When I was in elementary school, one of our favorite past-times was trading.  Food was the currency of choice.  If you had the kind of mom that packed homemade cookies, cupcakes, or even a store-bought Twinkie, you had the means to be the king or queen of the lunch room trade arena. All these years later, I still remember my best trade ever:  swapping my (nasty-to-me) school pizza for 50 cents, a pudding cup and a match box car.

These days, the internet has brought trading back in vogue for grown-ups. 

Whether you need new clothes for your growing kids or want new music, there’s an online swap site right for you. Most offer free membership; many give you the opportunity to join local communities so that you can avoid the monetary and ecological costs of shipping.  All of them offer a way to save money and keep items out of the landfill.

Ready to get swapping?  Check out the following sites for a good introduction to swapping online. 

Swap Mamas

The tag line at Swap Mamas is “what goes around really does come around,” and that sums up the reason Darcy Cruwys, the founder of Swap Mamas, started the site.  A firm believer in Karma, Darcy started Swap Mamas as a way for parents to connect and share the abundance of stuff we tend to accumulate with growing children.  Members of the Swap Mamas community have the option to trade goods (like value for like value) or to give items away to anyone who wants it.  You can join a local community to keep your swapping in the area, or you can swap with anyone across the country.  If you swap long distance, be prepared to pay for shipping to your recipient; it’s an understood rule on the site that the giver covers shipping.

Swap.com

Swap.com calls itself the world’s largest swap marketplace and boasts of almost four million swaps.  You have two options for swapping on Swap.com; list your items available for swapping in the main marketplace or search for local swaps happening in your area.  If you join the main swap marketplace, you’ll start by creating a “Have” and a “Want” list; then the site creates a list of “Get Now” which shows you the people who have what you want or want what you have.  Members who swap are charged a modest fee (any where from 30 cents up to a dollar, based on the value of your swap item) to cover administration fees plus shipping.  The site recently launched an iPhone app so you can take your swapping on the road.

SwapStyle.com

If fashion is your thing, SwapStyle.com is the perfect swap site for you.  The site was created by an Australian design student, Emily Chesher, who used online swaps to help build a fashionable, designer wardrobe that she couldn’t afford on a student’s budget.  Since 2004, members from across the globe have traded designer fashion, makeup, shoes and accessories.  The site also includes an active community forum where members discuss all things fashion.