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Press & Media >SmartMoney.com
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February 24, 2006
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Deal of the Day
Trade Ya
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By Kelli B. Grant
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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?
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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.
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We've tracked down a few of the big-name media-swappers out there:
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Bookins
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- What you'll find: Books - hardcover, paperback and audio. Currently, there are more than 7,300 titles listed in 50 categories. 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.
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