Swapping: LOLs Optional

I'm an avid swapper. I'm on a certain makeup website *cough* wherein one can set up an account, establish a reputation and swap makeup that can be sanitized/ clothes/ fragrances/ nailpolish/ accessories/ jewelry/ books/ cds, anything you can think of. I've been doing this online for over two years now and it allows me to try new things without having to buy them. I highly recommend it. There are all kinds of swapping sites out there now, some for books, music, movies, furniture, everything. In this crappy economy, it's really just the best and most fun way to get things you want or need without shelling out the cash.

The fun thing about swapping is the interaction with the people you swap with. People can be incredibly generous. Swapping has nearly re-established my faith in humanity. Some people put crazy-generous extras in their swaps. Extras are the icing on the cake. Samples of skincare, toys, costume jewelry, hair accessories, crap you don't need, stuff you can throw in to other swap packages. Coming home to a swap package is like having a birthday on any random day of the week. There are also RAOKs, Random Acts of Kindness. You know someone from the website, you know she's lemming (wanting) something and you have it lying around, so you get her address from someone you trust and you sent it to them. RAOKS are very common. The internet is not as evil as the news makes it out to be. I have only encountered one or two loonies in all of my experiences with swapping and I've been swaplifted only once.

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This note was in a swap I just completed. I swapped her a barely touched MAC Cream Colour Base from the Ungaro collection. An impulse purchase based in great reviews. I hated it. It didn't work on me at all. She offered me a MAC giftcard for it. She was at work at the mall and sent me this along with it on the very same day. It says: "Thank you for this swap! Sorry no extras. I was at work. Have a Coke on me." The note was stuck to a dollar bill. I cracked up. This gal would rather send me a dollar than have there be no extras in my package. I thought it was the funniest thing ever.