I'm fairly new, member since December, although I've worn the proverbial hole in my account...LOL  Anyway, I have a few things I've been thinking about that I would like to get opinions on.

(1)  What do you guys think about books that are (a) on a huge waiting list and most importantly (b) cost at least twice as much as a regular paperback?  I buy a lot of books that I really want that I would have to wait forever for and usually those are the ones that are $14 and up.  Does anyone else feel that these should be worth more than 1 credit? 

(2) What's the different between joining box-o-books and listing, say, a bunch of books in the forum that I have available and letting people negotiate offers, etc.?

(3) Am I the only one that hates when a person accepts a trade and waits until way after the SHIP BY date and then cancels the trade on you?  So you've waited over a week, didn't use the credit on something else and then it gets canceled.  I think this shouldn't be allowed.

Thoughts.

PBS is pretty commited to the 1 book, 1 credit thing.  Yes, you may spend $14 on a book and post it and send it out.  BUT, you can use that credit you earn to request another $14 book if you so wish.  They're pretty clear that they're not going to change the 1 book, 1 credit thing.  If you feel your books are worth more than 1 credit, you should sell them online yourself or post them on another trade site that allows you to ask for more than 1 credit for them.

Box of Books allows you to swap books directly with other BOB members without using credits.  They don't have to be even trades, it's whatever the 2 BOB members work out as a fair trade between them.  You can't just post a list on the forums and ask for trades that way because PBS doesn't allow it.  They only allow that kind of thing to BOB members who have paid an extra fee for that service.

Yes, I think we all hate it when someone cancels a request after they've accepted it.  The system will automatically cancel it 2 days after the Mail By date for you.  Things to happen though, sometimes the other member has misplaced the book or pulls it out to send and it's damaged or maybe something just came up in their life and sending a book out is the last thing on their mind.  If someone misses too many requests, the system automatically puts the account on hold until the account holder contacts PBS about it.

One of the things like best about this site is that it is one book = one credit.  Some people disagree.  However, TPTB have indicated that they are not considering changing one book = one credit.

BOB is the only legal way to trade one book for one book.  You can offer deals in the book bazaar forum that involve more than one book per credit, but that's it.  I'm not sure what you mean by negotiate offers because really this site isn't set up for that.

We all hate getting canceled on, but some times life happens.

I wanted to add that if you are a box of books member all your books are listed for swapping--the member sees your bookshelf. Now whether you choose to trade or not with another member is totally up to you. But you don't pick and choose which books go on your box of books list--except by not accepting an offer that has a book you want to keep in the system to trade for a credit.

Ahhh, okay, that actually helps a lot.  I did not know you couldn't offer it another way.  I also did not realize that it was probably the system canceling the trade, but still, if you accept an offer and if your account is not on hold, you shouldn't wait a week or so to send.  I know stuff happens, but even when life is crazy, I drop and email saying, hey, I'll send that out such and such.

And I guess "negotiate" was the wrong term.  It was just a way of saying, pick and choose each other's books that were appealing, not actually play let's make a deal...LOL  Thanks guys 

That's true eventually it will even out, although I'm so darn impatient when I really want a book.  I just bought a whole bunch of books from Ellora's, mostly Lora Leigh, that damn site is expensive...LOL

1) Nope. I had been on the wishlist for the newest Alex Cross/James Patterson book for a few months, was in the 300s. Finally got my HB copy today. Totally like brand new. Plan on reading it soon so I can pass it on. Getting things like this is what draws people to the site, and makes the wait totally worth it.

2) Not a BOB member myself, but it seems less complicated than trying to negotiate books for credits and stuff.

3) I agree. But sometimes stuff happens and things can't get mailed. Only happened once to me, though.

1: like others said: you don't have to post those expensive books here. You can sell them or use another trading site that allows charging  more.  I wouldn't stay with PBS if they allowed additional credits to be charged for some books. Some people think audios should only be 1 credit because they can be cheaper to mail.  I like the 2 credits for those because they are more expensive to buy but they also retain their value a lot longer.  That James Patterson hardback that has the long WL line-a year from now there'll be 100's posted into PBS and the hardback will be easy to find in lots of yardsales, UBS and thrift stores for cheap.   (I'm not knocking JP either-I think I've read every book of his-I just know PBS-it happens with all the biggies-Patterson, King, Nora Roberts etc..,)  That same JP book on audio cd will still resell for several dollars for years afterwards-unless you get lucky and find it cheap somewhere. But used audio CDS are still usually close to $10.

2: That's what BOB is for-the fee helps pay for PBS. THe site is free to join and the people who run it make no money. So BOB and printed postage help pay for the site's upkeep. BOB is a way of somewhat controlling those book for book trades.  If people are making side deals in PMS-then PBS has no control over them. But at least with BOB if someone is a bad member they can close their account.

3: It's not really allowed. PBS will freeze someone's account if they are letting book orders time out, missing mail by dates, chronically mailing late etc..,  I think it only takes 2 time outs in a certain time frame to put an account on hold.  I'm not sure what that time frame is though.

Looking back over the 3 1/2 years I've been here, I have, yes, sent out a lot of 'expensive' books that I bought new and were read once. But I've also received a lot that appeared to be in the same shape--newer releases, hardcovers even. My feeling is, it all works out in the end. I really like the 1 credit for 1 book concept--after all, what might be valuable to me could be someone else's junk. This levels the playing field as it were.

I am fortunate enough to have an excellent library system (Minneapolis/Hennepin County) where, if I am on a wishlist for a book and the wait gets to be too long, 9 times out of 10 I can just order the book from the library and remove it from my WL here to make space for something else. I used to buy a LOT more books new than I do now. Between the library and PBS, most of the time I'm finding what I need.

I was one of the Beta-testers for the BOB program when it first came out, and it really just didn't suit my own needs. I don't mind leaving the books on my shelf until someone chooses them--but then, I have a TBR with 500 books on it, so it's not like i'm desperate for unread books! LOL I also don't generally get involved in "deals" on either end of things--my wishlist does most of my 'shopping' for me, and if I happen to need the next book in a series or something, I'll order that and sometimes patiently wait through 2 or 3 requests until someone actually wants to send it to me. But again, with my large TBR, patience isn't a problem. That's about it, though. I do have a few Advanced Reader Copies that I will offer up as freebies with a regular order from my shelf, but that's about as far as I go for a deal. I like things as simple as possible and with PBS I can do that.

Welcome--hope your experinces here continue to be good!

Cheryl

Once you've read a book - an expensive book - is it of any further value to you?  Really.  Usually, you just want another book to read.  In that sense you really paid to be able to read the book when you wanted it.  Otherwise - it's just a book you've read and probably won't read again.  So it has no further value than someone else's paperback book (which are $8 new most of the time now).  They are used books.  I just want to get another book, I don't think anyone is going to pay me extra for the extra money I paid to get it..  One book equals one credit. One credit gets you one book you want to read.  Simple elegance.  Genre doesn't matter unless it's a HTF rare book inwhich case you need to sell it on eBay or somewhere like tha.

Ruth

Truthfully, the only thing I find aggravating is the fact that most of the books on my TBR pile are either marked with a W or WA (not the aggravating part LOL), but as it were, if I listed them all at once, they would go to many different people instead of say one person maybe gets offered 2 and saves me a few bucks on shipping.  I'm a highly avid reader and go through books like candy so I have spent quite a bit between buying books, credits and most especially postage.  So it would be nice to save a lil' on the postage end.

Other than that, I have no complaints.  I love this site and totally love that I found it.

Kim, if you have several books that are in the same genre, go to that specific forum and see if they have a thread titled something like "Is This on your Wishlist"

I am in the mystery/thriller forum and we have a thread that allows you to list what books you have BEFORE posting so that if someone wants 2 or 3 or 4 of them you can post it directly to their WL instead of FIFO and save on shipping costs.

Here is the link for the mystery link:  http://www.paperbackswap.com/forum/topic.php?t=111339

You can also add buddies and check out their WL and see if they have several books that you have and you can post all directly to them.  it really does help to be active in the forums (especially the genre ones) because you can meet people that like the same sort of books and offer books to them.  I have someone that has sent me many books that way and I have jumped up the WL line and I definitely appreciate it.  I have done the same in return.

Kim: when I post a WL book, I immediately check the person's WL and see if I have anything else in my TBR.  Then I PM them and ask if they want that book as well.  I PM because a few times people have said they already got a copy and forgot to delete a different version or they were out of credits.  Then I hold off on accepting the request and post the other book to the same person.  Usually they are thrilled to get another WL book and don't mind if you hold off a few days before accepting and mailing.  So I wait a day or 2 to accept and then choose the last mail by date.  I read the extra book and send them out together, saving on postage. 

I also try to read a few similar WL books at a time and find someone in the genre forums that has more than one.  Before anyone jumps on me about FIFO-I post most to FIFO. But if I have say 2 of a series or by the same author that are WL-I know chance are good that someone has more than 1.  THat's when I try to find someone. 

Thanks for the good advice, Mary.