I have been thinking about signing up for Box o Books, but I wanted to get some opinions on it first.  Anyone have any thoughts that they would like to share?

To me, it doesn't seem like a bad idea, but I fear that no one will want to make trades with a "new" boxer or that I won't have anything on my shelf that would entice a boxer to swap.  

 I think I just need a push in one direction or the other to make my decision.

Maybe use the box-o-books search page before joining to see if there are other boxers who have books you'd like to swap for? Assuming what's on your shelf reflects your own taste, then if you find other boxers with shelves you like, they'll probably like yours as well.

I don't think you have to worry about being a new boxer and people not wanting to swap for that reason. On average PBS members are extremely kind and very willing to give others a chance. You may not get someone to take you up on a 20 book swap right off, but if you start with offers for 1 or 2 books, I bet you'll find people willing to swap with you.

Thanks Cathy!

I've been here awhile, and I do know that people are extremely kind.  I have met some great people that I swap with quite often. 

I have played around on the box o books search page, and I have found boxers that have the different series that I am working on.  I could save so many credits that way! 

i found that when i first joined box o books, i got more boxing offers because i was featured (along with other new boxers) on the boxers home page.  since my name and profile was out there, it's almost like people were drawn to my shelf to order.  :)

i usually use boxing to order books that are kind of heavily posted in the system, instead of spending a credit for it.  soon, i'll probably use it to get children's books.   i get a decent amount of offers, even though i don't have a large shelf.  and there haven't been too many offers that i've gotten where they didn't have anything i want.  i like boxing, the once a year fee isn't extravagent, and it's nice to know that i'm helping to support PBS in that way.

When you first join you'll get BOB offers like crazy.  I usually let mine lapse for a bit before I rejoin and for the 1st week or so there's several offers a day. Some for a large # of books.  This includes the very first time I signed up. 

Don't be offended if you make a BOB offer to someone and they turn down-it's nothign personal. 

Don't feel like you have to take every BOB offer you get.  If they don't have books you want then turn them down. 

Also I don't recommend loading your shelf up with books you haven't read and have no interest in reading just to do BOB deals. Most of the people you get offers from will have similar books on their shelf.  So if you buy a bunch of cheap series romances to have a bigger shelf-expect to see a lot of those same types of books on the shelfs of people who make you BOB offers-and to get turned down a lot if you're making BOB Offers for different kinds of books.  Yes some people have very varied shelves-but this has been my experience with BOB. 

I put my BOB account on hold recently.  My TBR is out of control.  I will probably renew it at some point. 

You will definitely find yourself saving credits, it's also a great way to try a few new authors that you might not have done if you had to use credits. Don't accept too many of them just to try new authors tho, as Mary said, you'll end up with a bunch of books you just don't want to read, because you've gotten so many that you DO want to read.

I totally love BoB but may not renew this year, as my TBR is now a room not a pile of books. hahahaha