Do you barter?

[MollyPitcher]

I have always wanted to barter, but have never found anyone willing to. I have only asked a few times in my adult life, and have always been met with odd looks and comments by the other party to the effect that they really need cash. So, no luck.

Do any of you barter? If so, could you please share with me what you barter with and for, and who you engage in barter with?

[NCLee]

Depends on how you define the term "barter".

Yes, we do some of it on an informal basis. Mostly with neighbors. And instead of "barter", it's doing them a favor. They, in turn, will do them for us, when needed. For example, I restore castiron cookware for a neighbor. In return, he's given us venison, taught me to dress a deer, and recently gave me a rather unique coffee pot that he found at a flea market.

When I'm shopping for second hand merchandise, I'll often ask if they can give a better price (unless it's already priced below a reasonable price for the item). Often can get a 10%-20% discount off the listed price. That's another form of barter.

On a more formal basis, the need has to exist before a barter system can work. For the past few years, I've been collecting oil lamps. Have between 30 and 40 of them. Right now the need doesn't exist, as there are plenty of them in the stores. If/when the SHTF, it's likely the need will exist, once the stores have been emptied. At that time, those lamps will become barter items.

If the people you've talked to about bartering don't have a need that can't be satisified, except through barter, generally, it isn't likely they'll agree to it. No, they won't weed the garden in exchange for some vegetables. Not as long as there are plenty of them in the grocery store. Few will work, when they don't have to get off the couch.

From a business standpoint, (if that's where you attempted to barter), most electricians, plumbers, etc. need the cash to keep their business going. It's going to take a big change in economics before doctors will return to accepting chickens and bags of apples in exchange for their services.

Watch for the "need" of the other party before offering to barter. If they NEED what you have to offer, they're more likely to entertain the notion. If I don't need a hand crochet warm cap, it isn't likely that I consider bartering to get one. OTOH, if I really need one, I'd do something for you that's of an equivalent value to get that cap.

Just some thoughts that may be useful. Good luck in finding a bartering niche that works for you.

Lee

[Mom5farmboys]

I have also found that batering works best for us on an informal arrangement. We do what we can for our neighbors and friends and when they can do something for us they reciprocate.

When we do someone a "favor" we do it without expectation of anything in return, however you will figure out fairly quickly who will do "favors" back and who will just "let" you do for them without any thought of "sending it back your way".


One retired neighbor has exclusive hunting priviledges to a parcel of our farm, in return he keeps woodchuck populations down. He also has taken our oldest son under his wing, teaching him things about hunting and fishing. These are things he enjoys, he also enjoys young people, and being retired he has more free time than my husband does. He taught my son how to build a hunting shack, and even scrounged the materials for him to buildl it out of! Even though we have our own garden he still gives us his excess produce, and when he shoots more game than he can eat himself he always sends it our way.

Another neighbor with horses has a hay field and no equipement with which to harvest the hay. So my husband cuts and bales it and we take half and they get half.

I have lots more examples but I won't bore you with them all, suffice to say that these "arrangements" have evolved over time, and there were occasions that we did things for folks and got nothing back, but thats just the way it goes sometimes and no hard feelings, but with the experience we got wiser.

[grumble]

In the abstract, we all barter. We trade worthless pieces of paper for things we want. Or an even more worthless piece of paper called a check. By the time we get to using electronic plastic to buy and sell, we are so far removed from reality that nobody could call it actual commerce.

The irony of the situation is that if we try to use silver or gold in a transaction, the PTB call that "bartering!"

The value of cash is that we all are conditioned to understand its value and we denominate things in those terms. An hour of labor is worth thus and so, while a cord of firewood is worth something else. And when we actually DO barter, we do so in relative worth represented in its dollar value. "I'll trade two $5 chickens for a $10 turkey."

Lee put his finger on the real worth and failure of a true barter system: NEED. Someone may really need one of his coal oil lamps and could be willing to trade a 50-lb sack of feed, but if he doesn't NEED the feed, it may not be good trade for him. Or, if the person has hungry stock, the price might be too high, regardless of dollar worth for the items.

So long as we have a reasonably functioning economy, barter is best left to simple trades among friends. It just gets too complicated.

[Andy Jones]

I have bartered(traded)many days of labor for things I needed or wanted.Many times I've hauled junk that was to be thrown away just to get a few items that I could use from that pile.

Not long ago I traded a day's labor(installing vinyl siding)for a fiberglass shower enclosure with the faucet and piping with it.I figured it was worth much more than my labor.The other man was happy and so was I.

I believe bartering will be much more common in the days ahead.

Andy

[Catalpa]

I think you're right about that, Andy. Times are bad and going to get worse and we'll have to help each other out.

Bartering just seems to come up natural when folks use common sense and aren't always looking to make a buck off others. Most of it happens favor for favor, like was said. I've bartered a little more formally a few times, most recently I traded some venison and buffalo meat for a few trailer loads of sand I needed to build the patio behind my house. We were both happy with that one!

[leera]

We have a sort of barter system set up with some close friends,it often involves manual labor of some type....he fixed my Dad's truck,in exchange my Dad fixed his chain saw...things like that.

[OTGPaul]

Like Leera, we have an informal barter system set up with close friends for firewood. Our friend owns 25 acres, and supplies the wood( mostly trees that have been knocked down by storms), and drags them out of the woods with his tractor. We both cut them up( it amazes me sometimes how fast two people can cut trees up with two chain saws), and I bring my log splitter and finish the job. We divide the wood 50/50, and usually have enough for both households.
We also grow different things, and share the harvest.

[Wyobuckaroo]

Made out like a bandit this summer.
Cleaned out an old house and traded a lot of stuff (useless to me) for other stuff.

Biggest swoop was a bunch of old canning jars that I wouldn't use for home made jelly.
Also traded other glass jars (old mayo, honey, pickle etc.) to the honey and maple syrup guy.

I'm set for the entire winter........

Loaned out my post hole digger for a favor yet to be named.

Mowed some rough odd corners between me and the neighbors several times this summer. Spots they don't / can't get to with there equipment etc.

Now I have all fall / winter / summer to scour auctions, garage, estate sales etc. for things to trade / barter.

It all works out.
Enjoy
Wyo

[MollyPitcher]

Well, interesting to see my old post come up again.

Since posting this, I did engage in a bit of barter. Not sure who got the better end of the deal, though. I had an old .22 carbine that was old but in excellent condition (I had three .22s, all in excellent condition so I felt I could trade one). A friend and her hubby raise shih tzu (correct spelling?) dogs and they had a new litter last spring. As I lost one of my dogs last spring to old age, I felt I needed another dog because my chihuahua was lonely for a doggie companion. My friend suggested we barter, and her husband popped out "How about you trade me that old carbine with the strap for a puppy of your choice". I felt that was equitable as they sell their pups for about $350. The puppy is about 5 months old now, such a sweetheart, and a good companion for my chihuahua. Don't know which of us got the better deal, but I was happy with it.

I also did some barter with my accountant. They're wonderful people. I usually do my own tax preparation as I itemize, and when I'm done I take it to them and they check it over, make any changes in order to update it to current tax regulations, and then they e-file it for me. The tax advice alone is worth what I've been paying, which is $175.00. We got to talking about how barter is taxed, and the accountant's wife said they barter all the time. I tentatively asked if they would barter for a bit of discount off my tax prep. They both said 'Sure!' They've been doing my taxes for years so they know I'm not a nut. They took $75.00 off my fee in exchange for two trios of silkies and a dozen eggs a week for two months. Already fulfilled my obligations to them and it was a great way to save a little money in exchange for something that other people really want. They already keep some kind of heritage pigs and raise turkeys every year.

[grumble]

Ahh, Molly. I don't know what that "old 22 carbine" was, but I bet your friend's husband did. Depending on what it was and the condition, you might have traded a pound of silver for a pound of gold.

[MollyPitcher]

I don't think it was anything of significant value. I got it from my elder brother, and I don't believe he would part with anything really valuable. Especially as I'm not a gun afficianado like he is. He has some that are worth quite a bit. To me, guns are useful tools and a means of protection and equialization, and that's about it. I have a few different ones for different uses, and I maintain them well and am proficient with them, but other than that, I'm not interested in collecting valuable ones.

[grumble]

If you are both happy with the trade, I suppose that's all that really matters. Enjoy the puppy!

[kfander]

I agree that, in an informal way, most people who know their neighbors barter to some extent, although it may not be a strict tit for tat prearrangement.

My neighbor, across the street from me, is an auctioneer. Sometimes, when I see him loading or unloading his truck, I'll help moving the heavier items. I don't ask for anything in return but there are times when he has something that he thinks we could use that didn't sell that he'll pass is on to us.

If I don't get up early enough after a snow, I'll often find that one of my two neighbors has cleared my sidewalk or driveway, so I feel obliged to do the same when one or the other of them is away for the weekend, so that they can get back in when they return.

I think of this as being neighbors, but it's a form of bartering.

In fact, I live in a small town in Maine, where at least a third of the vehicles driving around in the winter are pickup trucks with plows attached. On days when I can't get my snow blower to start, it's not unusual for someone who sees me shoveling to drop their plow and plow out my driveway for me. Sometimes I don't even know who they are.

More to the point though, my wife and I have often bartered web design or publishing services for other services that we need. We haven't paid our CPA in more than a decade because he'd rather have us maintain a web site for him.

As far as things, if I have something that I don't need, and know of someone else who needs it, I'd rather just give it to him. Most people will feel an obligation, not necessarily to immediately give something in return, but to register that a favor is owed. Since the thing that I gave away was something that I could do without, I can surely wait on a repayment, and if none is forthcoming, I'm not really out anything.

[BlueJae]

When my ex moved out I was suddenly required to do everything on my own with not a lot of know how or money. (I learned a lot very quickly)
I traded my laptop for a chainsaw to cut my own firewood, traded my engagement ring for a gas efficient minivan, a mini fridge for tearing off the old roof, and freezer meat for putting the new roof on. My neighbor lends me his lawn mower and plows my drive and I supply his family with home made breads, cookies, etc.
Quite a lot of times if you ask, people are willing to barter and seems now days more people are doing just that.
I often advertise on craigslist and frequently mention I will trade. I traded a commercial coffee make in need of repair for a vacuum, a large scale I bought for $20 for $100 worth of feed. It all works out.

[MollyPitcher]

http://i1121.photobucket.com/albums/l513/MollyPitcher2011/Dolly6weeksold.jpg

I think the trade was pretty good!

[grumble]

You gonna teach him to hunt bears or mountain lions? You can't do both.

[MollyPitcher]

SHE (her name is Dolly) is in training to hunt heffalumps and woozles. I figure she can mezmerize them with her cuteness and then I can sneak up and bag them. She also stalks leaves, pinecones, wayward sticks, and the occasional small rock. But mostly, she's good for cuddles.

[crackergirl]

Today swapped pies for apples and jars. Both parties happy.
Used to trade eggs and vegetables for haircuts and haircare products. With three daughters and myself, it really saved some $$$. Also traded eggs for beef. All from 'spent' hens I got from a university research station for $1 per 5 hens, uhaul!

[MollyPitcher]

That sounds like an excellent trade! And the 5 for a dollar hens wasn't too bad a deal either.

[qwerty]

To answer the OP's question, no I do not barter. But I do negotiate for items $500.00 and up.

[offgridbob]

I bartered for my first wife. I had to give a 4x4 truck and a good dog for her. I wish I had the dog back, I lost on that deal. My second barter worked out much better.

[Twilighttime]

This is too funny, lol. I have a tabasco type pepper that is sensational. The seeds came from Mexico in the 20's. It's a super producer outside and also makes a great super producing, colorful winter houseplant. I barter both its seeds and started plants for lots of small stuff such as baby chicks in spring from my neighbor who hatches chicks of about all kinds of poultry from eggs. She gets pepper plants she doesn't have to mess with starting. I get a few baby chicks, turkeys, ducks, or whatever I want in spring. We're both happy. Plus the seeds are always able to be sold as in converted to cash. Income from selling packets of 15 "specialty pepper seeds or started plants" does add up since the price of both is so very high now. When we got to a farmers market or flea market I'll usually drag along a mature plant for advertising along with 20 or so started ones and usually return home with more money than I left with or at least they pay my set up fees.