I love secondhand stuff. I love trading off things I’ve enjoyed but no longer need, and buying things that are used but in perfectly acceptable condition for less than retail. I love finding a bargain, and I love reducing (at least a little) the amount of stuff that just gets thrown out.
Swap.com is a site that connects people who have stuff with people who want stuff — specifically, books, CDs, movies, and video games. You list what you’re willing to trade away and the things you want, and Swap.com finds trades. You pay a $.50 or $1.00 fee for the swap and shipping on your item. It’s a little like BookMooch (another great swapping site) except that this looks for a specific match, where BookMooch lets you store up points for things you gave away and exchange them for a “mooch” from somebody else.
What’s cool about Swap.com, though, is that they’ve announced an effort to support schools, particularly welcome in today’s climate of budget shortfalls. Teachers quite often have to purchase their own books and materials, and everyone knows that they’re generally not making a ton of money as teachers to begin with.
Swap4Schools lets teachers and other school employees sign up their schools with a list of wants. The rest of us sign up as usual and list the things we have. If Swap.com finds a match, it’ll notify you and you can donate your books and other media to the school of your choice. You’ll still pay shipping (or drop it off in person) but the regular swap fee is waived.
It’s a handy way to donate things that the school actually wants, and maybe clear out some of those books your kids have outgrown.
Visit Swap4Schools to get started!
