| |
| |
|
Press & Media >AOL: Money & Finance
|
| |
| |
|
| |
|
November, 2006
|
|
Never Buy 'Em New
|
|
There are some items you should never buy new, like books, for example.
|
By Kelli B. Grant, Reporter, SmartMoney.com
|
WHAT'S THE EASIEST way to save big when shopping? That's easy: Buy used.
Sure, there are many items most folks would prefer to buy new. But there are also some items that you'd simply be foolish not to buy after some gentle use. Here are the top five.
|
|
1. Books, CDs and DVDs
|
|
Cost Compare: 'The Book of Fate' by Brad Meltzer, released in September
|
|
New: $25.99 at Borders.
|
|
Resale: $8.88 at Half.com (including $3.70 shipping via media mail, you'll save 66%)
|
|
Used books, DVDs and CDs run the gamut -- sure, you'll find bent pages and scratched disks, but you can also find the latest releases in pristine condition at discounts of 30% or more off the retail price. To ensure you get exactly what you want (say, some wear on the latest 'Desperate Housewives' box set, but no significant scratches), check out sites like Amazon.com, Half.com and Abebooks.com. Each site requires sellers to vet the condition of items listed.
|
|
Looking to save even more? Use a so-called swap site to trade away books, CDs or DVDs that are just collecting dust on your shelves. Here's how it works: You list items you no longer want. When someone orders one, you'll get credits. Use the credits to order your latest must-have page-turner, chart-topper or blockbuster from a member on the site. Generally, you'll just pay a dollar or two for shipping. (Here are more details on media swapping.)
|
|
REMEMBER THE GOOD OLD DAYS when you were a kid, and you and your friends would swap, say, Garbage Pail Kids cards and scratch 'n sniff stickers?
|
|
Well, swapping is all grown up now, and thanks to the Internet, you can now swap books, CDs and DVDs online with minimal hassle. And the price is right: You'll typically just pay for shipping along with perhaps a small fee.
|
|
We've tracked down a few of the big-name media-swappers out there:
|
|
Bookins
|
- What you'll find: Books - hardcover, paperback and audio. Currently, there are more than 7,300 titles listed in 50 categories (* note from Bookins: actual inventory is over 100,000 available books). Fiction titles abound (representing more than half of the selection).
- How it works: As a new member, you'll create two lists: One of books you want, and one of books you have that you're willing to trade, says founder Mitchell Silverman. The swap is automatic - you'll never need to search for a seller. When someone requests one of your books, you drop the book in the mail. Upon receipt, the system searches all available books on the site for ones on your wish list and initiates another swap.
- Swap math: One book can equal from four to 20 points, depending on how valuable and popular the book is. The system assigns a point value to your books when you list them, and you earn those points when you mail out books. This fair-market point system helps ensure you get the most value per swap, says Silverman. "When you ship a new bestseller, you should be able to get one bestseller or three romance novels or some combination," he says.
- Cost to you: Membership and swaps are free. New members get three free books at the start. When you request a book on your wish list, you'll pay a flat fee of $3.99 which covers shipping (including delivery confirmation and tracking). When shipping a book, you then print out prepaid postage from the web site.
- What we like: Every shipped item is tracked via the United States Postal Service (using that prepaid postage) to avoid mishaps and weed out bad swappers (i.e., people who send books late or offer damaged books). "With consumers shipping books to each other, there can be some debate: Did you ship the book? Was it received?" says Silverman. "We eliminate that." And the site guarantees swapped items, so you'll be reimbursed if the book gets lost in the mail or arrives damaged.
|
|
Click here to view the complete story.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Press
|
Testimonials
|
Help
