Save a Buck: Cards Into Dollars

Gift-card sales are expected to top $100 billion in 2008, but 27 percent of recipients never use them. That’s a total of $8 billion dollars tossed into drawers, languishing in wallets or bundled up with other gifts that somehow will never be used. If you’re one of those card collectors, you can turn those gifts into dollars by selling them at online companies: Expect to get 60 percent to 80 percent of the face value. Or, for a small fee, you can swap for another card of equal value. Meanwhile, frugal shoppers can buy gift cards at a discount and save around 8 percent to 10 percent. To sell or swap (or buy), check out www.Cardavenue.com, www.giftcardbuyback.com, www.giftcardsagain.com, www.plasticjungle.com or www.swapagift.com.