Have you ever thought of swapping your unwanted books...for new ones?
By jenni7202
@jenni7202 (1598)
United States
August 17, 2009 6:35am CST
I'm an avid reader, but I can never get books back to the library on time, so I don't bother with that. I also can't afford to buy new books all the time! So, I found some great ways you can swap your books for new ones online! Most of these sites are for US and Canada members only, but one is for international members, and it's huge!
My personal favorites are Paperbackswap.com, and Bookmooch.com. Paperbackswap is for US members only, I am sorry! You can swap all of your unwanted books there, even audiobooks! You get a credit for every book you ship out, and if your just starting, you get your first 2 credits free when you post your first 10 books to your bookshelf! The only time you ever pay anything, is when you ship a book to another member, which is not expensive..usually under three dollars.
Bookmooch on the other hand, is international! So all of you people out there in Greece, Japan, and Turkey...you can swap with members from all over the world! Same as paperbackswap, you don't pay anything unless you are shipping a book to another member, and you get a credit for every book you ship out. The only difference is, if you ship out of your country, you get 3 credits instead of 1, to make up for the shipping.
I also like Swaptree.com, where you get a book everytime you ship one out...but I don't swap there very often because I'm trying to cut back on the amount coming into my house! I have over 600 books here to be read, and I don't really need anymore...lol.
You can also try Frugalreader.com, where you can swap with other members of the US. I have shipped a few books out there, and have requested one so far, but I haven't been there long. They have a few sign in glitches, but I'm getting over them.
Another great one is Bookins.com. What is great about bookins, is that you only pay when you ORDER a book! If your shipping a book thats been requested, you just print the label from the site, and the site pays for the shipping! You only ever pay when you want a book to be sent to you, and I believe it's about four or five dollars to request one.
Hope this helps in your swapping, and I hope you can get some great books this way!
1 person likes this
6 responses
@bookfan5555 (119)
• United States
20 Aug 09
I am also an avid reader and I was thrilled when I discovered the potential of getting the books that I really wanted and not having to pay for them. I checked out PaperbackSwap and Frugalreader and liked them both. I had quite a few books so I put them on the sites and within a few days I had people wanting my books. I was able to get the books that I was wanting too. I am always excited to get the books that I really want from other people who have the books that I want. Especially if they are new books and I am able to get them without paying anything. The only thing I have to do is pay for the shipping on my end for the books that have been requested for me and then I can send them off. Swapping books is so amazing and I am glad that I was able to find these sites and get the books that I want.
1 person likes this
@jenni7202 (1598)
• United States
21 Aug 09
Yay a fellow swapper! I love Paperbackswap, but FrugalReader has been giving me a hard time lately. For some reason everytime I try to log in it tells me I have to be logged in to go to that page...when that's exactly what I'm doing! It lets me on every once in a while, but that's it...and I'm getting frustrated with the site. I hope it clears up soon, because I actually liked that site, and it was another great way for me to get rid of some books that were piling up. I've gotten rid of more and more books the more swapping sites I go to. Some of the books I have posted on PBS have been sitting on my bookshelf there for over a year, and than I post them to say...Bookins, and someone wants one of them right away, I love it!
Thanks for responding, hope to swap with you in the future!
@sandymay16 (1617)
• Philippines
18 Aug 09
Hi, that is nice info. I'll try the international one. There's no swapping of books locally in my place but only a rental one. I need to discard some of my paperbacks. I have read them a million times LOL. I just thought of doing a yard sale then buy a new one or even an old one which I haven't read.
@jenni7202 (1598)
• United States
19 Aug 09
I was going to do that same thing, but I wouldn't get as much that way if I did. By swapping, I can get the same amount of books back that I sent out. I don't have to get them in any sort of time frame, as your points just add up and roll over forever. I know some people on there with over 100 points, and they just keep gaining more. I hope you do try it, and enjoy it also, it's a great way to meet other readers as well. I have found some swapping buddies that have the same interests as me too, which is great, because then I can discuss the books I love with others that love them too.
Thanks for responding!
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
17 Aug 09
That is a very good way to exchange your books! Another way for me to is in our town our library has a used book store....they sell them and use the money for new books....and exchange is nice but it would be wonderful if more libraries did this kind of thing....
1 person likes this
@jenni7202 (1598)
• United States
17 Aug 09
My library does this also! I go there when I can, but with all the books that I have lying around, it's becoming crazy in my house. I only go there when a friend of mine wants to go now. If I can somehow downsize (I went through them and got rid of about 200!), then it would be great. As I read them I swap them, so I'm shipping out about 15 books today, and the best part..I'm only shipping to about 4 people in the US, so I'll be paying under fifteen dollars to ship! And then I'll have those 15 credits to get 15 new books...but I have to tell myself no, lol.
@antarcticpostcards (472)
• United States
17 Aug 09
I have not done online swapping of books. I just take them to my local used bookstore. I really do not have that many that I have collected that I do not want to keep. I usually just get books from the library, but I kind of get to lazy for that. I am considering a Netflix like thing with books, though.
@jenni7202 (1598)
• United States
19 Aug 09
I thought about doing something like that as well, but then I figured that I read nearly 10 books or more a month, and most of the time, I don't even need to send any books out...which means I just use credits that I have stacked up. I don't spend as much this way, and I don't have to send the books back if I really like them.
@crimsonladybug (3112)
• United States
18 Aug 09
I am terrible with library books too....
I've thought about doing those book swap things but I tend to break out in hives and a cold sweat when I think of giving up my precious beloved books. What if I want to read one again and I've swapped it out and now someone else has it and I can't read it *goes to find a paper sack to breathe into* Whew!
1 person likes this
@jenni7202 (1598)
• United States
19 Aug 09
Haha, that's what I used to think! I started at the swap sites with just books that people gave me that I had no interest in reading. Now I swap all sorts of books, because the way I look at it is...theres millions and millions of books out there. You may love one book, but by giving up that one book, you may gain 10,000 more that you love as well. I've found so many books that I love now, and so I never forget about them...I write a review of my experience, and then send them to someone else that wants to read them. It's a win win, and I don't forget what I read this way.
Thanks for responding!
@SimplySara (148)
• Temple, Texas
10 Nov 15
Thanks for the tip! I want to get the full collection of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. This sounds like a great way to do it!
