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SwapTree peer-to-peer site for trading games, books, CDs and DVDs for free
If your like me, you have tons of movies, games , music and books collected over the years from birthdays, Christmas or random prizes. You don’t really want to throw them away and you can’t really give them away or the person who gave it to you will get their feelings hurt.
There’s a new solution to the problem aside from posting it on eBay and hoping someone will pay for it. Trade it with someone who really wants it at SwapTree.
It’s pretty easy to get started. Just log in, register and start listing the items you really want, items you already have and when someone has the item you want or wants the item you have. It’s very easy and the best part about the service is that it is free to use. You simply trade and pay for the shipping - no fees.
The beauty of the site is that, not only can you can trade games for other games, but you can also make offers with others to trade CDs, DVDs and even books for games. You make an offer to trade and wait for the other person to accept (or vice versa). Also, the site uses a three-person trading setup to increase the chances of getting what you want. The main glitch is that the site does not differentiate between softcover and hardcover books, nor does it let you distinguish between fullscreen and widescreen DVDs.
Swaptree was founded in June 2004 in Boston and is operated by entrepreneurs who have dedicated themselves to creating the most cost-effective way for consumers to find the items they want or discover items they have never heard of as well as give away items they no longer want to those who really want them.
This makes perfect sense in that the only other place that would have the game, movie or music you want if not at a store, is in someone else’s collection. Much like in the old days at the library when you used to trade your old novels and novelettes for a new one in the trade bin.
Just looking at the list I’ve already found a few I’ve been looking for over the past few years like Tetris Worlds by THQ, Evergrace by Agetec, Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic by Gathering of Developers and my all time favorite Thief: Deadly Shadows by Eidos. Now I can complete my Thief collection. Honestly, I could spend all day in here filling up my basket with old games I thought I would never see again. Not to mention the big collection of music and movies.
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Swaptree.com is amazing. The coolest new site on the web.
FREE, GREEN, FUN and BRILLIANT!
on January 24, 2008 at 09:24 PM - LINKI love the idea of the site and it’s great for one-to-one game swaps, but there are many problems with the site.
The main problem is that most people want to trade way up instead of even, such as trying to get a new, popular PS3 game for their old and crappy PS2 game. I’ve had people want to trade a DVD season set for an old movie (your “Want” items are listed together). It’s nice when the trade is more even, but good luck finding that.
Also, it doesn’t differentiate between softcover vs. hardcover books, or widescreen vs. standard format movies even though everything is supposedly based on UPCs. (And what film fan wants standard format when expecting widescreen? Conversely, some people simply hate “those black bars.”)
You also cannot contact people until the trade has been accepted, so you cannot always know if the item is exactly as described. if they even include a description. If there is a third party in the trade, it’s almost impossible to back out.
I tried to add a dozen somewhat current games to the site and it only let three go through b/c it didn’t support the other UPCs. They say you can contact them to add UPCs to their database but that is a bit of a hassle when you have bunch.
Again, great idea, not very well executed.
on January 24, 2008 at 10:35 PM - LINKI can’t disagree more. Swaptree is by far the site with the most potential. They only launched a few months ago and I think it’s WAY more fun to use than any of the other “swap” sites (where you don’t actually SWAP!). Some of them have been around for years and they’re all pretty much the same. No innovation. At the rate these guys are going give this guys a year or two and and….WOW!
on January 30, 2008 at 03:37 AM - LINKActually, Swap tree has been around since 2004 (according it it’s own “About Us” page - and, oh yeah, read above).
The main reasons ppl. leave are the lack of widescreesn/fullscreen and hardcover/softcover differentiation and the inability to contact ppl. until the trade it already in progress. Swap Tree has even actually told people (inc. me) that traders should not care about format.
For games, however, yeah, it’s an OK site. No fees rules.
on January 31, 2008 at 09:47 PM - LINKTo SadSwapper:
1. While they have been around since 2004. They only launched July 2007.
on February 28, 2008 at 04:38 PM - LINK2. They recently made a change where some video games (new releases) and dvds and cds (those with more then 3 cds) are considered high value. You will NOT be proposed trades for these items, unless you are receiving another high value item in trade.
3. They distinguish between hard cover and paper back.
4. Personally I dont want people annoying me, by contacting before i do a trade with them. Thats a hassle.
To Lisa,
1. OK, so they fudged their start a bit (by 3 years). Even so, they’ve told me and other that we should not care about format b/c it is “not in the spirit of the site.”
2. That seems to be a decent change, but only a small fix for one issue (ppl. could always reject a trade for unequal value - so really that issue is/was more about the users than the site).
3. Where? How? I looked at more than a dozen books on the homepage today and not one mentions the cover type. (I’ll assume it’s by UPC/BIN code). Still, the site does not differentiate between widescreen, full screen and pan-and-scan format for DVDs.
on February 28, 2008 at 08:22 PM - LINK4. I don’t want to be harassed either (nor do I want to harass people) but I also don’t want full screen or pan-and-scan movies. The only other way to be sure is to say “want widescreen only” it in every friggin’ thing I list on the site. I did that and SwapTree scolded me. What is your solution?
Hi, Sorry I haven’t posted sooner. What seems to be the problem? I will try to help the best I can.
I did however, did some poking around at Swaptree to see if I can find a solution to the issue you mentioned in your post. I will try my best to get an answer.
In the conditions of use they have stated that “Swaptree is not a middle man
Although we are commonly referred to as an online trading web site, it is important to realize that we do not set up trades, merely facilitate them. Instead, the Site acts as a venue to allow anyone to trade any book, dvd, cd, video game, at anytime, and from anywhere. We are not involved in the actual transaction between fellow traders. As a result, we have no control over the quality, safety or legality of the items traded, the truth or accuracy of the listings, or the ability of traders to trade. We cannot ensure that a trader will actually complete a trade. Consequently, we do not transfer legal ownership of items from the seller to the buyer, and nothing in this agreement shall modify the governing provisions of Ca. Com. Code § 2401(2) and Uniform Com. Code § 2-401(2), under which legal ownership of an item is transferred upon physical delivery of the item to the buyer by the seller.”
But with many other trade sites you have to be careful and use your best judgment when deciding to make a purchase or trade. I’ve had no problems with trading yet, but you never know when you run into that one dishonest trader that will ruin it for everyone.
I’ll see if they accept suggestions for improving their site. Would that help?
on February 28, 2008 at 09:37 PM - LINKMy main issue is getting the movie format listed with every DVD. It’s been suggested by others (read through the site’s forums), I’ve suggested it to them and they just don’t want to (or know how to) do it. Otherwise, yeah, the site is pretty great for trading games.
on February 29, 2008 at 12:14 AM - LINKAh. I totally understand. I’ll see what I can find out about getting them to listen to yours and the other’s suggestions. Maybe the requests are going to the wrong personnel. It may take me a few days, but I’ll see what I can find. Okay?
on February 29, 2008 at 12:46 AM - LINKSadSwapper, I’m sorry but I can’t get anyone from Swaptree to contact me personally. I did get a message with a link to their forums that basically said they did what everyone requested so check again and see if it has improved for you. Else. I’m sorry you had a bad experience with Swaptree.
on March 13, 2008 at 08:52 PM - LINKLucy - thank you for checking. Despite what the forum might say they do not do what everyone requests. They’ve already told me that I should look to use a different site and that being specific with requests for letterbox movies is “not in the spirit of the site.”
on March 13, 2008 at 09:08 PM - LINKI’m sorry to hear that. How rude of them. I do not like dealing with sites that are rude to their patrons. Maybe I should stick with Amazon.com. Thank you for your patience.
on March 13, 2008 at 09:32 PM - LINKGreat site!
Also check out PaperbackSwap, Bookmooch, and SwapaCd.
on March 20, 2008 at 12:04 AM - LINKCoolio. Thanks J.
on March 20, 2008 at 01:13 AM - LINKI know 2 things for certain.
1)Swaptree is very, very busy while going through a rapid growth stage
2) SadSwapper seems quite ill-informed. (Or, what “swap” site is he with?)
Rome wasn’t built in a day (or ebay).
on March 22, 2008 at 06:17 PM - LINKStay tuned…
Drew - Am I “ill-informed” b/c I do not agree with you or because I completed several transactions on SwapTree and have corresponded with the company many times over many months? I’ll assume your comment is based on the former.
I am not affiliated with any swap site. If you read my comments above you’ll see that my major point of contention is the lack of differentiation for DVD formats (widescreen, full, pan, etc) and hard/softcover books. I used SwapTree and would continue to use it if it cleared up those two (UPC-based) issues.
Again, for games, the site is great.
on March 22, 2008 at 09:48 PM - LINK