No offense to the others but I just mailed a book overseas and it cost me $10.40 for one book.. I can't be doing that all the time.

If there is any interest let me know and we will vote on a date and so on..

Me. :wave: I recently had the same problem, and I mailed 4 overseas packages. :blink:

What kind of swap? Just an "anything goes" YBS?

I'm game! :)

Not sure but I'm open to ideas..

I was really nervous posting this.. I know last time this happened it made alot of people mad but I feel its gotten to the point with postage that in a sense its no longer fun at times cuz of how much it costs to send overseas. KWIM?

I know. I've been participating in stuff, but still cringe whenever I think I might have to send overseas. I at least try to only offer paperbacks 'cause it's even more sending a hardcover.

I wouldn't be offended if there was Europe only swap or something similar. There are relays that were/are geographically restricted, why not swaps? I also know there are a couple of BOers that don't swap because they can't afford to send overseas at all, so they don't take the chance.

I wouldn't mind participating either. I try to do a swap a month because I might have to mail overseas. And I usually offer paperbacks too.
I hope it doesn't offend anyone. :( Genres swaps exclude people that don't read that genre. I guess this isn't much different. :shrug:

I would be interested.

I would be interested. I'm really glad you brought this up, nursie. I don't play in the swaps anymore because of the high postage and I'm considering leaving the one VBB that I'm in. :( I've found the relays (especially the reverse wishlist ones) to be a better way for me to control my postage costs, though I love the VBB format.

I know what you mean - this did cause some hard feelings before, but that was actually BEFORE our postage rates went up. I think anyone would agree that it DOES take away from the fun when it costs more to mail a book than the book is even worth.... I've just started swapping again, and I'm being careful about what book I offer - same in the VBB's - I have TONS of good hardcovers and trade paperback size books that I know people would want but I can't chance having to mail them overseas. There are more Europeans here now than there were then I think, not sure, but I wouldn't mind if there was a European only swap, or an Australian swap, or whatever. :shrug:

I am in! :kiss:

Have I ever mentioned how much you guys ROCK! :kiss:

I'd be interested in a U.S.-only swap after New Year's. Right now I don't even want to mail anything in the U.S.!

I wish we could figure out a way to make VBBs more affordable, too -- a cousin gave me tons of good teen books last year and I flirted with the idea of joining that VBB, but overseas postage is prohibitive now.

(This might make someone angry, but I actually don't mind mailing a hard-to-find book to Europe, Australia, etc. if it will be loved and read. But to spend $11 and have it sit on a TBR mountain the size of mine for years, or even worse, to get sent right back to the U.S., unread, on the next round ... nuh-uh. :erm: )

I'm interested too!

And me!

I'm not in the US and I am not offended at all. Overseas postage really is expensive, but it's the only way I can participate. I would only be offended if there weren't any international swaps at all anymore. 'Cos I feel there aren't enough Brazilians to play with me in a region specific swap.

Way to go, people! Have fun! :wink:

Not that I take offense, but it often costs me $10 to mail a book...to the US. Just wanted to point out it ain't pretty on this side either.

At first I wanted to leave this and I tried believe me but I had to post my opinion. I really think this is beginning of the end of swaps we know. I mean why would anyone play in international swap when there’ll soon be the national one? (I do believe this will become regular swap) There are people who are frequently (in my case always) send books overseas/international without mentioning to have restricted game. In my case that is because I think that swap is much more personal game, based much more on friendly basis and I wasn’t consider to tell friend well sorry, but you can’t play because you live on the wrong side of the border. (and the way I see it that is the difference between relays and swaps; why geo restriction in relays is not problem to me).

Indeed many of you have stressed how you wouldn’t mind if Europeans have their own swap. Is that should tell Europeans to not express their disagreement/opinion about this kind of swap publicly? Because that is how I saw it. And I assure you that I would post the same message if someone has suggested European only swap. In one moment I even thought how it would be better to divide entire site on the US and European (+ rest of the world) part and simply don’t have any illusions anymore. Of course I don’t mean that seriously but that was the first thought after seeing this thread.

I see there is such wide and strong support. I see every single one of you is delighted and I would lie if I tell that I’m indifferent about it. I’m not offended but kind of disappointed. I’m sorry, my intention is surely not to spoil your excitement or whatever but I wanted to tell you how I see it and how I feel.

I'm interested, but I'll save a definite answer until everyone decides on what kind of swap and when it's set for. I restrict my swapping because of postage too. I still have an overseas book to get out from a swap and I feel SO BAD about it. And I also feel bad when someone has to send me a book from far away (especially if I end up not liking the book), postage is RIDICULOUS!

Zzz, I understand and value your opinion. You have always been a "voice" for all of our overseas participants, and I respect that.

However, if memory serves, another BookObsessor previously brought this same request up and ended up holding a US only swap that no one griped about. I don't think anyone will complain if there is an occasional swap that is restricted to the US. This may be the only way some US people may be able to play in a swap because the cost is more prohibitive to them than others within the US.

Basically, I'm just saying that a swap like this is more the exception than the rule and I don't see that we need to beat a dead horse, so to speak. Those that can and want to participate will, and those that can't or don't want to participate won't.

I just disagree on this part.

For sending a book within Brazil, it costs me abou USD1.00, whereas to send overseas it costs between USD6.00 to USD10.00 depending on destination and weight of the book.

Not easy around here as well... :(

Kel, you said very well what I would've said myself so I say only :ditto:

I don't mind having to send overseas on occasion and fortunately, I've only had to do it about once a month, between here and BookMooch. But in the last 3 weeks alone, I've had 3 books going overseas and yup, one of the swap books from the November's Erotica swap cost me $10.40 to send to purple-pixie. It wasn't even a hardcover, but once the book is over 8 ounces, then you're looking at $10 minimum. So I joked to her that she better enjoy it as much as I did for that price. :wink:

I sat out the Boxing Day exchange this year because of the need to conserve money on the homefront so I do definitely believe that the increase in US postage costs has probably caused a lot of people not to play in the swaps anymore, even though they'd like to.


Man, I said I was gonna just ditto and then off I go flapping at the gums again! :talk: Sorry! :blush:

I edited my sentence. I was only referring to the US players. Sorry for the confusion, Stella. I wasn't trying to make it seem like you and others internationally were any less important!

I don't think that the actual cost of mailing a book was the point.

To someone who has a low income/has a lot of debt/has to support other people/is moving/etc. $10 is a lot more than to someone who has two incomes/doesn't have anyone else to support/has no debt/etc.

All of our financial circumstances are different and even if the actual cost of mailing the books is identical that doesn't mean that it's not affordable to one person and prohibitive to someone else.

Exactly! I was agreeing in fact. I would love playing a Brazilian only swap. ;)

I'll just be against a region-limited swap if no one plays the international ones anymore... :(

Although I cannot afford many of them, it's the only way I can play.

I'm quite sure that all the Americans here are aware of and appreciate the fact that our international players ALSO pay high postage rates - it's a fact of life now for all of us. The thing is, many people in the U.S. participated much more when we had the super cheap mailing within the country (when Media Mail within the U.S. was only $1.42 for a regular paperback - less than a year ago!) We also had surface mail internationally, which was considerably cheaper than the airmail we HAVE to use now. I don't think anyone is saying we have it worse, or not acknowledging that other countries have high postage rates too - this affects all of us.

Also, when U.S. only swaps were suggested in the past, it did NOT end swaps as we know them! It was just another swap - and it didn't even become a regular one! There are LOTS of people here who will still participate in international swaps. The U.S. only swap is just another option, and it REALLY is no different from, for example, the Afrika Swap (which excludes anyone who doesn't have a book that falls into that category), or the Teen Swap (which excludes anyone who doesn't read Teen Fiction! PLEASE don't get bent about this! We're all friends here!

:grouphug:

Well put Rosie! :hug:

I want to say my Mystery Swaps will ALWAYS be international. :)

I'd like to play in a US-only swap.

Like most who have responded, I've really limited the swaps I've been playing in for postage reasons. And when I do, I've felt really badly when someone has to send me something from overseas. I know international postage is no fun for any of us. And I really don't think it will change the whole site to region-only swaps. We'd all just miss each other too much! :wub:

No i dont think this will become an all the time thing but I could see it being a once a month or once every other month swap.. personally I have three kids and farm full of animals to feed and the only person who works in our house is my hubby.. so $10.40 to me is alot.. thats 2 bags of hog feed. It may not seem alot to some but it really is.. I realize that we arent the only ones paying ridiculiously high rates but for us it has increased soo much in the past 2 years that its became really rough for alot of us. We arent trying to keep anyone away it would just be nice to know that during that swap we can actually worry about the books we want and not worry about who to steal from or not steal from due to where the person is located. I know I feel bad when someone overseas has to send a book to me too! Sorry you feel the way you do zzz it wasnt to be mean, hateful or anything else its so more of us can have fun and still afford it at the same time!

:hug:

That's an all the time swap isn't it? :shrug:


Perhaps the rest of us should have an everything but USA swap :giggle:

Right now there are a lot of themed swaps that I imagine will continue to be held internationally, and it sounds like the US only swap will be something more "yankee" in nature.

Speaking for myself, the higher postage cost has caused me to select books that are thinner and lighter to use in a swap or vbb. If there will be an US only swap, then I will likely use that to move my good but heavier books.

As long as there won't be a US only version of many swaps, that seriously lowers the participation of the international swaps, then I think it should be fine. Just one or two more swaps among the many one could participate in.

I was going to try to keep my mouth shut about this, but I do have to jump in and say that comparing a swap for a specific genre to a swap that is limited geographically is not a fair comparison.

For genre swaps, each person has a fair shot at playing and can play or not based on reading preferences. There is choice involved.

For geographical limitations, some people are flat out excluded and couldn't choose to take part even if they wanted to. No choice involved.

For US only swaps, since I'm in the US, I do actually have a choice. But I'll choose not to play. *shrug*

Well, like I already said, this is more the exception than the rule, and it obviously didn't become a regular thing after the last one, otherwise Nursie wouldn't have had to ask if there was interest. Anyone remember how long ago the last one was? I sure don't. :shrug:


Nursie, I'd say you have enough interest to go ahead with signups etc.

Okay, I withdraw my earlier comparison! How about this solution - run two swaps simultaneously, one U.S., one non-U.S. - everyone has the choice to play or not, and the one they are in depends on their geographic location? It's ONE swap, people - and even if it became a monthly or every-other-month swap - it's still just ONE of MANY! :shrug:

Well, I had to look it up - it was Oct. 2006... :P

well said

Well there ya go. :P

:sigh:

:lol: That would amuse me greatly. :rofl:

Shipping to Canada isn't too painful though. It's went up slightly, but not nearly so much as across the ocean. In that case, we got like a 250% price hike. The shipping to Canada didn't go through the roof quite as much. So perhaps the organizer might want to consider making it a North American swap instead of only US? :shrug: