Confessions of a Swapper: Cindy

Confessions of a Swapper is a series that profiles MSA's top swappers. Want to share your own swapping experiences with the community? Details for how to get in touch are located at the bottom of the page. 

This week in Confessions of a Swapper, we're going to meet Cindy, who has completed nearly 500 swaps with a 100% positive feedback rating. Cindy is a married mom of two teens currently in the process of moving from Wisconsin to Florida. Until 2020, she was a cruise travel agent. She loves to travel, and has been on over 25 cruises. (The longest one was 22 days long!)

Before we dive in, let's take a quick look at what the Swaps site is all about.

What is the MSA Swap site?

Image from MSA's Swap site.

The Swaps section of My Subscription Addiction launched way back in 2014, and it's a place where members of the community can exchange items they receive in subscription boxes. If you've ever wanted to get your hands on a subscription box item you missed out on, Swaps is the place to make it happen. Coveting the Teressa Foglia X Curateur "Lynn" Hat you missed in Spring's Curateur box? Looking to add the Library of Flowers Field & Flowers Luminary from Summer's Margot Elena Subscription Box to your candle collection? Swaps provides a platform where you can connect with other members of the community to trade for the items you can't stop thinking about.

To become a swapper, you'll need to sign up for a free MSA account and set up your profile. After you confirm your email address, you can navigate to the Swaps section and join the Swap site waitlist. Once you've been approved, you're ready to start swapping! (FYI-- your MSA profile is for more than just swaps. It's is a great place to keep track of your subscriptions, opt in to brand-specific emails, and create your subscription wishlist.)

You can browse the wide selection of items and request swaps from members of the community who've listed items that catch your eye. They'll then be invited to browse your listed items. Agree on items you'd like to trade? You've got yourself a swap! Each participant ships their half of the trade and provides tracking information. When the swap is complete, both parties submit feedback.

Over 20,000 swaps have been completed, and there are over 4,000 registered swappers. All members of the My Subscription Addiction community are welcome to participate.

Now, without further ado, let's meet Cindy!

Confessions of a Swapper: Cindy

Lindsey: Cindy, thanks so much for being a part of this series! How long have you been swapping on MSA?

Cindy: I have been swapping on MSA since 2015.

L: How did you discover Swaps?

C: I was reading some reviews on MSA when I came across the swap site. I knew that swapping would be the perfect option for me.

L: How frequently do you use Swaps?

C: The pandemic has slowed down my swapping but I usually swap a few times a month.

L: What are your 3 favorite swaps you have completed? What made them stand out?

C: I don't have a favorite swap, but I enjoy the kindness of the person I am swapping with. I enjoy the kind notes, extra gifts and the thoughtful packaging of the person I am swapping with. It amazes me how much time and care people put into their swaps, they make the swaps feel like a special gift.

L: What are the “holy grail” items on your swapping wish list?

C: I have a palette obsession, I have never met one that I didn't like.

L: Same here, Cindy! When you receive a box, how do you decide which products to keep and which to swap? 

C: Most of the time, when I open a box I know exactly what I plan to use and what I plan to swap. I have a plastic tote that I store the products that I am keeping in. I have a rolling cart with drawers that I store all of the items that are listed on the swap site. This makes it easy for me to find the items that have been requested. I also have another plastic tote that I keep items that I am giving as gifts to family and friends.

L: Do you upcycle in other ways? If so, please share some examples!

C: I reuse the Birchbox boxes to send to swappers. I make gift tags out of the FabFitFun boxes to write notes to fellow swappers. I spray paint the glossy boxes silver and use them as gift boxes.

L: What's your favorite thing about Swaps?

C: Trading items that I can't use for items that I can use or give as gifts. I enjoy packaging swaps and adding surprise gifts for my fellow swappers.

L: What's your favorite subscription? And what do you love about subscriptions?

C: My favorite boxes have changed over the last few years. It used to be the Luxor Box but now its FabFitFun. I enjoy the surprise of the boxes, even if I selected some items. Most of the time I have forgotten what I pre-selected.

L: What advice do you have for new swappers who are just getting started? What pieces of swap etiquette should they know? 

C: New swappers should ship their items out right away, it makes it easier for everyone. Try to include the actual size of the items in your description instead of saying full size because often its not the actual full size. If you have a delay in shipping, contact the person you are swapping with, don't just leave them hanging, be honest and let them know why you will be shipping late. Be honest if you have used the item, its very frustrating when you get an item and you know that the seal is broken and half of the product is missing.

Thanks so much, Cindy, for taking the time to speak with me about Swaps. I really appreciate it!

Now, I want to hear from YOU. Are you an active swapper who'd like to share your swapping stories, tips, and tricks? Get in touch at [email protected].

Have a swap-related story to share? Or a question about Swaps? Drop a note in the comments section below! Eager to start swapping? Sign up here.