I am curious about some of the details about becoming a boxer. For $8, I want to try it but I'm not really sure how it works. Do you have to trade a box with someone who is interested in some of your books or can it go one way like with credits? I know I need more books on my shelf to actually have anyone interested in trading with me (I have about 40 books at my old house that we are selling. My mom is cleaning it out for me so I need to get the books from her.) I just want to hear opinions. I really love this site but my TBR pile is huge and I'm worried it would just overwhelm me. I just love books!

Typically boxing is a book for a book. Once in a while I'd do an uneven like a 3 for 2 if I was requesting a HC and they had just little ones.  Since credits are not involved in the BoB, I don't know how you would do a one sided transaction since you cannot offer anything but credits (or a book in BoB) for books on this site . Trades can be for one book up to as many as you want. I most often had 2-4 book offers. You never have to trade with anyone. If you are offered a trade and their shelf doesn't interest you, you can politely turn down the trade.

If you are looking to get more books for 1 credit, look in the Book Bazaar for deals.

Ok, thanks. That answers my question. I think I will do it...

You do not have to trade w/someone who makes you a BOB offer. If they don't have a book you want, you just decline.  It also doesn't have to be 1 book for 1 book.  You can negotiate. 

I don't have many books posted right now either and have only done a couple BOB trades.  Mostly I've been reading and posting WL and swap books. I have a cross country move coming up and I want to get the WL books read and out in the mail.  I'm bringing a bunch of non-WL books with me to read during our move so I can build my shelf back up.

A word of advice: don't go out and buy a bunch of cheap books that you would never read, just to have a better shelf for box deals. Because the people looking for those books will most likely have similar books posted.  So if you don't like romances, don't buy a bunch of them cheap and post them unless you want to trade for romance books. (or mystery, fantasy-whatever)

When you 1st sign up to be  boxer-you'll get a lot of offers.  I only had about 50 books posted when I signed up and peole made me box offers for like 20 books.  Don't feel bad about turning anyone down or asking them to remove some books from their box.  Don't feel like you have to ask for books you have no interest in reading just to make the deal.  The object it to trade books you've read for other books you'd like to read. So it's OK to say no.