Sometimes people aren't as picky and will show their books they plan to donate or give away. They will ask to see what others have in order to make a trade or they will tell the person interested in a title that only shipping is needed to make the trade. That sounds reasonable, right? Well what if people start asking for only new ARCs. And I mean they only want 2017 ARCs for their old ARCs or books. Or what if they only want highly coveted items like certain swag, exclusive editions or even manuscripts? But what if you offer one of their wish list (WL) items and they still prioritize certain WL items over other WL items?
Some people collect ARCs because they love the book so much or because their favorite author wrote the book. People like to complete their collection. Some people have been searching everywhere for an ARC to complete their collection. However, what if they found the ARC they have been looking for but the trader doesn't want to trade because they are looking for something better? Seriously, think about it. Many people are so picky about their trades. Why not give a book to a collector who loves that book that you didn't really care about so much. Why do you need to try to make a better trade? This is not eBay. The tag is not meant to be an auction house to trade the book to the "highest bidder." Why are people so greedy?
In the past I used #booksfortrade more than I do now and I have made so many successful trades. Most of the time I want to unhaul ARCs and books that I either read or don't want anymore. I am usually not that picky about what books I'll trade for because if I don't make trades, I usually will donate the books somewhere in my town. ARCs, swag and finished copies are accepted. Occasionally I will be looking for an item on my wishlist but if the trade doesn't work, it's not meant to be.
I like using the hashtag to trade for books that I want to add to my collection or books that I haven't read yet but am interested in. It's a good way to find out what titles are out there, old and new. I also like to help other collectors out. If I can offer a book to someone that they have been trying to find for awhile, then I will make a trade most of the time. It's a win win situation.
I have been cutting back on using the hashtag because lately because people want things more than they want to give. What happened to spreading the bookish love? If it's an ARC of an unreleased book, wouldn't you want to share it to promote the book and author? If someone is collecting an ARC or book by a certain author, don't you want to help them complete their collection? What happened to giving? Why can't we pay if forward?
What do you think about #bookfortrade? Do you use the hashtag on twitter? I would love to hear your thoughts and comments about what #booksfortrade means to you.
