I just joined this site and think it's awesome! It's really well done and sophisticated. how does this site survive since they so not charge a feee to belong? 

They might have to start charging a fee at some point.  There's a big thread debating this in the CMT-called Just Took a PBS Survey or something like that. 

THey make some money on the printed postage, Kiosk sales and Box of Books memberships.  I don't use my BOB account that much but I pay for it every year to help support the site.  Some people have also donated back some credits to help cover the credits they give out for referrals and newbies.

On the Sister site, SwapaCd, they charge a Credit and 49 cents for each CD. I think that money is used for all 3 sites.

I use DC postage every time I mail a book. So I've paid them an extra $43 (give or take) this year.

"I use PBS postage with delivery confirmation with almost every book I send. There is a small fee added to that which goes to support the site."     I do the same.  I estimate that I've spent about $100 in the last year on those fees. Still a bargain in my eyes.

I use a combination of DC and PBS postage every book I send  - so I am giving back 27 cents or 43 cents per book.  I also have donated some credits back to PBS. 

I also use the PBS postage with DC for two reasons--1) it's convenient for me as I send a fair few oversize books that I would need to haul to the post office if I didn't use online e-postage and 2) I use the PBS version of the online postage to support this site with the small fee they charge for each transaction. I could get it cheaper elsewhere but this is my contribution to keeping PBS free for anyone to use.

I've also bought stuff in the Kiosk--tote bag, t-shirt, mousepad, mugs, etc.

Cheryl

here's what I thought of (some already mentioned)

1. people using PBS DC and/or postage (however, the adding of money to your PBS Money account is a loss for the site http://www.swapacd.com/forum/topic.php?t=5838 --  add more at a time if you can afford it)
2. Kiosk purchases (T shirts, bookmarks, etc, but I think at least part of the money from buying credits needs to be held to "back them up")
3. Box-of-Books membership
4. Journal service
5. people donating credits back to the site
6. referral fee from amazon -- if you click on "Buy from Amazon" and buy something, the site gets a small percentage for referring you to Amazon
7. (just speculating) the interest from holding all the PBS Money in some giant account?

people donating credits back to the site

I could be wrong, but I thought all that did was lessen the amount of money PBS has to hold in escrow.

RIck, I think you are right. But with people constantly joining, or referring others, PBS would have to keep taking money from somewhere to place in escrow, so I thought of that as an operating expense. Just a matter of semantics or perspective, I think.

Cheers,

s.