Money Monday: Swap.com

WSVN -- Melissa Mancini loves to get new books, movies and DVD's.

Melissa Mancini: "This was approximately $20 in the store with tax, brand new off the shelf."

But instead of spending big bucks...

Melissa Mancini: "My favorite swap was the Twilight book. I read that cover to cover in 24 hours."

She's swapping the books she's read on swap.com. It's an online marketplace where you can trade everything from books to DVD's and video games.

Jeff Bennett: "Swapping is something that people have done for thousands of years. We don't want to change it, we essentially want to enable it to happen more easily.

If you want to join, sign up for free. Then, make a list of what you'd like to have and what you have to offer in return. Swap.com creates trades by matching items between members.

Jeff Bennett: "It's not inconceiveable that they could save more than a thousand dollars by just shifting their habit of buying to swapping."

Swappers pay for shipping usually about $3 and pay trading fees: 50 cents for books, movies and CD's and $1for video games or multi-disc movie sets, but when items can cost $2 or more, swappers are still coming out ahead.

Melissa Mancini: "I like the idea of swapping and not buying new books. Recycling the books and enjoying them and giving them back to the community so other people can enjoy them as well."

Melissa figures she's saved over $200 dollars.

Jeff Bennett: "Many consumers are looking for better ways to stretch a dollar or in some cases not spend a dollar- and I think swapping is an age-old activity that will continue forever."

So far there have been more than a million swaps since the site was launched.

LYNN MARTINEZ: "Swap.com members can also trade offline. The site lists swap events in their area."

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

http://www.swap.com/