Tuesday, March 17, 2009

How Did I Not Know?

PaperBackSwap.com - Our online book club offers free books when you swap, trade, or exchange your used books with other book club members for free.

So do you guys know about paperbackswap.com? I'm still trying to figure out how it is that I didn't know this existed from like, day one, because it's the kind of thing I've been thinking needed to be invented ages ago. Because, you see, I am inclined to go to the book store and spend like $50 or $75 at a crack on books and read them all up in two weeks. Which leaves me without a book to read, which makes me antsy and whiney. Just ask Boy. And it also leaves me with piles and piles of nearly brand new, often newly released paperbacks that until now I've either just given away or donated to charity. And we're talking PILES of books. I keep a basket just outside the door to the garage as a holding pen just for them.

But then the other day, my stars were realigned, because I happenend upon paperbackswap.com, quite possibly the second best money saving thing I've found this year, right behind switching our cell phones to prepaid.

Anyway.
Riteawayquick I gathered up my current pile-0-books from their garage basket and entered them into the swap-o-matic system at paperbackswap and guess what? My pile of lonely books is already shrinking AND I have three new books on their way to me as I type, which means no need for a $75 bookstore run this weekend.

So the deal is that you enter whatever books you have (in good condition) that you want to swap into their database using the ISBN numbers. They call this your bookshelf, and when another member requests a book from your bookshelf and you can send the book, you reply to the request and then print a pre-addressed mailing wrapper right from your computer. And because you can buy and print postage online, too, you don't even have to worry about trying to get to the post office. All you have to do is wrap up the book and put it in your mailbox.
It does cost a couple of bucks for postage, but the trade off is that when you requsest a book, the sender pays, so the you GETTING books end of the deal is FREE. Or a trade. Or however you want to look at it. Either way, for me, a complete and total win.
It works on a credit system, so one credit for each book sent means one book you can "order", and they start you off with two credits for nothing, just to be nice.

I love it when feeding my addictions becomes more convenient and less expensive.

Do go check it out, won't you? And if you click through to their site using the logo at the top of this post, I'll get a referral credit, too!

Comments:
It seriously works? I mean really works? If it does I am in TROUBLE! I mean I could read all of those books that I'd never buy for myself but want to read just for the trash factor because it's just the price of postage. It seems too good to be true. I'm thinking I'm in for a long night of logging my books in there. Thanks for the link!
 
It appears to, yes, but I'll have to give y'all an update once I've been at it for a while.
From what I can tell at this point, it seems like it works best from the getting books standpoint if you are OK with books that have been out for a while, major mass market authors/titles, or classics. I requested and got a couple of old Gore Vidal books right away, but not the newer historical fiction releases I'm after. There is a waiting list system, so you get put in line for books on your wish list that aren't available. I'm curious to see how long of a wait I'm in for or whether the few out of print books I'm looking for ever turn up.
 
Oh Man this is awesome! Thanks for the tip!
 
I dunno, the library really is the cheapest and easiest option for me. Free being the cheapest thing that I can think of....
 
Our Kindle from Amazon is arriving today so that should cut down on the number of Chelsea Handler books we have laying around. I'll have to keep this in mind though, we probably have a couple hundred of paper backs from just the last few years. I read 6 books on vacation in mexico a few weeks ago.
 
Sounds awesome!

But I have to ask...public library?
 
I know, I know! The library, duh. Honestly, there's something about checking out library books that makes me uncomfortable. Maybe it's the whole time frame thing. And it's just not as convenient for me, both the getting there and the getting the books that I want, so combined with the added "pressure" of having to get a book read in a certain amount of time...eeeek.
Maybe I'm just allergic to the responsibility of library books?
 
This has been a fabulous discovery! Thanks so much...in a week, I've unloaded a dozen or more books, and can't wait to get my "new" ones in the mail!
 
PBS is the BEST!!!! I love it! Great for getting rid of those "only read 1 time" books.
 
Ive been a member of PBS for over a year, and love it!! Lots of nice people and Ive discovered lots..of great authors! Melissa
 
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