rate the items fairly. Only send out items that you'd like to receive to uphold the quality of the site. Always list any defects; some people may not want items that have been in smoking homes or around pets because of allergies.

Keep a cool head. There can always be miscommunications where you think you are being cheated. You never know what is going on in someone else's life. If a member has been with the site awhile then they probably have personal reasons. Use pm features and use a polite tone to get to the bottom of the situation.

Look for a site that is versatile. If your book pile is stacking up faster then you can read them then look for a site that allows you to trade other items that you may want such as DVDs and cds. You'll also want to make sure that you have the time and money to mail out items when you first list them because you never know how many people have been waiting for a book.

You may be hesitant to list some items because they aren't popular so who else would like them? These sites often become saturated with mass market paperbacks and you never know how long someone will have been waiting for a rare item.