The simplest thing is to explore. From the home page, pick the pictures to view the categories of items people are posting for trade. That's what I hope to be saying here in a short time. In fact, Parent Trading Post is a brand new site as of August 1, 2010 and there is not much to see yet. Just in case this is why you are reading, yes, it's free and it always will be.

School is starting and this is the time we are all finding that things have been outgrown and we need new things - the best time to trade. Parent Trading Post provides a connection between parents who have clothes, uniforms, shoes, and book bags and parents who need them. You post items you have or need and hook up with others to trade.

So, you can explore and see how the site is organized and you'll find it's time to sign up. We are not requiring a lot of anybody. You'll see that. Pick the Register button on the Home page, make up a member name and tell us just a few things. You'll be a member in a minute or two.

Of course this is about trading, so just as you make arrangements with somebody advertizing a car in the newspaper, you'll evaluate whether you have common ground and use your judgement about when and where to meet. Yes, you can mail things to each other. There are tips on the Related Services page about how the receiver can pay postage.

After you post an item, you can change it as often as you like. If you respond to somebody's question about it, you might also put the answer in the posting so others will know. You can change the quantity if you trade or obtain some of it. When you are done, delete it. If you forget this part you're likely to be reminded when you get more inquiries.

Items with no activity will be deleted automatically after one year, I guess. We'll see how it works out.

If you think of any improvements we can make, tell us. Please, please, if you see anything wrong or that you don't like or that is a problem for you, tell us. Unlike other groups you may have worked with, we are small and we care.