Sometimes people wish they could trade everything in for something new, and now they can. There is a new website, and it is called swaptree.com. If a person is looking for something new in his/her life or just want to get rid of some old things, swaptree.com is the place to go. Swaptree.com may seem like another eBay at first glance, but it is nothing close to eBay. Swaptree.com is strictly designated to trading, not selling. Swaptree.com is much simpler. It is simply just trading items from one person to another without having to worry about bidding competitions.
Paula Welsh, a student at West Chester University had a chance to experience swaptree.com.
“It is amazing, because no matter what you trade, you have a chance of receiving thousands of other things,” Welsh said. “If you wanted to trade a book, you can receive a CD or even a DVD for the book.”
All you have to do to join the swaptree.com site is click “join” on the site, provide yourself with a username, password and email address and you are set to trade.
If one is worried about not receiving the item or receiving something damaged, that is not a problem. The website provides a map of the item’s location, the trader’s history and the condition of the item.
Shipping and handling is also easy and convenient. The site provides the swapper with a postage label with the right amount of postage on it already. With just one click of the mouse, the item is ready to be sent. The only thing the swapper is supposed to do is pay for shipping. This is helpful because the post office is not needed, and everything else is free and easy to handle.
Co-Founder of swaptree.com, Mark Hexamer, said that not only is the site addictive, but it is also “environmentally friendly.” By that, he means the website reduces consumption and promotes sharing and recycling.
He also said that by sharing, the website “allows you to discover new authors and artists.”
Swaptree.com has already had much press coverage. Business 2.0, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, Treehugger, Jane Magazine, CNN and CNET have all covered this addictive website.
Maybe it is becoming so popular because, as Hexamer said, it is “a legal Napster, but for all your media.”
The site itself is very organized. When logging in, it tells the number of items a person can receive. All of the items are broken down into separate categories such as DVDs, CDs, books and video games. When a user is ready to trade, s/he enters the bar code of the item to be traded, click “go” and the list of receivable items that s/he could have pops up on the screen
Sound confusing? To assure you that it is as simple as it sounds, the creators of swaptree.com have also created a YouTube video explaining the site. It is a quick two-minute video that takes you through the site and explains everything to the listener thoroughly. You can access the website on YouTube by typing “swaptree.”
Swaptree.com is an easy way to find the things you want and fast. You list your items, and it finds a match for you. If you do not have the money to bid on something on eBay, then visit swaptree.com to find exactly what you’re looking for.
Lindsay Fischer is a fourth-year student majoring in professional studies with a minor in journalism. She can be reached at LF597031@wcupa.edu.