What do you do with all the books you’ve read but don’t want to keep? I’m talking about the books that have collected on bookshelves or in closets or storage rooms that you will really never read again. No matter how much I don’t like a book, I have a hard time actually throwing it in the trash. So what to do?Over the years I’ve donated books and I’ve sold them to second-hand shops, but still they accumulate. Leave it to the internet to provide yet another alternative – book swaps. There are a number of sites that offer a free service to members – a virtual swap meet.
The process seems to be pretty straight forward. After creating an inventory (list of books you want to get rid of) and a wish list (books you want to get), the trading begins. Some sites match your gives / gets for you, others leave that to you. They all have their own little quirks but most seem to work on a point basis. You get a certain number of points for each book you send out and can then use those points to ‘purchase’ books listed by others on the site.
I haven’t tried this yet but I’m definitely giving it some thought. If I can convince myself that there are more books I need….
Book Mooch – this site seems to be the most basic; books only and all in the hands of the users. A big plus is access to books from outside the US (I’ve mentioned before that I used to see books all the time in London that never made it over here). Post office rates range from about $2.20 for 7 ounces (average paperback) to $3.60 for a 5 pound package (2 -3 hardcovers) for US shipments. http://www.bookmooch.com/
Bookins - swap options include books and DVDs. This site uses a set shipping price of $4.49 per shipment. Great for 2 or more books but wouldn’t make sense to me if someone only wanted one item. http://www.bookins.com/index.php
Paperback Swap – although the name indicates paperbacks, this site also covers hardcover books. It also includes an option for printing postage wrappers – you enter the book info and a 2 page ‘wrapper’ prints with the estimated postage embedded in a barcode (service costs $.43 per shipment). http://www.paperbackswap.com/index.php
P.S. - Happy Birthday Dad!
2 comments:
These book swaps are the best thing since sliced bread! I don't like to wait for others to pick my books so I started with novelaction.com a couple of years ago with great results - nice people, super cheap (I always get 10-12 at a time)and books in great shape.
Thnaks for the tip - I'll check it out. I'm always looking for ways to pass on my old books!
Post a Comment