Lobster Network~ Free "Barter/Borrow/Buy" site

 One of the more unique products the TOS Crew was presented with this year has been the Lobster Network, brain child of TOS  Crew family, the Lussiers. Now, living in New England, Lobster is one of my family's favorite things (especially with a husband of Newfoundland descent), so when I hear Lobster, I think food. If you share that idea, well... hold that thought, and let me send you down another path~ :)

• Have you ever had something that you have had hanging around your house, waiting for "just the right time" to use it, but wished that you could lend it out in the meantime, so that someone else could be blessed by it? like say.... a lobster pot?... (See, I can't quite get that off my mind! ;) )Or how about that "Charlotte Mason Companion", or the reading program that you figured you'd need in a few years when your "surprise package" is ready to read...???)
• Have you ever made a purchase that didn't "work out", and wished that you could have "Tried before you bought? Think~ curriculum that just didn't fit, or even the piece of kitchen equipment that you thought you'd be using every day, maybe even every week, but it's only come out 1 time in 2 years!
• Have you ever SKIPPED making a purchase that might have been the perfect fit for your family, just because you weren't SURE? hmmm.... certain curriculum or manipulatives, or games or....I could go on...
• Have you ever loaned out a book, clothing, curriculum, etc... and then lost track of WHO you loaned it out to? yup! I still don't know where my Strong's Concordance ended up... thank heaven for online concordances now!
• Have you ever BORROWED something from someone, but forgotten to get it back to them in a reasonable amount of time?  ummm.. guilty... :\
• Does your homeschool group have a library, but no one borrows from it, because they don't know what is in it?  for sure!

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you might just be interested in the LOBSTER NETWORK. (Oh, and did I mention that it is free?)


Here's a little graphic that will give you an idea of what you can do with the Lobster Network:

 

 Now, one of my favorite things about this concept, is the ability to offer to lend (books, movies, curriculum, etc...), and keep track of who it is going to, and when you can expect it back. I have already started to catalog our homeschool group's little "library", and hope that when people sign up, those items will become useful, rather than "dead weight" in a rubbermaid container. :)

I'm also thrilled with the idea of posting some of my cookbooks that I don't mind lending out, and eventually I'll get around to listing curriculum.

I think it is also a pretty handy (and free) way to list things that you would like to sell, or even just give away.

"So", you ask, "how does this really work? I mean, who sees my stuff, and whose stuff can I see?"
The Lobster Network is set up so that you can browse what is available in the entire Lobster Network Community, as well as what your individual friends have posted, AND you can also be a part of a SPECIFIC community. When you post your items, you can choose for each one who you would like to be able to see that item.

For instance:

• If I have something I want to SELL, I'm likely to make it visible to everyone~ the more people that see it, the more likely I am to sell it, and get it out of my house. 
• If I want to lend something, I am more likely to only post it to my friends, OR even more likely, a local "community". 
• If I'm planning to give something away, I could list it anywhere that I'm willing to send it(possibly with a note that it is free, but the recipient pays postage, or not... whatever...)
• If I just want to create an "inventory" of my "stuff" for insurance purposes, I can choose to have those items be "invisible to everyone else".
• Oh, and if I want to post a "Wanted" item, I'd probably post that to the general community as well.

The concept is is explained more fully here on the site, and you can check out the Marketplace to see what it looks like. If you like what you see, go ahead and register for a free account, and then send me (my username is "purplesquirrel) a request to be your friend~ (you might want to include a short message in your request to let me know who you are~ particularly if you are a part of my local homeschool group/or an area homeschooler~ usernames can get confusing!)

Please note that this is a new site, so there isn't a ton of stuff listed yet, but the more people that join, the more beneficial it will become in a barter/borrow/buy sort of way.  I think this is pretty nifty and a practical resource! Don't forget that it is still a handy tool, even if just for taking inventory of what you own. :)

Check it out and let me know what you think~ (For other TOS Crew member's thoughts, please visit the TOS Crew Blog) I hope that this review will help you to make the most of the resources you already have, as well as those that you'd LIKE to have. :)
Blessings~



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this/these item(s)/service for free as part of the TOS Crew Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."