Confessions of a Swapper: NANCY

Confessions of a Swapper is a series that profiles MSA's top swappers. Want to share your own swapping experiences with the community? Details for how to get in touch are located at the bottom of the page. 

This week, I talk with Nancy (a.k.a. NANCY on MSA's swap site) about her history with Swaps and her tips for new swappers. Nancy has been swapping on MSA for about 8 years now, and she shared with me a little bit about her experiences, her favorite subscriptions, and her hopes for the future of Swaps.

Before we dive into the interview, let's take a quick look at the Swaps site. If you're new to this corner of MSA, it might be helpful to take a quick peek at what swaps are all about.

What is the MSA Swap site?

Image from MSA's Swap site.

The Swaps section of My Subscription Addiction launched way back in 2014, and it's a place where members of the community can exchange items they receive in subscription boxes. If you've ever wanted to get your hands on a subscription box item you missed out on, Swaps is the place to make it happen. Coveting the Teressa Foglia X Curateur "Lynn" Hat you missed in Spring's Curateur box? Looking to add the Library of Flowers Field & Flowers Luminary from Summer's Margot Elena Subscription Box to your candle collection? Swaps provides a platform where you can connect with other members of the community to trade for the items you can't stop thinking about.

To become a swapper, you'll need to sign up for a free MSA account and set up your profile. After you confirm your email address, you can navigate to the Swaps section and join the Swap site waitlist. Once you've been approved, you're ready to start swapping! (FYI-- your MSA profile is for more than just swaps. It's is a great place to keep track of your subscriptions, opt in to brand-specific emails, and create your subscription wishlist.)

You can browse the wide selection of items and request swaps from members of the community who've listed items that catch your eye. They'll then be invited to browse your listed items. Agree on items you'd like to trade? You've got yourself a swap! Each participant ships their half of the trade and provides tracking information. When the swap is complete, both parties submit feedback.

Over 20,000 swaps have been completed, and there are over 4,000 registered swappers. All members of the My Subscription Addiction community are welcome to participate.

Now, without further ado, let's meet Nancy!

Confessions of a Swapper: NANCY

Lindsey: Nancy, thanks so much for speaking with me! How long have you been swapping on MSA?

Nancy: I guess I have been swapping for about 8 years or so.

L: How did you discover Swaps?

N: Somehow I found the MSA site and have been hooked ever since!

L: How frequently do you use Swaps?

N: Up to the pandemic, I was swapping often. Now since reopening the site, it seems not many are swapping yet. A lot of people are inactive; it's a shame and I hope it picks up soon!

L: You've completed a lot of swaps. What are your favorites?

N: I have had so many terrific swaps, so it is hard to say what were my favorite swaps! Everyone I have swapped with has been great, and I look forward to swapping! There used to be a way of talking and comparing items and boxes with other people on MSA. I miss the interaction with fellow swappers. In the past, we coordinated traveling boxes, where you take out and put in items and mail to the next person. We also swapped color coded boxes that we made up for each other. We had seasonal boxes where we would sign up to mail to each other. We came up with a lot of ways to take our swaps to the next level!

L: Do you upcycle in other ways? If so, please share some examples!

N: I would make up bags for my co-workers, friends, relatives, nursing homes, and women homes! I had an endless supply of make up and skin products I would use.

L: What's your favorite thing about Swaps?

N: My favorite thing about swapping is that I have a chance of getting what I want and trading what I don't want! I was able to do gifts that I was not able to afford once I started swapping! Birthdays, Holidays, any reason for a gift, I always had a great item to give!

L: What's your favorite subscription? And what do you love about subscriptions?

N: Through the years, there have been many subscription boxes that have come and gone! I have done most of them except maybe boxes for children. Most of my boxes at this time for me are more fashion/home etc. I am not getting any beauty boxes right now. I love FabFitFun, Beachly, Curateur, Causebox and Book club. I miss Popsugar. I always get the Net-a-Porter boxes (only beauty I get). For you newbies, this is a great way to try many beauty items before deciding on what you love or what works for you.

L: What advice do you have for new swappers who are just getting started? What pieces of swap etiquette should they know? 

N: Please keep in mind when you swap that communication is the key to success! Please list if it has been used, because I, like most others, am swapping to give as a gift. If most items you have are trial size, swap with other newbies first, because anyone who has been swapping a length of time has enough samples and trial sizes. Experienced swappers are usually looking for full size items, but it never huts to check their follow list. I also like to check to see if I have an item the swapper is looking for and throw it in as an extra!

Thanks so much to Nancy for taking the time to speak with me about Swaps. I really appreciate it, Nancy!

Now, I want to hear from YOU. Are you an active swapper who'd like to share your swapping stories, tips, and tricks? Get in touch at [email protected].

Have a swap-related story to share? Or a question about Swaps? Drop a note in the comments section below! Eager to start swapping? Sign up here.