Website Review: Paperbackswap.com
Examiner.com (Website) - 6/28/2009 by Andrew Weiner
One of the most inventive and possibly revolutionary website that I have found on the internet in years is a small site called paperbackswap.com. This site sets up a process that allows users to trade books with any other user in a safe and secure fashion meaning that every paperback book you own can be potentially traded to someone else.
One of the best parts of this system is that you don't have to trade directly with a person.
Instead you list the books you have and anyone can request any book on that list. Once it arrives at their home they go onto the website and click on a button. You immediately get a credit which you can used to trade for any book in the system.
At first this all sounded like quite a hassle, but the people at Paperbackswap.com have made the process quite simple from the beginning. Starting with listing your books. For each book you simply type in the isdn number on the back of the book. Then using that number the paperbackswap.com program will show the book and even the cover. You only then have to agree that the book is in good condition and that you want to trade it and it will go on your list.
As soon as you have listed ten books paperbackswap.com will give you two free credits. This is a brilliant plan because you are already two books ahead before you have to mail anything out. Choosing these books is also easy as the books are well categorized and if the book you want isn't available they even have a wish list button so that the system can tell you if the book appears.
Mailing the books is also remarkably easy. When someone requests a book paperbackswap.com will give you the option of printing a label. This can simply be attached to envelope that you mail the package in or it can be used to wrap the book for mailing. This will have all the information that you need including suggested postage. There are also two other available options. If the book is small enough you can print up, for about a quarter, a cover that will allow you to mail it from home, or for about a dollar you can get your credit immediately rather than waiting.
In addition to this you can also buy credits for books rather than waiting for the system. These credits are about three dollars and fifty cents each. Since this allows paperbackswap.com to make money it is a reasonable price and since they have over three million books available it is likely that you will be able to find something worth three fifty to you.
Along with dvdswap.com and cdswap.com this is taking the Netflix ideas to the next level allowing anyone who has a book that they don't want any more to trade it for one that they do and I hope it enjoys great success because I want to be able to use it for years to come.
One of the best parts of this system is that you don't have to trade directly with a person.
Instead you list the books you have and anyone can request any book on that list. Once it arrives at their home they go onto the website and click on a button. You immediately get a credit which you can used to trade for any book in the system.
At first this all sounded like quite a hassle, but the people at Paperbackswap.com have made the process quite simple from the beginning. Starting with listing your books. For each book you simply type in the isdn number on the back of the book. Then using that number the paperbackswap.com program will show the book and even the cover. You only then have to agree that the book is in good condition and that you want to trade it and it will go on your list.
As soon as you have listed ten books paperbackswap.com will give you two free credits. This is a brilliant plan because you are already two books ahead before you have to mail anything out. Choosing these books is also easy as the books are well categorized and if the book you want isn't available they even have a wish list button so that the system can tell you if the book appears.
Mailing the books is also remarkably easy. When someone requests a book paperbackswap.com will give you the option of printing a label. This can simply be attached to envelope that you mail the package in or it can be used to wrap the book for mailing. This will have all the information that you need including suggested postage. There are also two other available options. If the book is small enough you can print up, for about a quarter, a cover that will allow you to mail it from home, or for about a dollar you can get your credit immediately rather than waiting.
In addition to this you can also buy credits for books rather than waiting for the system. These credits are about three dollars and fifty cents each. Since this allows paperbackswap.com to make money it is a reasonable price and since they have over three million books available it is likely that you will be able to find something worth three fifty to you.
Along with dvdswap.com and cdswap.com this is taking the Netflix ideas to the next level allowing anyone who has a book that they don't want any more to trade it for one that they do and I hope it enjoys great success because I want to be able to use it for years to come.
