...the best way to get credits without buying them? I already asked my friends to join the site but i doubt they will since they dont like books like I do. and people already requested my 'good' books. all i have left is going to take a while. Some people recommend going to seconhand stores and get books there to put on here?

What do you guys do? Or are those the only ways? Because I try and have enough credits for WL books posted in the forums and I can never get them due to not having enough to ask for multiples.

Best way is to find a place where you can pick up books inexpensively.  Used Bookstores, Library Sales, thrift stores, yard sales -- all are sources to possibly pick up WL books on-the cheap to post to your bookshelf.  And adding new books adds interest, and may encourage people to take another look at your "older" books as well.

Also, if you have used CDs and DVDs, you could post them on the sister sites, Swap-a-CD and Swap-a-DVD, and get credits there, then transfer them here.

Also, you can try to get books you want without credits, by joining a game or by joining Box-o-Books (where you swap books for books not  credits).

ETA: Besides hitting your friends up to join here, you can ask around to find out if anyone has books they no longer want and might be willing to donate to you free!

Oh okay well how do you play a game?

Friends of the Library sales are great ways to get books to post. Mine has one twice a year and I usually pick up 20-40 books there to post. Some are books I want to read, others I get strictly to post here for the credits. My library charges .50 for paperbacks and $1 for hardcovers and on the last day has a "fill a grocery bag for $3" sale, so they are pretty cheap.

Mostly though, I just read and post books from my own TBR...which is, admittedly, huge. I did end up having to buy credits when I had first joined up though--and truly, it's not a bad deal especially if you get them 'on sale' from someone in the Bazzar. When you think what you would spend to package and mail a book plus the time involved, buying a few credits is not really a bad option to keep you afloat until more of your books get chosen.

Cheryl

The library sales, I think I can look into. That sounds like a good idea to get some there.

I have a couple TBR books, I just cant read them fast enough! I have about 19 books I want to post but I cant due to not reading them, and I am homeschooled so that sort of cuts into my day, along with any other activities that I do (which I do every day). I try and read (Oh trust me i DO) :)

I get a lot of good in demand books at Bookcloseouts.com. They are having a fiction sale right now. Many of their books are fairly recent, even though they're remaindered. I just joined and books I got from there went fast.  Sort Floor Books was also good, but got bought by another company and disappeared. I'm sure there are many other sites like it. Bookcloseouts is one of the biggest so the selection is really good.

Since you say you homeschool, you might wish to pay that forum a visit. Maybe some of your kids old homeschooling books could be swapped with someone else.

dahlia---  are you homeschooling or are you homeschooled?  you have to be 18 to be a member here.

*Edited to say duh!  I read like the first sentence of the OP and apparently glazed over other stuff....guess I totally missed the second sentence about referring friends.  (It's been a doozy of a day!...anyway I hope someone out there finds the below info helpful.)

You can refer people to PBS as well:  I am pasting the chart below: (from the help documents)

1 - 10 Referrals = 1 credit for each

11 - 20 Referrals = 1 credit + $0.50 PBS Money for each

21 - 35 Referrals = 1 credit + $0.75 PBS Money for each

36 - 50 Referrals = 1 credit + $1.00 PBS Money for each

51+ Referrals = 2 credits for each

There is more information on this in the help documents, but in short, once the new member signs up and posts 10 books, you get your referral credit.  You can not refer someone who lives in your house.

Please read the help doucments on referrals throughly.  This link will bring you to all of the documents about referrals:  http://www.paperbackswap.com/help/search.php?terms=referrals  

If you'd like to find library book sales in your area, http://www.booksalefinder.com/index.html is invaluable.  Ignore all the ads and click on the map for your state - there's a calendar to see all listed upcoming sales, ongoing sales, or you can search by town.  Some churchs and similar organizations also list book sales there.  The best deals are 'bag of books' sales, where you can fill a bag (generally a plastic or brown paper grocery bag) for a fixed amount, usually around $5.  A lot of the bigger book sales offer that on the final day.  A few months ago I got 84 books for $10!  Which is why bag-of-book sales make me giddy with joy :)

The account is listed as suspended.  Did someone report her for possibly being underaged? 

Anyway if you make it back here: The games are in the Games forum and I suggest you look at some of the threads and read the rules to see how they are played.  You don't reallly learn them until you join one but reading some of hte game threads will give you an idea of what they are.

I find a lot of WL books at thrift stores. At this point I don't buy any just to post because with the postage increase and people selling credits so cheaply in the BB-it's just not worth it anymore. But I have a huge stash of WL books (180 at last count) and a huge TBR. So I just put my WL on hold when I'm too low on credits and read some WL books.  I keep it on hold until I build up a stash of 10 or 20. But I have a TBR of 800+ so I have plenty to read. 

The account is listed as suspended.  Did someone report her for possibly being underaged?

I figured someone would since she said she was being homeschooled and so is likely under 18.

She could be a senior in High School and 18.  Atlhough it's probably right that she's under 18.

I know the OP has been suspended at this time but I wanted to mention in case anyone else is looking for ideas or she comes back.

I've figured for me it is cheaper to buy credits in the book bazar than it is to buy at sales or other means and send them. If you figure $2.38 for postage and .25 for the book, thats $2.63. Right now you can find credits for around $2.50. Plus you don't have the added pressure of remembering what book has a WL and which has a bunch in the system. 

But I love the idea that every dollar I spend at the library sale goes directly into buying library books.  For me to read.  Whee! 

Woo hoo, you win. Let's get those dirty underage readers off of here. Home schoolers suck!  We all win.

Gee happyvalley, are you under age too?

It's a legal issue, the same reason why kids can't trade in games at gamestop without their parents being present. Some things require you to be over the age of 18 before you can do them, that's life.

Seeing as she admits to being a teenager in one of her book reviews I have a feeling she really was too young to be on this site.

Just curious...if the situation arises, does anyone know how TPTB verifies member age? 

She was 14. In one of her book reviews she stated the following thing: "Loved this book :D Must read for all teens! And I'm her age :)"

The actual book review has the character in the book saying she is almost 15...so voila...she was too young.

Just curious...if the situation arises, does anyone know how TPTB verifies member age?  - The site contacts the members and gets proof of age. I believe one member posted that she was asked to fax in her driver's license.

Let's get those dirty underage readers off of here. There is an age requirement to belong to this site. Period. It isn't about winning and losing or homeschooling or whatever might have gotten your panties in a wad about it. She put information on this site in numerous places that indicated she was probably to young to be a member of PBS. And she was. End of story.

A minor can use the site as long as it's the parent that's registered and maintains the account and does all the swapping.  The minor should not be using the account at all but certainly can tell the parent what books they want and give the parent books to post for them.  The minor shouldn't have access to the account at all.  They could browse the site without being logged in and access the search features at least.

It's purely a legal issue for PBS. And it helps protect other members.  A while back someone posted that a teenager had used her mother's account and ordered a romance novel with sex in it from her. The mother than proceeded to send her a bunch of PM's and tried to get her kicked off PBS.  She had no idea she sending the book to a minor. I think the mother ended up getting in trouble for allowing her teenager to use her account. 

Contracts made with teenagers aren't always legally binding.  So if PBS allowed a teenager to join and the teenager say bought a whole bunch of credits from PBS and the spent them-the parents could take action against PBS.  Plus with adult contact books being allowed-they'd have to worry about policing who orders what.

Back to the book thing in case anyone else needed a suggestion:)  

I have a bunch of non reader friends and somehow they always end up with books they don't want or know what to do with--I think guilt keeps them from just tossing them in the trash:lol:   I've even posted on the bulletin board at work that if anyone had any books they wanted to get rid of for free that I would be happy to take them.   I didn't put any restrictions on the request but I sort them outside my house, have on gloves and disinfectant wipes and sort through all of the ones I've received.   That was of course in my PBS early days--now I've got enough books to open a library providing you like paranormal, urban fantasy and erotica:lol:  

You could post on Craigs list or the local grocery store or any place there may be a community bulletin board.  Just a thought.  I wouldn't pick up books at a private home--I would arrange a public drop off meeting place--safety first:)