Spring Break
Students start up swapping Web site
Devin Smith
Issue date: 4/24/08 Section: NEWS
Several NT students and graduates have created a Web site for students to buy and sell online.
Swapu.com is a marketplace for college students to buy, sell and swap items within the college community.
"It's like a Craig's List for college students," said Jesse Roberts, NT alumnus and marketing director for Swapu.com on the NT campus.
In order to buy, sell or trade items, students only need a college e-mail address.
"It provides students with the comfort that the people they are contacting are college students just like them," said Prosper Nwokocha, founder of Swapu.com.
The Web site caters to the needs of students with postings of books, furniture and DVDs, Nwokocha said.
"When trying to post signs on bulletin boards, at times what you're trying to post do not get lots of exposure because of all the other overlapping advertisements," Nwokocha said. "Swapu.com takes away the hassle with an essential Web site where you don't have to find a strategic spot to post what you're trying to sell."
Since the majority of people using Swapu.com are in the nearby community, there will be no shipping and handling cost, Nwokocha said.
Swapu.com gives students the option of selling books to a fellow student rather than the campus bookstore, where many students are not pleased with the buyback price, Nwokocha said.
"When you sell a book back to the bookstore, you get ripped off," Nwokocha, said. "They take what they gave you for the book, double that and sell it as used."
Nwokocha envisioned the idea for Swapu.com in 2006 and teamed up with his brother, Chuck Nwokocha, to handle the administrative side of the Web site.
Nwokocha also enlisted roommate Gordon Radlein and his cousin Anton Radlein to get the Web site jump-started because of their computer science experience with the development of their own web development company.
These young innovators range in age from the low- to mid-twenties.
Between October 2007 and January 2008, Swapu.com opened up to students at Columbia University.
The online marketplace is now available to students on the Arizona State University, University of Texas at Arlington and NT Denton campuses.
With the semester coming to an end, Nwokocha anticipates a swarm of college students using the Web site.
"It's growing steadily on all the campuses," Nwokocha said. "Initial growth is the biggest hurdle."
Swapu.com is a marketplace for college students to buy, sell and swap items within the college community.
"It's like a Craig's List for college students," said Jesse Roberts, NT alumnus and marketing director for Swapu.com on the NT campus.
In order to buy, sell or trade items, students only need a college e-mail address.
"It provides students with the comfort that the people they are contacting are college students just like them," said Prosper Nwokocha, founder of Swapu.com.
The Web site caters to the needs of students with postings of books, furniture and DVDs, Nwokocha said.
"When trying to post signs on bulletin boards, at times what you're trying to post do not get lots of exposure because of all the other overlapping advertisements," Nwokocha said. "Swapu.com takes away the hassle with an essential Web site where you don't have to find a strategic spot to post what you're trying to sell."
Since the majority of people using Swapu.com are in the nearby community, there will be no shipping and handling cost, Nwokocha said.
Swapu.com gives students the option of selling books to a fellow student rather than the campus bookstore, where many students are not pleased with the buyback price, Nwokocha said.
"When you sell a book back to the bookstore, you get ripped off," Nwokocha, said. "They take what they gave you for the book, double that and sell it as used."
Nwokocha envisioned the idea for Swapu.com in 2006 and teamed up with his brother, Chuck Nwokocha, to handle the administrative side of the Web site.
Nwokocha also enlisted roommate Gordon Radlein and his cousin Anton Radlein to get the Web site jump-started because of their computer science experience with the development of their own web development company.
These young innovators range in age from the low- to mid-twenties.
Between October 2007 and January 2008, Swapu.com opened up to students at Columbia University.
The online marketplace is now available to students on the Arizona State University, University of Texas at Arlington and NT Denton campuses.
With the semester coming to an end, Nwokocha anticipates a swarm of college students using the Web site.
"It's growing steadily on all the campuses," Nwokocha said. "Initial growth is the biggest hurdle."
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