These Are A Few of My Favorite... Links!

I was chatting with someone at work on Monday about my favorite new website. The person I was speaking with shared their favorite site as well. That's when the thought hit me -- we should all be sharing our favorite sites! Why keep them to ourselves when we can interest each other.

So, here goes. I hope you find a little something here for you... And, be sure to leave a comment with your favorite site(s) to share with others!

Etsy
What it is: a place to buy and sell handmade items
Why I like it: What better concept could there be? This site opens up opportunities to shop for handmade, often one-of-a-kind, goods that you just can't find someplace else. They offer a myriad of search tools -- shop local, shop by color, shop by material, the list goes on and on -- and there are literally thousands of unique items to see in the virtual store. I've made a few purchases in the month since I've discovered Etsy: a neck cozy, a felted bowl, a ceramic dish, and some paper goods (for Fiona and Connor).

Paperback Swap
What it is: A place to swap books online
Why I like it: I got turned onto this site after hearing a Sunday segment on a local news channel. Mike really pushed me to look into it because he thought I would like it. That was in July 2005. I have mailed out 217 books to other members and received 169 books from other members since I joined. The club estimates that I have saved $760.50 since joining; that is calculated based on a cost of buying a book new at $4.50 (oh, puhlease, maybe at a used book store). I feel my savings are at least twice that. The concept is simple: you post books to your account. You get 1 credit for each book that is requested (2 for audio books) and you pay the shipping to the other member -- usually around $2.15. In turn, you request books from other members at the cost of 1 credit (2 for audio books) and they pay the postage to you. The site has wish lists, ways to manage your virtual bookshelf, and many useful goodies.

Peerflix
What it is: A place to buy/trade used movies
Why I like it: We tend to watch most movies one time. The ones we have purchased just accumulate dust. This site lets us post our movies for sale. The site sets the market value of each title (based upon a variety of criteria -- supply, demand, format, etc...). Other members can buy my movies for the listed price, plus shipping (~$0.75) and a transaction fee ($0.99). When you are done with a movie, you post it on the site and wait for someone to buy it. Prices do flux a little, but it is no muss, no fuss. I get movies when they are available, and if I really like them I just keep them.

All things Google
What it is: I think we can skip this...
What things I like: You all know what a Google fan I am but I want to give special mention to a few of the services/tools that I used most often. I love my Gmail. I think anyone can sign up now, but if you are interested and need and invite, let me know. I use Google Reader for my RSS feeds. It is very flexible and easy to use. I love my Google Toolbar; it allows my to add buttons for shortcuts (to Google services and services offered by others, like Facebook). No more typing in addresses for me; my toolbar has a button for everything I care about. One click and I am there. That includes an entry for my Google Bookmarks -- portable bookmarks that are with me anywhere that I log into my Google account.

I can't wait to hear your favorites!