The second line in the Help docs on how PBS works states that "After you have Posted the first 10 books to your bookshelf, you get 2 "startup" credits from PBS to get you started swapping."   Now, I know that I am fortunate enough to have plenty of books to part with and could  easily put the first 10 out there when I joined.  Lately I have seen lots of new people joining with 4, 6, or some other number less than the initial 10 posted on their bookshelf.   What happens then?  Are they still given the first two credits to start swapping?  Did they actually post ten and get four requested immediately, so only 6 are left?  Can a person start with just any number if that is all they have at the time?  This seems to pop up fairly regularly, so now I am curious as to how or why it works.  Comments, opinions and answers are welcome!        ;)    D.

Some they posted may have been WL titles and gone into immediate WL hold. Or they didn't have enough to post ten to start with, in which case the system will keep track, and once they post a total of ten, then they'll get the credits. So, for some people, they may need to get and read some books they requested, and then repost them, to finally get to where they've posted a total of ten and get the start-up credits.

Yup.  I still need to post 4 DVDs to get my free credit at SwapADVD, but I've been able to mail the six I did post and get credits for those.  I'll get my free credit if I ever find 4 more DVDs I'd like to get rid of.

New members will get one credit after they post their first five books and the second credit after they post the second five books. Assuming of course that no one else in their home/address already has an account here at PBS as only one member per household will get the two initial start up credits.

A lot of my wishlist books that have come up lately on my account have been from members who just joined. So, as one poster said, their books could have been WL books.

I know when I first joined, I didn't take the time to check my books first, just posted away.  I was so happy to find a way to clear out some space in my house that I just grabbed stacks of books and started posting.  By the time I finished, I had posted close to fifty books, and 30 of them were in WL hold.  Talk about shock!  If I hadn't posted so many books to begin with, it is very possible that my shelf would have had no books on it after I posted my first 10, but I still would have gotten my 2 start up credits. 

I guess it just depends on the books, the person, and the phase of the moon :)  LOL

You can also transfer credits from CDs and DVDs.  So some folks might get all their credits on the other side.

I had mostly WL books when I joined.  Actually if you used my bookshelf and WL as a reference it would probably look like I was inactive.  I go months sometimes without adding any books that stay on my shelf.  I don't think I've added a WL books in weeks.  Mostly because my TBR is over 600 now and most of what's on my WL is stuff that doesn't get posted very often.  So somebody looking at my shelf and WL might think I haven't been active for awhile. 

Usually the WL is a better guide then the bookshelf. 

I have a book on WL hold right now that the person has no books on their shelf.  But they have WL books consistantly being added so I'm thinking it'll be picked up.  They probably justs don't have any books to send out right now. 

On SWAPADVD it probably looks like I'm inactive as well.  I haven't added a WL book to it in a long time.  I haven't posted any DVDS since I opened the account over a year ago.  I just transfer PBS credits when I have a WL DVD come up or want to order one. 

I am reviving this thread b/c it appears to have happened again, only this time a person (on the home page, listed as just joining) had ONLY their name, etc.    They had NO books posted, nor any on a WL, yet have been a member since 7/15.  It is truly hard to believe that all their books were snapped up in the first 4 days. ...possible, I suppose, but not probable.   So I guess I don't know how they can be a member and yet offer nothing to swap when they join?  Isn't that a condition of joining in the first place?  How can you not have anything at all to list?  Perhaps he joined from work?  It is a small thing, but for some reason I find it strangely irritating.  Am I nuts (don't answer that!  ;-\ )       D.

Could be that person has yet to list books.  I did that.  I joined but it was several days before I actually posted books to my account.

I did that, too.  I was suspicious of a site that trades books for "free".  So I joined but just lurked around here reading the forums and looking at all the features to see how things worked as well as reading the ToS and the Help Documents.  I decided that after reading the forums and seeing how many people were still here and happy after several years that it must be a good site - then I posted my books.  But you can join and put up a public profile without posting any books.

Ruth

Hmmmm, OK, now it makes sense.  I didn't even hesitate, just dove in and wandered around confused for several days.  I like your idea better - just lurk!  Thanks!   :)   D.

It's possible that they posted nothing but WL books.  I sent out 30 books the first week I joined and earned around 100 credits the first month.  I had been saving print and audiobooks to take a road trip up to Half-Price books when I decided to join PBS instead.  (I lived on an island at the time and HPB was over an hour away-so I would go every few months to trade books). 

Also when I joined I posted all my books to the TBR pile list to see what was WL and what was heavily posted. 

I'm wondering why you are so concerned about this person having no books on their shelf and no  WL. I've seen long time members with only a couple of books posted and just a couple WL books.  It's really no ones business but their own.  THey could have joined and decided to buy credits from other members to get started. 

I had more than 10 books when I joined here, but when I joined swapaCD, I did not receive my startup credits until after posting the initial 10, which took a bit of time.  I was able to transfer credits from here if I wanted to order a CD. 

I've seen long time members with only a couple of books posted and just a couple WL books.

Of course that would happen with a long time member b/c they may have sent out all the stuff they listed initially, and maybe all the WL books have been fulfilled as well.   When you join, the rules state that you need to post ten books to get started.  No, I am not concerned per se, it just is rather surprising that it isn't done the way the club has requested.   Maybe the person will be a risky swapper.  It was simply an observation.

Gardengal wrote: When you join, the rules state that you need to post ten books to get started.  No, I am not concerned per se, it just is rather surprising that it isn't done the way the club has requested.

But you don't really know that it WASN'T done the way the club requested. As others have said, if the person posted 15 books and eight of them were wishlisted, those books will never show up on their bookshelf, so it "looks like" (to us) they only posted 7 books.  Some people only read the latest, most popular books so they get snatched up right away when they're posted.

And as others have said too, you can become a PBS member without actually getting your free credits and start trading right away--you can join, look around and read the Help Docs and forums and see how things work before posting a whole bunch of books. In fact, I wish MORE people would do that instead of just posting dozens of books with most of them WL'd and not realizing when they do that they have to pay to send them out, all within a short time frame!

I don't think the size of a person's shelf or wish list has anything to do with how good a trader they are, whether they're new or have been around for years.

Cheryl

You have to post 10 books to get the start up credits.  But you don't have to have 10 to post to join.  I've seen people post on here before worried that since they didn't have 10 books to start that they won't get the 2 free credits. But it gives them at the 10th book even if htey aren't all posted immediately.

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I know when I listed my orginal 10, immediately 4 were requested.  so it does happen =)