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July 5, 2012

Swap Market – Make a Trade

Swap meets used to take place in abandoned parking lots and warehouses. Today, they take place online. Swap Market is an online trading outpost where people can go to save money on everything from electronics to fashion.

Before you start trading for new products on Swap Market, it’s a good idea to take inventory of the stuff you already own and don’t really need. Join the site using your Facebook login, and create a brief profile page with a photo and bio to give fellow Swap Market users an idea of who you are. Up next, you can start adding all the items you have and want to your account. For each item you’re willing to swap, you’ll need to add a title, category, description, and up to five detailed images. The items you add will be listed on your “Haves” list, and they’ll show up when users browse for products that meet the descriptions you’ve added on the site. To start finding items worth swapping for, browse through the available products by category or keyword description. When you find something that looks good, you can send a message to the owner and make an offer on the item.

The way you conduct transactions on Swap Market is up to you. Most users offer up an item they’re willing to trade, occasionally throwing in some extra items as a way to sweeten the deal. Once you’ve come to an agreement, you and the Swap Market user you’ve been communicating with can decide whether to complete the transaction in person or through the mail. Assuming everything goes smoothly, you can reward your swap partner with a positive rating to boost his or her reputation on the Swap Market site.

Practical Uses:

  • Trade your mountain bike for a moped
  • Find someone who’s willing to take an old TV off your hands
  • Get artwork for your house without shelling out any cash
  • Score great deals on vintage fashions

Insider Tips:

  • Either party can cancel a swap, even after an offer has been accepted
  • Users can ship their items or conduct swaps in person
  • Rating helps Swap Market users decide whether a person is worth trading with
  • Swap offers never expire

What we liked:

  • Users can make their own trades with very little intervention from Swap Market
  • Swap Market broadens the trading market for people who live in rural communities
  • Swap Market charges no fees for using its service
  • By listing items on their “Wants” list, users can give fellow swappers an idea of what they’d be willing to trade for

What we didn’t like:

  • Users who don’t live in major cities may have difficulty finding any swappers to trade with locally

Alternatives:

Company Info:

  • Launched: 2004
  • Privately Held
  • Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts
  • Founded by: Greg Boesel and Mark Hexamer
  • Web site: http://market.swap.com

Costs:

  • Free

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