Don't Spend Your Hard Earned Dollars on Books!
Reading is one of my favorite things to do. I would rather read than watch television, mow grass, cook supper, clean house, etc. Being the frugal person I am, there is no way I'm going to pay more than a few dollars for a book. One way to find cheap books is to look at yard sales, flea markets, or thrift stores. You can also borrow books from your local library. But, if you are anything like me, you don't have a lot of extra time to peruse these places. What I prefer is a site called PaperBack Swap which is an online used book marketplace that's easy and fun to use. It makes you feel good to pass on books to other readers in order to make room for more books.
Not much these days is free, but registration at PBS is free. They do have a disclaimer saying that in the future, they might charge a small fee annually. After you register, upload the list of books that you want to swap by ISBN number - it can be a small list or a large list. Make sure your books are in good condition(no water damage, torn pages, covers must be intact, etc.). There are book exchange guidelines that have to be met. I would suggest posting at least 10 books to begin with because PBS will give you 2 book credits free for posting your first 10 books. You can immediately use these credits to order 2 books! These books come directly to your mailbox. The books you receive are free and are yours to keep ... unless, after you read them, you want to swap them again.
When someone request one of your books, PBS will send you an email and give you 48 hours to accept the request. Once accepted,
you purchase shipping and print the label right from their website! They give you 5 days to actually mail the book. Most books can be wrapped in the plain paper label that you print. At times, I have had a book that is a little too large for the label so I wrap it in a paper bag and attach the label to the bag. Be sure you tape your package securely. Postage is generally less than $3. If you buy postage through Paypal, you can instantly get a book credit which means you can use that credit the same day to order a book from another member instead of waiting for the member to receive the book and mark it as received. At the time of this posting, Paperback Swap boasts over 4 million books available for swapping!
A wonderful asset at PBS is their live help. If you can't figure out just what to do, or have any type question, there is someone there to help you figure it out. I've been using PBS for several years and have not had any problems sending or receiving books. I actually look forward to opening my email every morning to see if I have a book request from someone. On those days that I have a request, I ship the book out and turn right around and order something I've been wanting to read.
Not much these days is free, but registration at PBS is free. They do have a disclaimer saying that in the future, they might charge a small fee annually. After you register, upload the list of books that you want to swap by ISBN number - it can be a small list or a large list. Make sure your books are in good condition(no water damage, torn pages, covers must be intact, etc.). There are book exchange guidelines that have to be met. I would suggest posting at least 10 books to begin with because PBS will give you 2 book credits free for posting your first 10 books. You can immediately use these credits to order 2 books! These books come directly to your mailbox. The books you receive are free and are yours to keep ... unless, after you read them, you want to swap them again.
When someone request one of your books, PBS will send you an email and give you 48 hours to accept the request. Once accepted,
you purchase shipping and print the label right from their website! They give you 5 days to actually mail the book. Most books can be wrapped in the plain paper label that you print. At times, I have had a book that is a little too large for the label so I wrap it in a paper bag and attach the label to the bag. Be sure you tape your package securely. Postage is generally less than $3. If you buy postage through Paypal, you can instantly get a book credit which means you can use that credit the same day to order a book from another member instead of waiting for the member to receive the book and mark it as received. At the time of this posting, Paperback Swap boasts over 4 million books available for swapping!
A wonderful asset at PBS is their live help. If you can't figure out just what to do, or have any type question, there is someone there to help you figure it out. I've been using PBS for several years and have not had any problems sending or receiving books. I actually look forward to opening my email every morning to see if I have a book request from someone. On those days that I have a request, I ship the book out and turn right around and order something I've been wanting to read.
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