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Commuto Makes Sharing and Swapping Stuff Easy
Posted by Tamar Weinberg at 5:00 AM on August 2, 2008
Don't toss that CD you don't need anymore—swap it for something else you've been eyeing with social swapping site Commuto. Find goods you want at Commuto and set up in-person sales (should money be requested) or face-to-face swaps with the member who's offering what you want. Commuto offers a large database of items to choose from, and it will match up the UPC symbol or ISBN with the title of the product if it can locate it. You can also create a wishlist for prospective swappers. Like Craigslist, Commuto takes no commissions. Currently, Commuto is in beta with small but growing communities, and it looks promising, especially if the sheer size of Craigslist is overwhelming.
Reader Paul writes in with a handy Craiglist searching tip: 
Craft your eBay or Craigslist advertisements for people who are likely to misspell words or find great deals on expensive items by capitalising on sellers' misspellings. TypoBuddy is a website that performs a variety of searches on both eBay and Craigslist based on all possible spelling combinations and makes it easy for you to dig for great discounts. The simple search will show nearly every misspelling in the alphabet, but if you drill down to the Advanced search, you'll be able to fine-tune your searches to include typos with numbers and/or to exclude search terms of your choosing. You can also narrow down your search to specific price ranges or view listings on Craigslist that have pictures only (or Buy it Now! items on eBay). If you're in desperate need for a product and are looking to save big, TypoBuddy should be your first stop.
Craigslist is an excellent tool for 
Wired's How To WIki offers a few tips on how to avoid getting scammed on Craigslist from founder Craig Newmark himself. Key piece of advice: try to deal only with people you can have a face-to-face with. 
