SCM Discussion Forum

1. 

   easybrizy
   Member

   Bookworm, you mentioned the other day that Paperback Swap has been a great resource for your book finds. I'd looked into it before, but I wasn't sure it was worthwhile (it seemed to only be junk books available). but after your hearty recommendation, I thought I'd give it another look.

   So, I signed up and found ten books to list. Three were requested almost right away! I've already mailed them off, but I'm a little disillusioned. I've got some questions for you or other PBS users!

   First--how do you inexpensively mail your books. I mean, what kind of packaging do you use? I'm looking for convenient, but inexpensive!

   Second, I thought I was being smart by just mailing the books without using PBS's services to print postage since there were fees associated with that. But now I realize that I'm depending on the integrity of the people on the receiving end of the books. What if they forget or don't care enough to be sure to mark my books as received? I may have lost THREE credits if they don't. Do you use PBS's services so that you are certain to get your credits?

   I'm assuming you're actually getting great books this way--but most of it seems like junk to me. Are you just creating a wishlist and waiting a hundred years till the good books show up?

   Are you actually getting school books? Or books for your own reading pleasure, or what?

   Finally, maybe I should just BUY the credits? I don't have a lot of books to swap and it is a pain in the neck to get the book ready. It costs me just as much (almost) to mail a book, so why not just buy the credit?

   Any thoughts or suggestions on getting books this way is definitely appreciated.

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
2. 

   amandajhilburn
   Member

   Very good questions!! I have a PBS account, but have not added my first 10 books yet. I had some reservations also. I can't wait to hear some answers from those who use PBS and have had good experiences.....if they have.

   I also do not have may books to swap since we use the library so much. However, if there ARE some really good books on PBS maybe I should be digging through our shelves more earnestly.

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
3. 

   nerakr
   Member

   I can't answer all your questions, but I will say that not once has a requestor forgotten to mark a book received so I could get my points!

   As for shipping inexpensively, you could wrap the books in an extra sheet of copy paper (PBS' preferred way), in brown paper bags (cut up, of course), or if you can, recycle manila envelopes.

   I've gotten some good books through PBS. In fact, I have more on my wish/request lists than I'll probably get that way. I listed a lot of "twaddle" I want to get rid of, so maybe that's why I don't have a lot of requests for my stuff.

   HTH,

   Karen

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
4. 

   Bookworm
   Member

   I have been on Paperbackswap for a really long time.  I found out about it some time ago.  I have traded HUNDREDS of books on it.

   I've NEVER had anyone fail to mark off a book they received.  And I've never failed to do so myself.  Sometimes it does happen that a book gets lost in the mail.  That is just something one has to live with here--we have a relatively inefficient postal system.  I've had this happen maybe 8-10 times, one way or the other (either a book I mail never shows, or a book I order never shows). Using PBS postage means you don't have to worry about that, at least on your end.  You'll get the credit anyway. I do this occasionally in the winter when it's hard to get out, but rarely the rest of the time.

   For very large books I keep recycled manila envelopes.  For regular size paperbacks, I wrap in plastic wrap, then the two pages of the book wrapper, and cover in mailing tape.  Not very expensive, and it rarely fails to work.  I have to really WORK HARD to get some of the books I receive open, and most of them are wrapped just the way I do it.  I can wrap a book in about thirty seconds (my kids timed me one day, lol) I use our spare change to mail the books.  That way our spare change turns into needed books.  Nice.

   I get both school books AND books for pleasure.  It is always the first place I try.  I must confess that I've  had some books on a wishlist for years.  But many I've received quite quickly.  My wish list is ALWAYS full.  I put on everything I might need in the next couple years, plus things I've heard about from others, things I can't get from the library, etc.  Trade paperbacks, say of classic children's books, have quite a quick turn-around.  You ought to be able to collect, say, Elizabeth Enright's books, or Alice in Wonderland, Shakespeare copies, or anything like that, pretty quickly.  That's how I got my copies.  :-)  Some more specific text-y type things or more specialized things turn up less frequently.  But IMO it's ALWAYS worth trying to get it for just a couple dollars (average price of a credit) even if it takes a little patience, versus paying $10 new, or getting it used on Amazon but paying $3.50 for shipping. 

   I circulate a lot of books.  I have dozens listed waiting for someone to request. I do in fact buy credits occasionally if I run out, and something comes up on my wish list that I need.  Especially if it's a good buy.  It is a little more expensive per credit that way, but STILL cheaper than an Amazon shipping rate on a used book.  So even if I can get the book for a penny on Amazon, it's still cheaper to buy a PBS credit and get it that way.

   I also get most of my homeschool composer music on the companion SwapaCD.  :-) 

   Love, love, love it.  The site keeps a running tally of how much I've saved using PBS.  My current total is TWO THOUSAND four hundred and fifty-seven dollars. 

   Michelle D

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
5. 

   easybrizy
   Member

   Not too shabby! $2000!!!

   And I'm chuckling about your kids timing your record book wrapping. Trust me--my record can only get better after yesterday. *rolls eyes*

   Another question: when I put an item on my wish list and there are several ISBNs, should I wishlist them all? Or am I taking up valuable space doing that? For instance, I wishlisted First Steps for a reader for my oldest next year. There are several listed. I wishlisted them all, figuring that it didn't matter which one came up first. Should I save those spots for other items instead of using ten (or more) wishlist spots on the same item with different ISBNs?

   And if there are 130 people wishing for a book, is there ANY way I'll ever actually get it, or should I even bother putting it on my wishlist?

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
6. 

   Bookworm
   Member

   It depens on how badly you want it.  If you want to be ABSOLUTELY SURE to get the very first book of that title, then you need to wishlist them all.  However, I'm rarely that desperate.  For most things, I list two or three.  Then, if you check your emails frequently, you'll still get a shot of the other versions which show up.  They will send you an email that says "Similar to your Wish List Book" and if you get there first, it's yours. 

   Check the screens for each version.  Choose to wishlist ones with shorter waiting lists of people requesting the book.  That'll get you the likeliest results, too, if there are several. 

   If there are 130 people wanting the book, it's going to take a while.  I've been on a wish list for the cook book "Nourishing Traditions" since I first signed up a few years ago.  I'm in the middle of about 400 people wanting it now.  LOL  If it's a really popular book, you could still get it in a couple of years.  Say, a trade paperback of a romance or a best-seller.  Those move fast.  They also happen to be things I never request, lol, but they do move fast!

   When I need a book not in my library, I check paperbackswap first.  If I can get it easily there, then I do.  If I can wishlist it and it looks like I could get it, then I do.  If that doesn't work, then I interlibrary loan it.  If all else fails, I try other used sources.  Only as a last resort do I buy new. 

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post
7. 

   khall
   Member

   I lurk on this board often for all the good advice, but I finally registered just so I could reply to this thread!  Our family discovered paperbackswap about six months ago and it's been great.  We've swapped almost 100 books and have had no problems with any transactions.  We pass on all different types of books, but most of the items we've received have been books for school.  If you don't have your heart absolutely set on a certain book, that helps.  We just received copies of LLATL for 3rd and 5th grade that I will use as a resource next year.  LLATL wasn't something I had been planning on using, but the books were free and now that I have them I've been quite pleased with the content.  If you're willing to browse through the selections, and aren't locked into "perfect" curriculum choices, than there are some great books to be had!  We've managed to pick up most of our items for next year on there, and we'll round it out with lots of library books.  I also do what Bookworm mentioned: my wishlist contains items I think I might want for the next several years.  Who knows when somebody might post just what I need? Good luck!

   Posted 1 year ago # Report Post

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