One of the hottest gifts this past holiday season was the “e-reader” device. Or is it “eReader”? Or “ereader” maybe. e-Readers translate digital e-books (or eBooks?) so you don’t have to carry around all those paper things.

In any case, pundits (including news outlet MSNBC.com) are estimating that the electronic book devices will be even more popular in 2011 and beyond. Barnes & Noble is a leader in the pack of multitudes with their premier e-reader, the Nook and the NookColor (rated an “Editor’s Choice” by CNET). There are over 2 million digital books available for the Nook or NookColor.

Barnes & Noble Gift Cards are good for books, textbooks, dvds, video games, magazines and tons of gifts!

I’ve got about five or six B&N gift cards with random balance amounts scattered around the house. I’m going to gather up all those gift cards and see what get for them collectively at www.bn.com. Perhaps if not the reader, a few e-books, a magazine or e-magazine subscription, the entire Twilight series set in hardcover, the darn college-level Webster’s Dictionary I’ve been meaning to have around for the kids to expand their horizons with… but what the kids want is new DVDs, video games and graphic novels.

Well, I’ll also check the huge bn.com sale going on right now too, with 50% off “thousands” of titles they say.

Then I’m going to buy a discount gift card from Plastic Jungle in the amount I need for a NookColor. If I buy today, I can save 9%! I’m getting a discount on an item that doesn’t go on sale!

Check the Balance on Your Barnes & Noble Gift Cards and eGift Cards

PHONE: 1-800-295-3029

ONLINE: Check the balance of your Barnes & Noble gift card or Barnes & Noble egift card

IN-STORE: Check the store locator for a retail location near you, or you can also go to Barnes & Noble College bookstores

B&N Gift Card Customer Service: If you’re curious about your Barnes & Noble Gift Card, eGift Card, or Gift Certificate, check out their Gift Card Terms & Conditions page.

Selling Gift Cards
Once you’ve acquired your balance, you can easily and securely sell your Barnes & Noble Gift Card to Plastic Jungle, and save yourself the hassle of carrying around unused money. At Plastic Jungle, you can cash in your Barnes & Noble Gift Card and have the funds deposited directly in your PayPal account. The next step is to send in your physical card using our free pre-paid postage and after processing, you should receive a check in a matter of days.

Exchanging Gift Cards
You can also exchange the gift card for an Amazon.com Gift Card. If you play games on Facebook, you can use Plastic Jungle’s gift card exchange application on Facebook to turn your gift card into Facebook Credits (you should be logged into Facebook to access the app).

To know how much your Barnes & Noble Gift Card is worth in exchange on Plastic Jungle, at the top of the main page, click “Sell Gift Cards”. Look up Barnes & Noble, enter the gift card balance you’ve just acquired, and you’ll see instantly what your gift card balance is worth in cash or trade.

Check other Plastic Jungle blog posts for the same “Check Your Gift Card Balance” information for other stores, including Sears, Land’s End, Macy’s, Best Buy, Lowe’s, and more.

Find the perfect way to congratulate the Graduate in your life, and save up to 30% when you shop with discounted gift cards.

Below are PJ’s employees’ top picks for graduation gifts this season. We are going to show you how to combine our discounted gift cards with other great money saving deals!

Lets get started:

1. Walmart carries a Dell 15.6″ Inspiron Laptop which comes in six different colors that is normally $598.00 and is on sale for $498.00, combine that with a Walmart Gift Card from Plastic Jungle and save a total of $120.00! The perfect accessory for a college dorm room or new apartment.

2. 1-800-flowers.com- is offering a fabulous arrangement of multicolored roses, originally $39.99-$59.98 and are now being offered from $29.99-$59.98. If you use a 1-800-flowers.com Gift Card from Plastic Jungle that is 25% off  you can purchase a dozen roses for $22.50! Celebrate your Grads accomplishments with a burst of color!

3. Is your graduate an avid reader? Barnes & Noble has the Nook which holds over 1 million eBooks and offers free 3G wirless and Wi-Fi for $259.00!  Combine this discount with the a Barnes & Noble Gift Card from Plastic Jungle, and the Nook can be yours for $236.00!

4. Help your grad stay on top of their busy schedule with this classic men’s Bulova 96B47 Watch. Purchase a Sears Gift Card at 9% off on PlasticJungle.com and purchase this watch that is regularly $150.00 for $70.33!

5. Charm your favorite graduate with this Class of ’10 Lock Charm. Originally $150.00, but stop by Plastic Jungle to pick up your Tiffany & Co. Gift Card at 12% off, and this lucky charm can be yours for $132.00.

Have other great graduation gift ideas?  Share them below, and we’ll see if we can find a way to bring you additional savings…