You could sell them at a garage sale, on eBay, or trade them in at any number of locations accepting that form of media. But again, you get nowhere near their value; one-quarter to one-fifth its true worth if you're lucky.

Why not take them Swaptree instead, shown in Figure A, where the swap meet has entered cyberspace?

FIGURE A


Swaptree, the cyberspace swap meet. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Okay, so maybe eBay beat them to the punch by better than a decade, but at least with Swaptree no actual money changes hands. Items are traded one-for-one, even up.

What is Swaptree?
So what is Swaptree? Essentially, it's like your local swap meet; the same one that takes place at your local mall, convention center, or fair ground. Except Swaptree is like every swap meet in the country, all at the same time, in the same place.

Swaptree was started by two friends, avid readers who frequently traded boxes of books. The idea came when they saw how family members would pay fifty dollars for a new video game, only to have it collect dust once beaten, or how others would trade books within their network of friends and family. They realized how much better it could be if that network of associates were expanded to include the Internet.

Focusing on entertainment media: books (including graphic novels), music CDs, DVDs, and software (PC, Mac, and console), Swaptree offers its users an environment in which to trade goods. Its founders have always been determined to keep Swaptree a free service. And don't we all love free? Beyond the initial startup funding, Swaptree's income is derived strictly from advertising. There is no membership or user fees associated with Swaptree, and you have full control over which trades you accept.

How does Swaptree work?
It's quite simple actually... you create a user account, part of which is to enter the items you have, and the items you want. As a measure of ensuring a user actually has an item, the system requires the UPC or ISBN. Provide a description of the item, decide whether or not it is available for trade, and you're pretty much set.

Your description should detail the quality and version of the item, and what is included; not the plot or premise. For the sake of other users, be as thorough as possible. State whether a DVD is Full Screen or Widescreen, whether or not a game includes the manual, how scratched up a CD or DVD may be, the condition of a book, whether pages have been turned down or are yellowing. After all, you want to get as good as you give. If you're unclear about how to describe an item or rate its quality, Swaptree has a very helpful set of guidelines.