Swaptime!

nobody@vox.com(spinner) — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 17:12:50 -0400

I just found some amazing websites that deserve a [this is good] .

www.paperbackswap.com

www.swapacd.com

www.swapadvd.com

This is some amazing stuff - and it's just what it sounds like. You swap books, cds, or dvds with other people in exchange for credits which allow you to "buy" books you want. If someone requests a book from you, your only obligation is to ship it out (approx. $2) and then you get one credit in exchange which allows you to buy a book from someone else at no cost to yourself.

I joined the first two and I'm really excited. :)

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Gift Card Drama

nobody@vox.com(spinner) — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 00:10:47 -0500

So, folks-who-happen-to-read-this, Mari's in a bit of a dilemma.

For Christmas, I got $65 worth of gift cards to Borders BookStore, and I'm a bit torn on how I should spend it, because this isn't my usual haul. Here are my options:

Package one

Tori Amos: A Piano ($79.99)

This is a five-disc (86 songs) collection of Tori Amos' music. It contains original songs, alternate versions, a few remixes, b-sides, and eight new songs.

Pros: I really like her music, but there's so much of it, I don't know where to start! This collection would be a great way to get her music, and for a fairly low price. Plus, it's got a pretty case shaped like a piano. It comes with an extensive booklet that has pictures and talks about her life.

Cons: First of all, I'd have to spend about $20 extra for this, and it costs $10 less at Best Buy. Secondly, while I absolutely love her music, she's one of those artists that I can only listen to about five songs in a row at a time. Any more and they all begin to sound the same.

Package two

CD Combination -

A Perfect Circle - eMOTIVe ($18.99)

oHgr - Welt ($11.99)

Firefly Soundtrack ($17.99)

Explosions in the Sky - The Earth is not a Cold, Dead Place ($14.99)

Excluding tax, this comes out to be $63.96. All of these CDs are ones I've wanted for a while now, especially eMOTIVe. I already have Firefly and EITS on my computer, but I like having hard copies more. It makes me feel more honest.

Pros: By buying four different CDs I'll feel more fulfilled than getting five CDs all from the same artist. Like I've said, I've wanted eMOTIVe for the past five months, and Welt for the past two. The Firefly soundtrack will help me feel more like a Browncoat, and EITS is just beautiful. Plus, I like supporting my favorite artists.

Cons: By getting these, I'll basically be buying stuff I've downloaded. I already HAVE Firefly and EITS. And I have most of eMOTIVe already. It'd be easy to get the other songs, not to mention Welt. The only thing holding me back here is my sense of honesty and duty.

Package three

Browncoat Package -

Serenity Novelization ($6.99)

Firefly Soundtrack ($17.99)

Firefly Official Companion Vol. 1 ($19.95)

Serenity: Those Left Behind (Comics) ($9.95) OR Serenity: The Official Visual Companion ($19.95)

What every Browncoat could ever want. This covers EVERYTHING (excluding the movie, original TV series, and RPG book). I already own the series, and there's something inside of me that won't let me buy the movie yet. I'm trying to find the exact right place/time to buy it. It needs to be special. The RPG is also awaiting something special -- specifically -- a big wad of cash.

Pros: This is everything that I don't have that I wish I did. It'll feed my love of the series AND it's one step closer to getting us that Big Damn Sequel. I'll have all the knowledge of the 'Verse right in the palm of my hand. I'll discover everything that the movie/show didn't tell me, and thus know MORE than David will EVER know. Plus, it'll make me really happy.

Cons: There's a slight fear in the back of my mind that if I overindulge, I'll lose my love for the 'Verse. If I buy both the comics and the visual companion, I might not be able to afford to spend that extra ten or eleven dollars (depending on tax). If I get only the Visual companion, I'll be right on budget. If I get only the Comics, I'll have about ten dollars to spend on something else (maybe the Dexter book...?)

Come on, people, help me out here! I need to make a decision~

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

you spin me right round

Swaptime!

Gift Card Drama