By Kaylee Kruschke
Murphy News Service
Each semester students are at the mercy of publishing companies’ costly textbooks when it comes time to buy them from the bookstore. And as semesters begin to wind down, students start figuring out how they’ll get rid of those no-longer-needed books.
Nathan Shrader, a senior at the University of Minnesota majoring in management information systems and supply chain operations, is giving students a cheaper option to buy textbooks with his U-Swap LLC website for the University of Minnesota.
The site, launched last winter after running a pilot version, is an online “closed network” within which students can buy and sell textbooks and miscellaneous items with others at their university only, Shrader said. Since then, it has gained popularity each semester, he added.
“What’s cool about it is all users are classmates, instead of complete strangers,” Shrader said, adding, “Our mission is to save students time and money.”
Amogh Kambale, a junior at the University of Minnesota studying management information systems, said he has used the site to buy and sell books since his freshman year, when the pilot site was available, but he added that the new, permanent site is great.
“It’s a fantastic resource,” Kambale said. “It literally saves and makes me money.”
Shrader said he thought of U-Swap when he was a freshman and was dissatisfied with the sell-back prices of his books at the bookstore.
Shrader contacted his long-time friend and U-Swap co-founder John Bruer, a student at St. Olaf College, to develop the site, he said, adding that Bruer had been working with web developing since he was 14.
To use the site, students sign up for free using their university email. They can then choose to sell or buy items, Shrader said.
To sell a book, students enter its ISBN number and USwap grabs data from Amazon and the University of Minnesota bookstore about its author, publication date, the price it’s listed for on the two other sites and adds a photo of it, Shrader said.
Students, Shrader added, then select an asking price and post the listing that includes all of the information grabbed from Amazon and the bookstore.
David Ottman, a senior at the University of Minnesota majoring in computer science and economics, helped Shrader and Bruer with development of the information-grabbing process.
“Sure, you know that you can find what you need [at a bookstore], but chances are they’re not going to give you the best price,” Ottman said, adding that the site is a convenient place where students can check book prices against Amazon, the bookstore and other students selling the book all at one time.
Elizabeth Cortez, a sophomore at the University of Minnesota majoring in human resources and industrial relations, said she used the site to compare textbook prices and buy books this semester.
“Because I had such a fabulous experience with U-Swap,” she said, “it’s now the first site I visit when I need textbooks. The price comparison tool is by far my favorite thing about the site.”
A student wishing to purchase a book can perform a search based on a variety of options – ISBN, course number or title, Shrader said, adding that the site has access to the entire course database for the University of Minnesota.
When the student makes a selection, they send an email to the seller via U-Swap and set a time and place to meet and exchange cash for the book, Shrader said.
“As far as being in person and meeting people, it’s great,” Kambale said. “It’s fun because you can be like, ‘Oh, I took this class last semester, here’s what it’s like, here’s some tips.’”
The seller is in charge of determining if they want to accept offers lower than what they list the book for, Kambale said, and students can offer less than the listed price.
“It’s a good resource, but at the same time, you still have to be a good buyer [or] seller,” Kambale said, adding that responding to the email requests to purchase a book in a timely manner can be a determining factor in a sale.
The site was designed for textbooks only and a few miscellaneous items, but, in early September he and Bruer launched a new addition to U-Swap – apartment listings, he added.
USwap currently has just more than 20 apartment listings.
Ottman said he thinks by adding more categories, U-Swap can become a “one-stop shop” for students.
Developing and maintaining USwap is not always easy. Shrader and Bruer are students and have other jobs, Shrader said, adding that another challenge is making the site an actual business.
“We really want it to be free for students, because we are really about what’s the best interest for students,” Shrader said. “So, how could we get around not charging students but still try to be a self-sustaining organization that can pay for itself rather than being a money pit?”
The co-founders are still developing a solution, but so far, Shrader said, he and Bruer have not spent any of their money on advertising and focus on word of mouth to promote USwap.
Shrader added that U-Swap has made partnerships with the Minnesota Student Association at the University of Minnesota and other student groups in order to boost the site as well.
MSA has provided some volunteers and funding to promote U-Swap, Joelle Stangler, MSA president, said.
“MSA works to enhance the student experience and advocate for student interests. One of our advocacy focuses is affordability,” Stangler said. “By having a book swap site, we help to save students more money.”
Cortez said she saved $95 on her calculus book this semester by using USwap.
“My experience using the site was so fast and easy,” she said. “It made school shopping and preparation so much less painful than it usually is.”
USwap has course database information for about 450 universities and plans to expand, but, “We’re really focusing on how we can make it that best that we can for the U of M,” Shrader said, adding that in the future the site might have ticket exchange and car pool coordination sections.
Advice for students attempting to start a business? “Take the leap of faith,” Shrader said. “Trying and failing is much better than not trying at all. Failure is bound to happen and it doesn’t have to be the end. It can merely be an opportunity to pivot your strategy. Just because you lose a baseball game doesn’t mean you can’t be a great baseball player.”
Reporter Kaylee Kruschke is studying journalism at the University of Minnesota.