Free is good

As a self-confessed bookstore addict, I'm a fan of book swapping.

At my office we have a "library" of peoples' discarded reads that you can take home for free. I haven't purchased a full-price book in months! I've gotten most of my recent reads for free (thanks to my well-read sister and others), on loan, or at a used bookstore (thank you, Gently Used Books of Douglassville).

I recently heard from Mitchell Silverman, founder of Bookins.com, an online book-trading service where you pay only for shipping. The books are free.

Although I haven't tried the service (I have plenty of free books on my to-read shelf at home), but I thought Silverman's idea was interesting.

"We offer a unique book trading service used by over 40,000 consumers throughout the United States. We have more available books than the largest B&N," Silverman wrote.
"Our site is simple to use, and our service is free."

Maybe I'll try it someday when looking for the latest must-read...

Below is the full release:

Bookins.com Gives New Life to Old Books

Susan Heller from Mountain Home, Idaho, is a self-proclaimed book lover and avid quilter. For the past year and a half, she has been exchanging books with other book lovers on Bookins.com, a simple-to-use book-trading site with 42,000 members.

“I have been able to find homes for books I no longer need and have acquired books I have wanted with the ease of shopping from home,” says Susan.
Bookins.com arranges for members to swap books and DVDs via US Mail with no fuss. They even provide the postage, which is printed right from the website. In return for sending out their own items, members can pick from over 500,000 books and DVDs to get in exchange.

The selection is greater than any Barnes & Noble superstore, membership is free. The only cost is shipping.

Here is how it works:

1. Post books & DVDs you no longer want.

2. Traders request items from you; we'll let you know about the request via email.

3. Mail items using prepaid shipping labels that you print on regular paper. Wrap the item up, tape the label on your package and drop it in any mailbox.

4. When members receive your items, you get points to spend on any of over 500,000 books and DVDs.

5. When you redeem points for books & DVDs, you pay only $4.49 shipping per item. They are yours to keep or trade again!

Trading on Bookins is as convenient as shopping at any other top online retailer. While trading sites like Swaptree, Paperback Swap and Title Trader have been online for years, Bookins.com is the only one to simplify the process. In fact, traders never have to interact with each other as they do on all other sites which often lead to unpleasant disagreements.

Bookins.com is also the only service of its kind to provide a money-back guarantee. If you ever receive an item you are not happy with, Bookins will refund the shipping cost.

Tens of thousands of readers rely on Bookins.com for simple exchanges. It is a great way to read more and spend less!