BarterBee.com

I'm trying out a new site called BarterBee.com. The idea is brilliant: it's basically eBay without money. Here's how it works: for $5 a month, you become a member. You and other members list the stuff you're willing to part with: CDs and DVDs (and soon, video games). You assign a point value to every item. A CD might be 2 points, a DVD maybe 4. Your account starts with 5 points -- you get more when you trade away your stuff, you spend points when you get stuff. You search for the items you want. If you see one you want, you let BarterBee know, and an e-mail is sent that instructs the member to send you the item. When you register, BarterBee sends you envelopes to put your stuff in -- very convenient.

So far, I've listed a few CDs and DVDs I have dupes of or can bear to part with, one of which has been sent to another member, and I've requested one CD from someone else. Both transactions were easy and smooth. BarterBee is a great idea, and it's reasonably well-executed. All it needs now is a few tens of millions of members, so that you increase the chances of finding what you want.

Comments

[Groupie]

There's a much, much better site called http://www.sonicswap.com. It allows you to buy, sell and swap. Swapping is free (no monthly fee, no transaction fee). You only pay for the cost of mailing!!!

The site allows you to organize your collection, show your collection to others, and much much more.

To see my collection of movies, music and games: http://www.sonicswap.com/member/public/music_collection.jsp?MemberID=&PublicMemberID=lo1Y

[Scott]

I checked out SonicSwap and although it has more features, I don't agree that it's clearly "much, much better". Part of the beauty of BarterBee is its simplicity and clarity, so that's the one I'll keep using. Also, many blog entries about BarterBee have attracted comments like this one about SonicSwap, and although they might all have come from very happy users, they feel more like an Astroturf (fake grassroots) campaign.

I blog, you decide.

[Jay Daniels]

I read a lot of blogs. It gives me something to do at night. Your's is great by the way - I really enjoy your level assessment of reality....
I am sometimes amazed at what you can find out about who knows who on the web.....
On August 10, 2004 after the Dave Winer Blogger meeting you had dinner with John Furrier of Netline. (Both you and John Furrier wrote about the dinner your respective blogs, and John mentions he had dinner with you.) On August 24, you wrote your first entry about BarterBee. John Furrier works for Netline, and Netline is the company that started Barterbee.

Are you just trying out and promoting a friend's website to help them out? Are you available for other celebrity endorsements too?

As you can guess, I am a big fan of SonicSwap.... thats how I found your comments on Google.
Become a member of SonicSwap so you can trade with me... They don't charge for membership, so you might as well use both. I have tried a lot of other sites, and this one has the best cataloging for my collection. Check it out:
http://www.sonicswap.com/member/public/member_profile.jsp?PublicMemberID=laM5

[John Furrier]

Jay,
I saw your traffic coming to blog regarding your comments. I have to say that I in no way promoted or asked Scott to comment. Simply put he and I are music fans and I told him about Barterbee which the founder and CEO of NetLine coded. I really liked Scott and respected any feedback he might have. Turns out he likes the service.