Subscription Box Swaps – Beta Tester Sign Up!
A lot of My Subscription Addiction readers have expressed interest in having a place to swap subscription box items with other My Subscription Addiction readers, and I’d love your feedback on the best way to make it happen! (I’m so excited about this, and I can’t wait to join in on the swapping fun!)
I have some ideas in mind for how it will work, but I’d love to get your feedback first.
If you have swapped subscription box items before, what did you like about it? Didn’t like?
Anything you’re concerned about that we should factor in to building the swapping section?
Any other feedback?
And I’ve included a poll question about what items you’re most interested in swapping (select all the options that apply):
[yop_poll id=”8″]
Lastly, I’d like to test out whatever we build with a small group of people before we launch it site-wide. (This way we can get feedback and make changes based on your suggestions). If you’re interested in being in the beta-group of subscription box swappers, let me know in the comments and I’ll reach out to you via email!
Written by Liz Cadman
I would love to be a beta swapper
I would LOVE to join
I consider swapping my part time job!
Count me in
I would love to be able to join the swapping tester group! I have boxes of items laying around from the countless subscriptions I have and it would be great to put it to use!
Wow..sounds awesome!! Is this ready now??
I would LOVE to be in the beta test group! I have had to gift to many items. It’ll be great to have a place to trade for other stuff. Yay! No more multiples from Fancy!
I would love being a beta tester Liz! Just let me know!!! Ya got my number!!! : ) Nancy
I’d be interested in being part of your beta testing and I have experience that may benefit you. I’ve participated in swap groups both on Facebook and MUT (makeuptalk). I love that I’m able to swap for items I want and have had many successful swaps! If there is anything I don’t like it would be that sometimes it’s hard to swap if I don’t have what the other person wants (i.e. they only want kid items and I don’t have kids). Otherwise, I love the sense of community I have with my online swapping groups. 🙂
These are some of the things I believe are necessary for a swap group:
1) Having ISO (In search of) and FSOT (for sale or trade) threads. Many use Pinterest to make their list.
2) Shipping costs using Paypal! This is an important one. Many find swapping to be costly if they use USPS or incorrectly use Paypal. Lime Lane Love has an excellent tutorial to demonstrate how to minimize those costs. When I first started swapping, it cost me $25 to mail 5 packages through USPS. With Paypal, it only costs me roughly $2/package and I can just place it in my mailbox to be picked up. The key is to use polymailers or re-use ipsy envelopes. Using boxes will raise the price.
Here’s the link to the tutorial: http://limelanelove.com/2013/06/27/paypal-shipping-tool-tutorial/
3) Being able to provide feedback on swaps. Swaps are always risky, but I haven’t had any issues with anyone I’ve swapped with. This may not always be the case for everyone though, so having a system in place where other members can report issues or give praise for going above and beyond, such as fast shipping or including a bonus item are always helpful.
Oh and another great thing about the paypal shipping tool is that you get a tracking number at no extra cost. 🙂
This is so helpful thank you – I just read through the PayPal shipping tutorial as well – great stuff!
I would be interested in being a part of this swag group as well. I currently have 6 boxes a month, and have plenty of items that I do not have a need or want for!!!
I would definitely be interested in the beta group!
Because of shipping cost, I really only like to swap my codes. Most recently, I swapped my stitch fix code (popsugar) for a necklace that was in a prev popsugar box before I subscribed. I can’t wear stitchfix stuff and I subscribed solely because I wanted that necklace so it worked out perfect.
If you use USPS, shipping is ridiculously high. Use polymailers or re-use bubble mailers and then use Paypal’s shipping tool. The cost for me is usually $5 or less/item this way. Here’s the tutorial: http://limelanelove.com/2013/06/27/paypal-shipping-tool-tutorial/
I would love to swap items. I have not done it before but I would love to be in the test group. I have a ton of beauty products and lifestyle stuff I would love to swap.
One thing that I have found is that there needs to be a standard for packaging. I’m in a nail polish swap group and I’ve actually had someone send me a nail polish in manilla envelope with no padding or bubble wrap around the bottle.
Also, I would love to be in the beta group 🙂
I would live to be part of the beta group and am so excited someone decided to try to setup an exchange! I have swapped items in the past (I subscribe to 9 boxes a month–that’s definitely an addiction confession..hehe) and it was pretty easy and painless. I don’t know if there would be a way to cross reference the types of boxes that people subscribe to and give them the ability to opt into a swap forum for that box–not sure how it will be laid out, but it is definitely needed!
Yes, I’m definitely interested. I’ve done lots of swaps thru FB and Pinterest. I would love to do this!
Count me in. you could call it “Swag Swap.” 🙂
I would love to be in your beta group. I subscribe to many different boxes and have many items that I just won’t use and other boxes that I don’t get that have items that I would love. Thanks!
I would love to be a part of the beta group! 🙂
I would love to swap and need to! Some months I get over 30 boxes and my hubby is gonna kill me if I take over another closet with STUFF!! 🙂
I would love to participate as well! 🙂
I would love to be part of the swap group!
I would LOVE to be a part of the beta group! I end up with so many things that I dislike or won’t use and would love to trade them.
I am definitely interested, I could have my swap list ready to go easily!
I am very interested in being in the beta group!
I’d love to be included in the beta test!
Great idea! How fun!
Great idea would love to be included.
I would love to be part of this beta.
I’d really love to be in the beta group. I get about 18 boxes/ month (eek, that felt like a confession).
🙂 18 – I’m seriously impressed!
I’d really love to be in the beta test group! I hold onto so much stuff that I don’t know what to do with.
I would be interested in swapping. There are definitely a few items that I would never use. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure (or something like that). I definitely agree that we need to have a rating system to rate people. I am not so keen on the tracking number requirement, mostly for selfish reasons, as it is easy for me to mail stuff from work, but the package would not have a tracking number. But, if the majority is for the tracking number, I will do it 🙂 Also, since at some point there probably will be a lot of girls wanting to swap stuff, I think it would be very helpful to be able to be directed to the right place/group/person. For instance, on the swap-website you can have a simple questionnaire on the main page asking “what type of product you would like to swap” and “what type of product you are looking for” and based on your choice of answers (should be multiple choice with option for several answers and an “other” box) you will be directed to connect with the persons that are interested in the same thing that you offer or offer the same thing that you would like to swap for. I am not a programmer, so I don’t know how to make it work, but… if you know, I think that would be very helpful 🙂 I just cannot see myself looking through hundreds of posts trying to find what I would like without some help. Yay! Excited. Please add me: yanayanie at gmail dot com.
Great feedback! I’m not a programmer either, but my husband is, so hopefully we can make something like that happen 🙂
I’m interested in participating in the beta, dhsauers(at)gmail.com
I would love to be in the beta group!
Absolutely interested in this! Been hoping some kind of swap program would start up soon!
I would like to be a part of the beta swap group. I get beauty, lifestyle, and clothing boxes. I have swapped before through Facebook.
Definitely interested in being part of this! I’ve never done a swap before but I do have quite a few beauty items that I’d like to swap already!
The only thing I am concerned about is people being honest/shipping when and what they’re supposed to. You should have to give the other person a tracking number or something. I don’t see why any of us on this site would try to screw over one another though!
I definitely agree that tracking needs to be a requirement. That would help if anyone fails to send theirs out or even if it gets lost, so everyone knows it was not the sender’s fault.
If you use Paypal’s shipping tool, you get a tracking code at no extra cost, whereas you pay extra at USPS.
I would love to start swapping!! I get way to much and don’t use half of it!
I would love to!! I have a ton of stuff to swap!
I would love to swap items I will never use and be part of the beta testing group! I have a lot of unopened makeup I would love to trade for something I would use.
For example, my December Ipsy glambag was all in shades in brown/beige (i.e. skin color for me)! I hated it, and noticed a lot of people got some great colors that I would gladly trade for. I haven’t opened any of it if anyone has brighter or darker shades and want them!
I’d love to be part of a swap. In fact, if someone paid postage, I’d just give away most of my lip or nail polish products. I probably would get more subscription boxes if I knew a good way to pass on unwanted items beside gifting them.
I would pay shipping in a heartbeat! I posted on FB post as well so if you want, You could message me through that. I’d love to know what brands you have etc. I’m not super picky on if you’ve tried it as long as it’s not half empty… lol. Let me know 🙂
I would love to be part of this Beta group. I have a ton of full size makeup products and some lifestyle items that either don’t use or the color doesn’t work for me.
I would love to be a beta tester and I agree that having a way of leaving feedback would be great. I’ve noticed on the IPSY site that many ladies complain of sending their items out and never receiving the item from the other person. It has definitely made me a bit “swap shy”.
Oh … and by the way Liz … thanks for getting me addicted to these subscriptions. I stumbled upon your website one day and now I’m subscribed to IPSY, PopSugar, TestTube, Stitch Fix, and Nature Box. My husband gets Birchbox Man and we just order Darby Girl for my daughter. Sigh …. I will have to whittle it down to less boxes, but I’m just enjoying it so much!!
Yay! Always happy to meet another addict 🙂
Great idea! I’d love to be part of the beta group.
I’d be interested in being in your testing group! In my experience, I’ve found out what works best is to make “box groups” where you have x amount of participants and close that off. The first person will start off with a good selection of items (type, value, size) and pass it on to the next person, who would take 3-4 items and replace as many. The box could keep going around the circle as long as people were interested!
I have never swapped before and I have been receiving a ton of subscription boxes per month for over a year now so as you can imagine I have a ton of stuff I could swap. I’d love to try it out.
I’m definitely interested in joining the beta group of swappers. I subscribe to ipsy, test tube, stitch Fitch , pop sugar, fabfit and birchbox. Thanks!
If live to be part of the swapping group!
I agree with Krista that it would be great to have a function to leave feedback.
I would be interested in the Beta group, I already belong to a box swap group and it is nice to be able to swap stuff you would never use (like liquid eyeliner for me or gold jewelry) for something you will use.
I’ve swapped a couple of items before with ladies I communicated with through makeuptalk.com. It’s worked out really well both times. An important thing for a swapping site would be the ability to provide feedback on the trader. Trust is always involved in swaps – “What if I send my item and they don’t send theirs?” Some way to provide positive/negative feedback for traders helps people feel a bit more secure if a person has a good “swapping record”. I’d be interested in a beta swap site to provide feedback!
Would love to be a beta tester
Sure. I would like to participate. I have swapped items from my Ipsy bag before. Sometimes were much easier than others 🙂