Issue Date: November 4, 2001
Swap till you drop
Is there something you have your eye on, but you don't have any money? No problem: The barter system is alive and well.
What if I told you there was a way to swap the first "Harry Potter" book for the second? Or your tween's old Spice Girls CD for Macy Gray?
Well, where there's a Web, there's a way at some worthy online swap sites (unfortunately, some, such as Webswap.com, folded this past year).
Here's the gist: Users post "want" lists of items they're looking for as well as "have" lists of what they're willing to trade. At Switchouse.com, you can buy or trade books, electronics, music, video games, movies, software and more. Search for the item you want, and the site matches you with members who have it. Then you propose a trade. If accepted, both parties pay to ship the items to each other. As with eBay, each member has a rating to help you choose responsible trading partners. If your item never arrives, the site usually will refund the product or your money. Want to determine the value of what you're trading before you start? Head to eBay or Half.com to see the going rate of items to be sure the swap is really worth it to you.
Spun.com offers media swapping with a twist: You swap with the site instead of with a person. Offer items to sell and you get credit to spend on other things -- about $2 to $7 per CD, for example. When your stuff arrives in the mail, just send what you're swapping back in the same envelope. The site even pays for the return shipping when you trade more than $25 worth.
By Contributing Editor Rula Razek, editor of the Internet Cool Guide books
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My Web: Cathy Rogers
Movers, shakers and their bookmarks
As host of The Learning Channel's popular "Junkyard Wars", 32-year-old Cathy Rogers watches contestants turn junk into everything from robots to off-road vehicles. Although Rogers admits she's not exactly a whiz with a wrench, she is fairly tech-savvy.
Her favorite Web sites:
The self-proclaimed "cheese nerd" goes to sites such as cheesenet.wgx.com to help with what she calls her "alphabet project" -- a lighthearted personal challenge to eat at least one type of fromage beginning with each letter of the alphabet this year. Her favorite finds so far are the rich and creamy Explorateur and a smoky variety called Appenzeller.
A new fondue pot and the movie Chocolat led this Brit to pepperfool.com. "In the film, the woman who owns the chocolate shop makes hot chocolate with chili powder, and it's meant to put you in touch with your inner feelings. At this site
I came across a recipe for hot chocolate fondue with chilies and thought I'd give it a go," she says. The verdict? Deeply satisfying.
Rogers feeds her funny bone at theonion.com, a site filled with satirical "news" stories. "If I'm feeling miserable, that's where I go," she says, laughing.
-- Michele Hatty
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