[Site Upgrade] - July 21, 2008

Hi Gang,

Over the last several hours you may have noticed intermittent periods where you could not access SwapSimple. This was due to several upgrades we were installing on the back-end of the system.

These upgrades have now been successfully installed, and the system has been restored to full functionality. If you have any questions, or notice any technical problems, please use the "contact us" link at the bottom of any SwapSimple page to let us know.

Talk soon, and thanks so much for using SwapSimple!

Elliot
Co-Founder, SwapSimple.com
http://www.swapsimple.com

Review [Sortof]: Wall-E is a Must See!

Hey Gang,

The advertising is fairly inescapable, so I assume you're at least vaguely familiar with Pixar's latest feature release - "Wall-E." I had the opportunity to see it over the weekend - running from 4th of July fireworks to catch the last show for the night - and I have to say it's a must see on many, many levels. I'm not going to bore you with any analysis. All I wanted to do was encourage you to watch the little guy in action.

When it comes out on DVD we're going to buy a few and post them to spread the Wall-E love around a bit. If you want one, make sure to have it on your wishlist so that you get notified!

Anyone else see it? Comments are welcome!

Talk soon, and happy swapping!!

Elliot
Co-Founder, SwapSimple.com

SwapSimple Launches Swapping Cart!

It's been months in the making, and today we have finally launched the first version of the SwapSimple Swapping Cart!

"So, what the heck is a Swapping Cart and why do I care?"

All very fair questions. Let me explain why this is so exciting:

You see, before the Swapping Cart, if you ordered more than one item from the same user at the same time, you still needed to have them shipped individually. This was wasteful because the Postal Service would charge a high fee for each package - regardless of how much it weighed. Now, using the new Swapping Cart you can bundle items together and avoid all those unnecessary fees!

For example - if you ordered three DVDs from the same user, you would need to pay individual shipping rates on each item. That would be a total of around $7.50. Using the new Swapping Cart, that same shipment will only cost you around $2.50!!

So if you want to save some major cash, and you find an item you want to order on SwapSimple, make sure to explore the other items that user has up for swap. If you find a few that you want, and you order them at the same time, the savings really add up.

We hope you get a lot of use out of this new feature, and of course, please share any comments, suggestions, or bugs you may find while using the new SwapSimple Swapping Cart.

Talk soon, and thanks for using SwapSimple!!!

Elliot

Elliot E. Hirsch
Co-Founder, SwapSimple.com

SwapSimple Users Save the Planet By Re-Using Their Media

It's Blog Action Day today! "What's that mean," you ask? It's a day when all bloggers on the Net write about one of the most important topics facing the world today - The Environment.

SwapSimple is very proud to play a small part in helping our planet's environment. Whether it's as simple as making a swap instead of buying new, replacing the incandescent light-bulbs in your home with energy efficient florescents, or simply not running the water while you brush your teeth - it all makes a difference.

Enjoy Blog Action Day, and we hope it starts some very interesting and productive conversations between you and those you care about.

Talk soon, and have a great day!!

Team SwapSimple
http://www.swapsimple.com

Arrrrr! Swap Like a Pirate and get FREE SWAPS!

Ahoy!!

In honor of International Talk Like a Pirate Day, we're giving away a free swap to anyone who lists one or more pirate-related items between now and Monday, September 24th!!

Arrrr!  Here's ye orders from Cap'n Swappy:

All you need to to is list them for swap, and then send us a photo of yourself holding all your pirate booty, with your best pirate face.  Everyone who sends in photos will get the free swap, and we will choose the best photo on Tuesday to receive an additional 10 FREE SWAPS!  Shiver me timbers!!

Email photos to: contact [arrrrt] swapsimple [darrrt] com

If you need some inspiration, here is a link to an article about this most important holiday:

Wikipedia: International Talk Like a Pirate Day

Have fun!!

Cap'n Swappy
http://www.SwapSimple.com

SwapSimple Beats Beyonce as #4 in Stuff Magazine's October 2007 "Hit List"

Wow - what a week! Stuff magazine just named SwapSimple.com as #4 in their "Hit List" for October! We beat out Beyonce by two places, but Kevin Bacon beat us by landing the #3 spot. Good job Kevin, and sorry Beyonce - we still love you both!

Check us out in this month's edition of Stuff Magazine, on shelves now (October 2007 Edition)

This amazing national press is bringing word of SwapSimple to millions of people around the country, and as a result the SwapSimple community is exploding with new swappers, and new items to swap for!

Happy swapping everyone!

Elliot
Co-Founder, SwapSimple.com

SwapSimple launches Facebook application - creates world's largest library of free goods.

It's here!

We have just launched a new SwapSimple Facebook application that lets you use the power of Facebook in combination with SwapSimple's swapping technology. Now you can swap right in Facebook, and use it's vast social network to fast create the worlds largest library of free goods!

With this application you can use SwapSimple right in Facebook. This lets you swap with all your Facebook friends, promote your swap items in your Facebook profile and News Feed, as well as automatically let your friends know when you add items to your wishlist.

Start swapping in Facebook by installing the SwapSimple Facebook Application (Click here to install)!

Please let us know your feedback, and have a swappy day!

Elliot
Co-Founder, SwapSimple.com

Watch Video: SwapSimple Helps Clean Up the Environment - Through Swapping!

Hey Gang,

We had an awesome week with NBC in the office. They were great and did a whole story on how swapping helps save the planet. It's true! People buy so much stuff, and then just throw it away! Now with swapping, they can find new homes for their unwanted possessions, get more things in return, and help save the planet in the process!

It really does make a difference, and we couldn't be happier about playing a small role in helping our planet stay healthy.

New Feature! Buy credits if you need them.

Hi Gang - Great news!

We've received numerous requests to enable the purchase of SwapSimple Trade Credits, and we've just released a Credit-purchase system that works great!

Now, if you simply are short a credit or two, or want to buy an item outright, the system will be able to accommodate your needs. Best of all - all money collected from the purchase of Credits will be used to stock the SwapSimple inventory with items you and other community members have placed your personal wishlists!

You can purchase SwapSimple Credits at a rate of 1 Trade Credit for $1. These credits are usable for anything listed on SwapSimple.

The "buy credits" link is at the top-right of every page, once you log in. Please give it a try, and share your thoughts with us via email, or on our discussion forum.

Talk soon, and thanks for using SwapSimple!!

Elliot

Elliot E. Hirsch
Co-Founder, SwapSimple.com
http://www.swapsimple.com

Swap for Free!! SwapSimple launches new free-swap friend network!

Today we launched an important new feature
on SwapSimple that enables you to swap FOR FREE with
all your friends, all their friends, and all their
friends' friends too!

Not only does this let you swap for free, but it also
helps you swap more reliably too. Who better to swap
with than someone you know, or someone your friends know?

To get started - simply login and add a few friends.
Then, sit back and watch how fast your network grows!
If you have any questions, or have comments / suggestions,
please feel free to email us at any time.

Talk soon, and happy swapping!

Elliot

Elliot E. Hirsch
Co-Founder, SwapSimple.com

Scheduled Maintenance - Sunday June 17, 2007

Hi gang,

Just a heads-up that we're going to be doing some routine system maintenance this Sunday, June 17, 2007 from 12:00 AM -- 4:00 AM MDT.

During this time you may have trouble initiating swaps.

Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you, but it's all part of keeping the service running strong.

Talk soon, and thanks for using SwapSimple!

Elliot
Team SwapSimple
http://www.swapsimple.com

Bibliophiles Unite! Book Group Expo - June 8th & 9th in San Jose, CA

We learned about Book Group Expo many months ago, and the second we heard about it, we knew we needed to be a part of it. That's why we decided to give away free swaps on SwapSimple to all attendees of the Expo! Now you can go to the expo to discover new literature, and then swap it free!!

Anne Kent, the Founder of Book Group Expo, has put together a truly amazing event. You can meet and mingle with avid readers all across the country, meet your favorite authors face to face, or in intimate salon discussions, browse a vast marketplace of everything bibliophile - and much more.

More Info:

Meet over 50 authors, eat chocolate, attend lively
discussions, taste wine, have books signed,
savor fine tea, browse books - and have some
serious fun!!

The festivities start Friday night with Khaled Hosseini
launching his next release, A THOUSAND SPLENDID
SUNS. In true book group expo fashion, you will have
direct access to this talented author through our salon
style conversations. Seating is limited (which means so
are the tickets!).

When: June 8th - Khaled Hosseini book
launch. 6:30P.
June 9th and 10th - 10A - 5P
Where: San Jose Convention Center, CA
Tickets / INFO: http://www.bookgroupexpo.com/?from=swapsimple

New SwapSimple WIDGET Released

Get the new SwapSimple widget!

See all my items
& come swap with me!

Now you can show off all the items you have available for swap, by cutting and pasting a bit of code into your blog, myspace, facebook, etc. accounts. It's really easy, and a great way to make even more swaps than ever before.

To the left is my personal SwapSimple widget. Just click on an item and come swap with me. To get your personal widget, just login to your account. You'll see the new widget feature in the top-right of your logged in homepage.

We hope you really enjoy this feature, and we're going to be constantly improving it - so your feedback is welcomed and encouraged.

Talk soon, and enjoy the widget!

Elliot

Elliot E. Hirsch
Co-Founder, SwapSimple.com
www.swapsimple.com

New "Hot Items" feature released.

Every day, the SwapSimple editors look through all the items listed that day for ones that are real jems. We call these "Hot Items."

You can now easily find these items by going to the browse page. Once you arrive at the browse page, you will automatically be seeing all the hot items. If you want to then expand your search, just click on the links to the left to start viewing more items, and item types.

We hope you enjoy this new feature - and we're sure it's going to make swapping easier than ever before, and even more fun too!!

Talk soon,

Elliot

Elliot E. Hirsch
Co-Founder, SwapSimple.com.

Textbooks 101: A guide to buying, selling, and swapping textbooks online

While a recent college student, there weren’t many things that irked me more than buying textbooks. Long bookstore lines and high prices found at the campus bookstore drove me to the Internet in search of alternatives – and there were plenty to be found.

All Internet textbook sources, be they for new or used textbooks, fall into three main categories, and one new one: traditional vendors affiliated directly with publishers or wholesalers, consumer to consumer marketplaces, auction services, and new alternatives like swapping services such as SwapSimple.com. When searching for textbook bargains, students need to be able to identify and understand these main types of textbook sources, and be able to make an educated decision as to which source properly fulfills their particular set of needs. There is no one source that is good for all situations, and it behooves the consumer to properly choose among the several types of textbook sources, dependent upon the buyer’s current needs.

Online Bookstores - Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, etc.

The most abundant, as well as the most widely used textbook sources on the Internet today, are large vendors that attempt to bring the traditional brick-and-mortar bookstore to your home via your personal, Internet enabled computer. These vendors include big familiar names such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Powell's. These stores are able to provide discounted textbooks by cutting out the middleman wholesaler and dealing directly with publishers, then passing the savings on to consumers. Another way they are able to cut costs is through their ability to sell large quantities of books – relying on volume sales to enhance profits.

Most books for sale on these services sell for about 2%-15% less than what you would find at your local campus bookstore. These vendors are generally quite reliable and are very convenient, seeing as how you can order the books you need without ever having to leave your home, while being reasonably assured that your books will arrive on time and in good condition, although the savings are not altogether that dramatic or life-changing.

Online Marketplaces - Half.com, Amazon Marketplace, campus exchanges, etc.

Consumer to consumer marketplaces are the second major division in the textbook industry, and have spread widely on the Internet. The majority of these marketplaces call themselves "exchanges," when in fact they are merely a type of classified ad site, with payment and sometimes shipping features built in. Some major players in this classification are companies like Half.com, TextbookX.com, and Amazon Marketplace. Additionally, there are many smaller, campus and regionally based services, all with varying levels of service and support.

All these services allow users to buy and sell books with each other, and normally result in books being sold for about half the cover price (hence, for example, the name Half.com). Unfortunately, because these services are open to all sellers, be they a single student selling one math book, or a large local bookstore that is listing its entire store inventory, things become slightly unfair. Potential buyers tend to shy away from individual sellers, not merely because of price, but also because of fears of product condition and delivery reliability. Therefore, when a single student lists a book for sale, he or she is forced to lower the price far below what the book is actually worth in order to be reasonably competitive with the larger sellers, and to have a better chance of actually finding a buyer for the book.

Because of this, consumer to consumer marketplaces are a really great place to buy books at a considerable discount, so long as one is willing to buy from an individual seller, but are not a very good place to sell if you are only selling for your own benefit and do not own a store. Also, if you are selling, these services charge a sales commission based on the final sales price of your book, which further lowers one’s net price.

Online Auctions - Ebay.com, etc.

Auction services make up the last common division in your online textbook buying options, and when one says the word "auction," one can't help but immediately think of the current industry dominatrix, Ebay.com. There are several lesser known sites out there, but I'm sure you get the idea.

These services are fun to use on a recreational level, and are a great way to locate hard to find books. As far as textbooks go, these sites can sometimes be very fruitful, allowing you to get a book for a ridiculously cheap price as long as the specific book you are bidding on is in relatively low demand. If the book you are looking for is indeed in some type of normal to high demand level - which is normally the case as regards the books required for current classes - you can expect to pay about the same as when buying on sites like Amazon.com, or if you're lucky, maybe around Half.com's price range.

When using auction sites, one can expect to wait several days for an auction to end before a sale is confirmed, so make sure to allot the appropriate amount of time before you really need your book. These sites are fun, usually take more time than buying books outright, and will usually get you a competitive price - sometimes a remarkable one. When selling on Ebay.com, remember to factor in their fee to list items for sale, in addition to the commission charged based on the final sales price.

SwapSimple.com - Eliminating Buying and Selling

Lastly, a final option is SwapSimple.com, which was created as a distinct alternative to all of the above mentioned textbook buying options. SwapSimple.com distinguishes itself from all others by enabling its users to get the books they need without having to buy or sell anything.

Instead of posting books for sale and having to wait for auctions, or otherwise wait to find buyers, SwapSimple.com awards what it calls Trade Credits immediately when books that users are finished with are listed. The Trade Credits issued will be equal to the current market value of the posted book, and those Credits can immediately be used to get any of the other books listed on SwapSimple.com by other SwapSimple.com users from all across the country.

This is a uniquely good solution, because it not only allows one to get needed books immediately, it enables the user to get those books virtually without having to spend any more money. All one pays to use SwapSimple.com is the actual cost of shipping, plus a set fee of $2.00 per book, which is paid at the time a book is ordered. The only drawback to SwapSimple.com is that its book selection is limited to what its users post for exchange; but as SwapSimple.com's user base continues to grow, as it has over the past months, users can expect to find the majority of books they are looking for.

As you can see, there are many choices when it comes to purchasing textbooks on the Internet. We hope this guide was helpful, and if you have any comments or suggested additions, please email us using our contact form.

About the author:

Elliot E. Hirsch is the President and Co-Founder of SwapSimple, Inc., and SwapSimple.com (http://www.swapsimple.com). In 2003, as a recent college graduate troubled by the seemingly endless rise in the cost of textbooks, Elliot, along with fellow recent college graduate David J. Goldblatt and computer engineer Eric R. Haszlakiewicz, founded the company as a powerful exchange solution to give students a modern, effective, and low cost alternative to purchasing costly used textbooks. Mr. Hirsch feels that SwapSimple consistently upholds its goal of positively impacting the lives of students and families across the United States, by giving all students the ability to afford the textbooks which are so vital to their education. SwapSimple is headquartered in the founders' hometown, the tropical paradise of Chicago, Illinois.

New Features, Site Update, May Newsletter

Hi Gang,

New SwapSimple features just released: (more info below)
-----------------------------------------------------

- New site design and layout!!
- See who's online, and swap with them - live!
- See other member's wishlists or the
wishlist for the entire site
- New posting page with additional features
- Bulk posting of items on posting page
- Improved account information
- BOOK GROUP EXPO in San Jose, California June 8th - 10th

================================
Event Announcement!!
================================
BOOK GROUP EXPO

Meet over 50 authors, eat chocolate, attend lively
discussions, taste wine, have books signed,
savor fine tea, browse books - and have some
serious fun!!

The festivities start Friday night with Khaled Hosseini
launching his next release, A THOUSAND SPLENDID
SUNS. In true book group expo fashion, you will have
direct access to this talented author through our salon
style conversations. Seating is limited (which means so
are the tickets!).

When: June 8th - Khaled Hosseini book
launch. 6:30P.
June 9th and 10th - 10A - 5P
Where: San Jose Convention Center, CA
Tickets / INFO: www.bookgroupexpo.com

=========================================

Well, it's been spring cleaning here at SwapSimple, and in the spirit
of the season, we decided to give the front-end of the site a bit
of a makeover - complete with new top tabs, and a more space-efficient
top menu bar.

>From there we thought we'd spice things up a bit by showing you exactly
who's online at any given time. There's a list of logged in users on
your logged-in homepage, and also on the browse page. Just click over
to their profile, browse their inventory, send them messages, and swap
with them right while they're online! It's a super-fast way to make
swaps, and its fun too.

You asked, and we delivered - wishlists are now public! By clicking on
a user's profile, you can see their entire wishlist, or if you like, the
wishlist of the entire site! List an item on someone else's
wishlist and we automatically notify them of your posting. It's a
great way to make swaps and earn credits faster than ever!

For those of you who have just a few items listed, you may not see the
benefit of our new posting page features, but for those of you who
have 50, 100, 500 or more items listed, you'll love the new posting
page. Before, the page simply listed everything you had posted in one
loooooooong list. Now, you have many ways to sort and display your
posted items. It's very fast, and uses some new web technology
that lets you work without having to reload the page on every click!

Finally, on the posting page we have instructions for listing items
in bulk. If you have your stuff already inventoried somewhere else
we can make it easy for you to simply send us a file with your item
info, and we do the rest - listing all your items for you.

So, please have a look through the new site and features - and be
sure to report any technical problems you run into!! We'll fix them
ASAP, but the sooner we know about them, the better.

Coming this next month, we'll be releasing two new and very
interesting features, so stay tuned!

Talk soon, and thanks for using SwapSimple!

Elliot

Elliot Hirsch
Co-Founder, SwapSimple.com
SwapSimple.com

Scheduled Maintenance - April 28th

Attention Fellow Swappers - Just a heads-up

Our shipping system will be going through scheduled maintenance from 9 PM April 28th to 1 AM (PT) April 29th. During that time you may experience intermittent periods of time where you will be unable to initiate, or complete trades.

We're sorry if this causes any inconvenience.

Talk soon, and happy Swapping!!

Elliot
Co-Founder, SwapSimple.com

SwapSimple.com's FREE BEER & Live Swap Event - Thursday, March 29th, in Evanston, IL

Yes that's right - we're having another "Live Swap" event, and this time it comes complete with FREE BEER, and another amazing venue - Pete Miller's Steakhouse in Evanston, IL!

Tickets to this event are FREE, but they are going fast! Please get yours ASAP - GET FREE TICKETS HERE

The event is from 4:30pm till 10:30pm, March 29th (that's a Thursday). Free beer will be available from 4:30pm - 9pm, for those who bring 3 or more books, dvds, or videogames to swap. Also, we are again working with Children's Memorial Hospital on this event, and will be donating all videogames that are not swapped by the end of the night to the hospital - so please bring lots of games for the kids!!

How the Event Works:
In general, the swap works the same as our last few: you show up with books, dvds, and videogames you don't want, you give them to us at the door, and we give you tickets. You then simply hang out, look through the stuff other people brought, drink free beer, talk - and when you're through, you use your tickets as payment for any items you want to take with you. Its really cool, and tons of fun!!

Food:
In addition to the free beer and swapping, Pete Miller's just happens to have some amazing food - and you will have access to their full menu if you want a big juicy steak, or giant prime burger to go with your free beer.

Details:
Date: March 29th - Thursday
Venue: Pete Miller's Steak House - www.petemillers.com
Address: 1557 Sherman Avenue, Evanston, IL

If you have questions or need more info, just email us at
contact [at] swapsimple [dot] com

Tickets to this event are FREE, but they are going fast! Please get yours ASAP - GET FREE TICKETS HERE

SwapSimple - A whole bunch of new features.

Here are some new features that have been recently added
to SwapSimple:

- See Recent Site Activity
- Browse By Credit Value
- Mark Trades as Private
- Added Item Links to Comments/Ratings
- Enhanced Site Speed
- Added Tell-A-Friend Buttons to Items
- Added Auto-Wishlist Buttons to Items
- Added Link in Search Results that Jumps to Unavailable Items

Below is a brief description of each new feature.

---------------------------------------------------
See Recent Site Activity
---------------------------------------------------

When you login, just under the tabs and search bar, you will
see a "ticker" that shows all the major site activity that
happened in the last 24 hrs - like user signups, posted items,
items added to wishlists, etc. We think it's pretty cool!

Using this feature, you can get an instant read on the new items
that are being listed, as well as what is being placed on people's
wishlists. See what people are wishlisting, and then go see if you
have it on your shelf - it's a real easy way to make fast trades.
Oh, and don't worry, we'll be adding a more structured way for you
to see the entire wishlist of the site very soon.

---------------------------------------------------
Browse By Credit Value
---------------------------------------------------

We added a feature to the browse page that lets you see
only items at or below a credit value that you specify.
Only have 4 Credits to spend? No problem! Just enter
"4" and the site will only show items that are 4 Credits
or less.

We have had many community members ask us for this feature,
and we tried to make it function as simply as possible. Just
enter that maximum credit value in the field, click the button,
and SwapSimple automatically weeds out all the items that you
currently can't afford.

---------------------------------------------------
Mark Trades as Private
---------------------------------------------------

We now show in your user ratings, what item was ordered.
If you would rather keep this info private for a particular
item, there is now a check-box on the finalize order page.

We doubt you'll be using this feature regularly, but it may
come in handy - especially if you order a gift for someone
and you don't want them to see the trade in your trade history.

---------------------------------------------------
Added Item Links to User Ratings/Comments
---------------------------------------------------

Now, when looking through a user's past trade comments
and ratings, you will also be able to see which item
a particular trade rating refers to.

Now you can actually see what items people have traded
away, figure out who ordered them, and maybe track that
the user who ordered the item down to see if you can
get them to re-list the item so you can order it. It's
easy using these new links, and our private messaging
system.

---------------------------------------------------
Added "Tell-a-Friend" Buttons to Items
---------------------------------------------------

Every item on the site now has a "Tell-a-Friend" button.
If you find an item on the site that you feel someone you
know may like, you can use the TAF button to easily let
them know. It's also a great way to spread word of
SwapSimple to those people who will truly enjoy the service.

This is a really fun feature. I see items every day that I
know my friends are interested in, and this tool makes it
really easy for me to share these items with everyone I know.

---------------------------------------------------
Added Auto-Wishlist Buttons to Items
---------------------------------------------------

Each item that is not currently available for trade,
now has an "Add to Wishlist" button. Click the button
to easily and automatically add the item to your wishlist.
When the item becomes available for trade, we'll email you
to let you know.

Now that we added these buttons, you simply click and "pop,"
the item is added to your wishlist. No more having to be taken
to a separate page and whatnot. Adding items to your wishlist
is one of the major keys to swapping, and these buttons make
it easier than ever before.

---------------------------------------------------
Added Link in Search Results That Jumps to Unavailable Items
---------------------------------------------------

When you do a search on SwapSimple, we give you a list of
results, starting with all the items that we have available
for trade. If you don't see the item you want, try clicking
the new link at the top right of the search results. That will
show you results for items that we do not currently have available.
This will enable you to easily add those items to your wishlist
quickly and easily.

Now if we don't have an item for trade, you can simply skip down
to the items we don't have, and then easily fire up those new
wishlist buttons to add items to your wishlist.

So Excited To Swap On Saturday

I talked to Alexandria and Jen at Mercury Cafe yesterday to drop off some flyers an talk to them about Saturday's LiveSwap. I'm so excited!!!!!

I've been thinking a lot about why I spend so much time working for SwapSimple and it really is about community building and sharing. I knew SwapSimple was a great idea, but I've really arrived at a place where I understand its larger meaning. I can't wait to see SwapSimple in action this Saturday.

New Features - "Auto Wishlist" and "Tell-a-Friend"

When we list stuff for swap, we want others to order our items as soon as possible - right? Of course! Also, we want first dibs on items we want right when they're listed for trade, which is why we have just released the following two new features:

**Remember: both the features I'm going to mention below are only visible when you're logged in to your account.

1. New auto-wishlist buttons:

Even though SwapSimple has hundreds of new items listed each day, there are still some that we don't have. Maybe it's a new release you have your heart set on, or just an old obscure title you have been seeking forever. When that item gets listed for trade, I'd imagine you'd want to be the first to know.

Now, when you search for an item and find that it's not available for trade yet, there are new automatic "Add to Wishlist" buttons for you to use. These buttons automatically add items to your wishlist without even making you go to a separate page! These buttons also have a memory, so they they will appear yellow for all items you have already added to your wishlist.

This makes it really fast and easy to build a huge wishlist of items, so that you will receive an email right when the items you want are listed for trade. Please give them a try and tell us what you think.

2. Tell-a-Friend buttons:

We added "Tell-a-friend" buttons to all items listed for trade. By clicking the button, you can send an automatic, one-time email to a friend to let them know that you've found an item they may be interested in. This is a great way to introduce others to SwapSimple, but is also a great way to make more trades happen, and get more items listed on the site - and that helps everyone!

Well, that's the scoop. We're working on a whole new batch of enhancements to the service, complete with...well...I can't tell ya :-) - so please stay tuned!

Talk soon, happy swapping, and thanks for using SwapSimple!

Elliot

Elliot Hirsch
Co-Founder, SwapSimple.com

Live Swap - Feb 17th @ The Mercury Cafe in Chicago

It's that time again - another SwapSimple live Swap! This time we'll be doing it at the super-cool Mercury Cafe in Chicago, Illinois. I love this space. It's both huge, and cozy. The owner, Alexandria Kalika is so nice and she's committed to creating a place that supports individuals, groups and businesses. Definitely talk to her if you stop by.

Like our last live swap, we'll be mimicking the best features of SwapSimple in a live event. People will bring in their books, dvds and video games and we'll offer trade tickets. These tickets can be exchanged for any item type. So just like on SwapSimple.com, you can trade books for dvds, video games for books and so on.

I'm also working to make the event interactive - like coffee and swapping isn't enough:)

Here's how it works:
Arrive at the Mercury Cafe with all the books, DVDs, and videogames you want to get rid of. At the door we will give you tickets for all the items you bring. Here's how the tickets break down:

Paperbacks = 1 Ticket
Hardcovers = 2 Tickets
DVDs and Videogames = 3 Tickets

When you leave, you simply "pay" for what you took with your tickets. All items that do not trade are going to be donated to the Children's Memorial Hospitals. They are especially excited to get videogames for the kids.

Time: Noon - 5pm

Location Info:
Mercury Cafe
1505 W Chicago Ave
Chicago IL 60622
312-455-9924
Mercury Cafe Website
Map to the Mercury Cafe

Please RSVP for this event by sending an email to contact@swapsimple.com - or visit us at SwapSimple.com.

***Also - If you'd like to have a live swap event in your
area, please contact us and we'd be happy to help you set
one up. We have been doing them in Chicago because that's
where we're based, and it's just easier for us - but there's
no reason why we can't do other swaps elsewhere, with a
little help.

SwapSimple on Time.com's Coolest Sites of 2006

So, we made the list last year - just barely. There are other trading sites, but no one else is doing it quite as thoughtfully as we are. There's no other trading site that lets you trade different item types and gives you market-value based credits. It's frustrating sometimes how other sites have expensive PR firms to place their names in glossy magazines.

So we need you, the swapsimple user, to tell Time.com why you've chosen our site. Tell them about the time you traded your textbook on our site and used the credits to get a dvd boxed set or several xbox games. That's what you CAN'T do on other sites. Tell them about the $20 bucks you had to spend on a 30 min Baby Einstein DVD and how you were able to trade it in for a Disney Movie or that Toni Morrison novel you've been wanting to read. That's what they need to hear. They don't need a press release or an over-paid PR pitchperson to convince them - they need you.

Email this woman - maryannebuechner@yahoo.com - and let's see if we can make it to the top of the list for 2007.

Swapping Is Just Better

I've noticed that once people initiate their first trade, they always make subsequent trades. After receiving your first item from another SwapSimple member, you're hooked. It's neat. I wish I used SwapSimple when I was in college. I think all I did then was order stuff off Amazon or make photocopies at the library.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer - Why didn't I know about this show?

I never watched Buffy The Vampire Slayer until I had a ton of trade credits to spend and decided to go ahead and order one of the many Buffy boxed sets posted. What a great show!!! I didn't think that a show about a cute blonde girl running around saving the world would appeal to me, and I was totally wrong.

I'm working my way through season two, so somebody post season three in the next few weeks please.

SwapSimple.com launches free swapping!

Yes it's true - we've made swapping free for the world! (well, sort of)

We're really excited to announce, by virtue of the new ads on
the site, that we're now able to make all items that are worth
10 Trade Credits or less - FREE TO TRADE!

In addition, items worth 11-25 Trade Credits are now only
$1.00 to swap, and items worth 26 Trade Credits and up are
$2.00 to swap.

We hope you truly enjoy this change, and keep a lookout later
this week for some cool new features we'll be announcing.
They're on the site now, if you can find them...

Talk soon, and happy swapping!

Elliot
Co-Founder, SwapSimple.com

Bears Win! "SuperBowl Shuffle" Flashback, and more...

Well gang, it's finally happened. Years of freezing in the stands - disappointment after disappointment - but we finally made it. The Bears have finally made it to the SuperBowl, and even without the awesome powers of the man known as Ditka.

Now it's time to snuggle up with your favorite Polish sausage, and count the seconds until the big game...

If you want a fun flashback to the last time the Bears were in the SuperBowl (and won, mind you) here are some fun links:

• The original "SuperBowl Shuffle (Video)"
• The SuperBowl Shuffle in Wikipedia

Oh, and if you thought we just put things on hold here at SwapSimple because of the Bears, think again. We have a very important new release/upgrade of SwapSimple.com due to arrive momentarily...so stay tuned. We know you're really going to like this one!

DA Bears, DA Bears, Da Bears!!!

We at SwapSimple were all born and raised in Chicago, our servers are in Chicago, and so from all of us here at SwapSimple.com (and the whole Chicago tech scene) - we say a collective:

GO BEARS!

Next stop - SuperBowl!

Site Upgrade - New user homepage (SwapBase), power search, easy registration, and more!

We've been working hard over the holidays to release some upgrades to the site.  Also, look for several more very interesting upgrades, scheduled for release this month.

Here are the most recent upgrades, in no particular order :-)  :

- New User Homepage, called your SwapBase
We changed your logged in homepage to contain a variety of useful trade and account information.  Now you can see exactly what's happening with your account, and your trades, without having to click to several pages.  It's a "dashboard" type
overview of your account.

- Simplified Registration
Now, all it takes to create an account on SwapSimple is an email address and password.  New users no longer need to fill out any other personal information until
they actually want to engage in trades.

- Improved Search
The search has been learning day by day, and is now extremely stable.  To learn about all its new advanced search abilities, simply click the "search tips" link next to the search box.

-  Added ads
We have added advertisements to several places within the SwapSimple site.  We did this in order to generate some additional funds to help us speed the development of the many additional SwapSimple features we're working on.  Hopefully these ads will also help you discover other beneficial websites and services you were previously
unaware of.  Please feel free to explore these new ads, as each click earns us a bit of money.  Also, if you are interested in advertising on SwapSimple, please contact
customer service and we can assist you.

If you have any questions, or find any bugs we overlooked in this update, please feel free to contact us at any time.

Talk soon, happy new year, and happy swapping!

Beth

---
Beth Larson
SwapSimple Customer Service
www.swapsimple.com

New Feature - Search by item type

We have a little change to tell you about, that may save you a whole lot of time when trying to find items on SwapSimple. If you look in the search bar, you will notice a new dropdown menu. This enables you to limit your searches to only the type of items you are looking for.

We have our new intern Alex to thank for this feature, so please feel free to thank him in the comments on this blog post if you feel a desire to do so.

Previously, if you searched for Frankenstein, you would get a list of books, movies, and video games available for trade. Now, if you are only looking for the movie version, you can easily use the new dropdown menu to narrow your search.

We hope you like this additional feature, and as usual, if you experience any trouble, or have suggestions, please contact us at any time.

Talk soon,

Elliot

Elliot Hirsch
SwapSimple Co-Founder

Swap the gifts you dont want - it's intelligent re-gifting!

Ugh!  It happens every season - you smile and say thank you for the presents people gave you, but in the back of your head you're thinking, "I'm never going to use this."

Well, you might not have a use for the gifts you were given, but the odds are that someone on the SwapSimple network would love those items - so list them for swap and get something you really want in return!

It's intelligent re-gifting...  :-) 

Happy holidays, and happy swapping from the whole team here at SwapSimple!

Best Wishes,

Elliot

Elliot Hirsch
SwapSimple Co-Founder

New Search System Launched!

Hi everyone,

We finally finished the main aspects of our new search system. Now you can easily search the entire SwapSimple inventory for items you want, instead of having to endlessly click through items to see if they are actually available for trade.

This has been a massive effort for us all. Please give it a try and tell us what you like about it, and what you feel needs improvement. Also, please report any bugs so we can fix them immediately.

The one point we are fine-tuning now is the speed of the search for very large and complex searches. We will also be adding a few other features to the search over the next week or so, but the core functionality is there for you to use and comment on.

For help using the new search system, click on the "advanced search" link next to the search box on every SwapSimple page.

We look forward to your feedback here in our blog, via email, and in the SwapSimple discussion forum.

Thank you all for your continued support of our trading community!

Elliot

--
Elliot E. Hirsch
President, SwapSimple, Inc.
National Book, DVD, and Video Game Exchange
http://www.swapsimple.com

Thanks for coming to our first "SwapSimple Live" party!

This was really a great event!

We had about 100 people come throughout the night to swap, hang out, and have a few good Belgian beers. We also received a great selection of items to donate to Children's memorial - lots of kids books, and even a complete 3DO game system with over 30 games.

We will be posting photos of the event later today, but I just wanted to post something quickly right now to say thanks for the great turnout.

Talk soon,

Elliot
SwapSimple Co-Founder

(Please RSVP) Details for our Swap Party - November 16th (Thursday) - in Chicago

SwapSimple - Free Live Swap Party, Thurs Nov 16th in Chicago!

Hi All,

We are having our first FREE live swap party right here in our hometown of Chicago, and you're invited! It will be nothing but free swapping to your hearts content from 7pm to Midnight, November 16th in Chicago.

Here's How It Will Work:
Show up with a bunch of books, DVDs, and video games you don't want. We'll take them at the door and give you tickets that will let you get other items people have brought. All remaining items at the end of the night that don't get swapped will be donated to Children's Memorial Hospitals. There will also be great door prizes, TV media coverage (so you just might get noticed), and just plain fun!

Children's Memorial is very excited about this event because many of the kids in the hospital play video games to pass the time. Please, please, please bring lots of games, and also if you have old video game systems and controllers, please bring them too - they need them.

This is going to be a great way to have a whole bunch of fun, get some things you want, and help a good cause too - and the beers don't hurt either.

RSVP and Venue Info:
Because this is being held at a bar, all attendees must be 21 . We'll be having another event soon for all ages, so don't worry.

Please send us an RSVP to let us know you are coming. If you want your friends to come also, which we strongly ENCOURAGE, please have them send an RSVP to us as well. Simply email us at contact@swapsimple.com, and include your full name in the email so we can add you to our RSVP list at at the door. RSVP's aren't vital, but they will just help us organize things a bit better.

Venue:
HopLeaf Taproom
5148 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL
(773)334-9851
www.hopleaf.com

Map to location:
Clink here for Google Local map

About the Venue:
"The Hopleaf gets its name from a beer advertised outside taverns in Malta, the home country of proprietor Michael Roper's father. But the Hopleaf draws its inspiration, and its drafts, from another tiny European country: Belgium. Half of the bar's 200 beers come from there. "They're unique," says Roper. "The only place where old beer culture still lives is Belgium. A lot of them use wild yeast. A lot of them use wild fruits. There's a country of 6 million people with 1,000 beers."

As a further tribute to the brew, Hopleaf's walls are decorated with original beer posters from the 1920s, advertising Solanis, Biere Titan and other, predominantly German, brands. An expansion to the original space doubled the size of the tavern and added a private party room and kitchen.Their menu consists of typical Belgian bar fare -- think mussels, moules frites and sandwiches, including smoked duck and ham-and-Gruyere."


***Remember to RSVP, and stay tuned for more info.

"SwapSimple Live" Free Swap Party November 16th - in Chicago!!! Everyone is invited, so bring your friends!

Hi everyone,

We thought it would be fun to have a big live-swap party - so we're actually doing it!

It will be in Chicago, on November 16th (that's a Thursday). There will be books, DVDs, video games, and all kinds of other stuff to swap. Come with a bag full of swap items, and see what you can swap for them. There will also be contests, and giveaways!

I don't have all the details yet, as we are trying to get Children's Memorial Hospital and a few other local groups there to accept items as donations (items that don't get swapped), but for now, remember to save the date November 16th.

We also do have a location. It will be at the Hopleaf tavern, in our own private room. Below is a description of the venue, and a link to their website, and a map.

Stay tuned for more info on the party over the next couple of days. Also, please leave feedback here or in the forums for any ideas you have that may make the event even more fun. We will be taking RSVP's for the party real soon, so get ready...

Venue info:
"The Hopleaf gets its name from a beer advertised outside taverns in Malta, the home country of proprietor Michael Roper's father. But the Hopleaf draws its inspiration, and its drafts, from another tiny European country: Belgium. Half of the bar's 200 beers come from there. "They're unique," says Roper. "The only place where old beer culture still lives is Belgium. A lot of them use wild yeast. A lot of them use wild fruits. There's a country of 6 million people with 1,000 beers."

As a further tribute to the brew, Hopleaf's walls are decorated with original beer posters from the 1920s, advertising Solanis, Biere Titan and other, predominantly German, brands. An expansion to the original space doubled the size of the tavern and added a private party room and kitchen.Their menu consists of typical Belgian bar fare -- think mussels, moules frites and sandwiches, including smoked duck and ham-and-Gruyere."

Website:
Hopleaf Website


Map to location

SwapSimple To Raise $1m In Venture Funding

Hey gang, we're in the paper again. This time it's about how we were selected to present SwapSimple at the 2006 Midwest Venture Summit.

Hopefully there we'll connect with a few investors that we like, so that we can ramp things up here really quickly, and start churning out all the features you've asked for over the last few months.

Here is a link to the article:

Read our Article in the Chicago Tribune

We're adding & moving servers - sorry for the dust!

We're adding to and moving our servers, so there may be some errors using the website over the next few days - such as the forums being down (as they are now). Have no fear, we are just spiffing things up a bit, and moving to a place that can accomodate the growth of the SwapSimple community.

This is very exciting, and we hope you all enjoy our new speed and diggs!!