Trading books without leaving your house!
The great part about the internet is that people use it to take old ideas and turn them into something new. For example, have you ever seen an old bookshelf in some odd public location filled with tattered paperbacks? They can usually be found in train/bus stations, waiting rooms and other places where people tend to sit and wait. The idea is that you take a book you want, but in its place, you leave a book – thus keeping the shelves filled.
I always thought it was a great idea. The only reason why I never actually participated in such literary sharing is because none of the books on the shelves interested me.
But a website I recently came across is taking that same idea to a different level (for the record, they have been around since 2004). At Swaptree.com they allow you to freely trade books, music and movies to anyone willing to trade back. Basically, the website acts as the middleman, bringing two parties together to swap books. The only cost to you is postage (which they calculate for you) to send the book to its new owner.
I briefly browsed the "Books" category and it looks like they have a good selection, so you can probably find most popular books. I’m not sure about more obscure titles, however.
Of course, trading books over the internet isn’t entirely new. Sites like Craigslist let you barter as well. The idea is cool, however, because books are one of those things that you tend to use (read) once and then save it on a shelf, and probably not read it again. Why not trade those old books you have read for other old books you haven’t read?
But if you’re like me, you might have trouble getting rid of any books, no matter how mundane or obscure the title. I can’t figure out if that’s a phobia or an addiction.
Anyway, check out Swaptree and see if there’s anything you like. And if you do use them, let us know how it goes by leaving a comment. Maybe I’ll even "take the plunge" myself and swap a few books. Just don’t tell those big publishers, they’ll probably consider this piracy (just like the RIAA considers music sharing piracy).
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