I’ve been using PaperBackSwap for a couple of years now and have really enjoyed it. The premise is simple – you send a book you no longer want to a member who does want it and you get a point deposited into your account. Then you use that point to request a book you want from someone else. It’s not quite as cheap as buying books at the thrift store, but there a whole lot more books on PBS than at the local Goodwill – and you can even set up a wish list so that you’re notified when a book you want is entered into the system!

This week I started using PaperBackSwap’s sister site, SwapADVD. It’s equally as simple to use as PBS, and the points are transferable between my accounts at both sites! I can send out a DVD I no longer want, and then use that point to get a new book. (My husband still can’t figure out why I need more books.)

I haven’t really used SwapaCD yet, though I do have an account there. For each CD you request, you pay a point from your account (also transferablebetween PBS or SwapADVD), and $0.49. It’s still a good deal, but I haven’t gotten around to trying it out.

Each site offers members 1 credit for the initial 10 items they post. They also offer 1 point for each valid referral (10 items posted on PBS and SwapADVD, 10 items plus money for trades at SwapaCD).

I have gotten rid of a quite a few “extra” books through PBS over the last couple of years, and I’ve acquired some nice ones in exchange. This is definitely one swap program I like a lot.

{Please note that the links listed above are referral links. If for some reason you would rather visit those sites without the referral, type the names of the companies into your address bar, followed by .com.}