What would you barter with?

Discussion in 'Back to Basics' started by monkeyman, Sep 28, 2006.


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  1. dragonfly

    dragonfly Monkey+++

    Barter for:
    I like that scenario, it works much better!
    I'd barter for the meat I can not grow, and possibly some fruits or vegetables also. I'd barter for work, also.....People will be willing ( if able!) to do some work, like helping in orchards, in gardens, on farms, etc.
     
  2. Allen

    Allen Monkey+

    Knowledge is the best thing to barter with. What else can you trade without losing it. I do know a group who preped by buying an old water-powered saw mill & set it up as a machine shop. They can keep making guns for 100 years.
     
  3. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    To a point, that is so. [winkthumb] The hook hiding in the worm is that if everyone adopts the same idea, a LOT of knowledge will be expended for not much TP. ;) Proper prepping, IMHO, will include something to trade for someone else's knowledge and skill.

    For examples, I can't bake bread to save my butt, but I might trade some wheat for finished bread. Then again, I might trade a few math lessons to the neighbor's kids for the bread.
     
  4. fortunateson

    fortunateson I hate Illinois Nazis!

    Let's think about this...

    In a TEOTWAWKI situation, we, the prepared will be absolutely wealthy.

    Think about people who have wealth today - cars, cash, stocks will all be worthless. Let's make an exception for land and precious metals, but that won't be worth much without a means to defend it and will probably be traded away in days for actual survival supplies.

    The only thing that will be of real value will be things needed to survive - food, water, ammo, fuel, etc.

    The problem is that we will need those things for our own survival.

    If you have the means to stock away a bit more than you need, though, you can ensure your survival by starting a business in a new primitive economy. Those things can act as startup capital

    So, for example, I might Hire people to "salvage" car batteries which I would desulfate, charge and trade. I'd pay my workers with food, but the resource that the enterprise provides (charged batteries) would be far more valuable than the few meals I'd give away to get it.
    Then I might trade the batteries for crops which I can resell.
    In this way, your investment grows and becomes one or many self-sustaining businesses.

    May or may not work, but it's another way of thinking about survival.

    The folks who start businesses and take advantage of demand for supplies and abundant cheap labor will come out on top because all societies eventually form economies no matter how primitive. You'll need to set aside startup capital in the form of excess supplies to make it work though.
     
  5. SoFarSoGood

    SoFarSoGood Monkey+

    .22 ammo,
    old electronic parts for a possible radio of applicable
    batering is not really my issue that concerns me its the initial contact with others that maybe more needy than myself and what they are willing to do to take what I have.
     
  6. me myself and i

    me myself and i Monkey+

    my barter

    i would like to purchase a weapon for the upcoming gov. caca. i have 3 1/4 pounds of silver and the poor mans james bond survival book. this is a great weapon in itself. I consider it a powerful tool. does anyone know about relics? made in silver?
     
  7. Seacowboys

    Seacowboys Senior Member Founding Member

    I read a comparison in "Shibumi" between "Go"and "Chess". Go was described as a warrior's game and chess was a merchant's. The merchant mentality will almost always find a spot to flourish, providing there are enough warriors to insure their domestic tranquility.
     
  8. Bear4570

    Bear4570 Monkey+++

    I have put aside a couple of boxes that has all my trading fodder in it. I figured buy stuff when it is cheap and it doesn't take up much room.

    Sewing needles/threads/buttons
    inexpensive watch caps
    Several cans of tobacco and cigarette papers
    strike anywhere matches ( I buy them whenever I find them)
    couple dozen bic lighters
    toothbushes and toothpaste
    I buy a 550 box of Federal .22 bulk every payday. (Last count was 17,500)
    shoelaces and shoe repair material (leather, glue, etc.)
    razor blades
    soap
    aspirins, tylenol, ibuprophen
    multivitamins
    cold remedies
    canning lids and rings
    assorted seeds
    inexpensive pocket tools and knives


    to mention a few. With the exception of the .22's, I probably have less than $100 into my trading fodder, but it fills two boxes in the store room.

    I started doing this when I thought I reached the level of preps that I wanted to be comfortable.
     
  9. ISplatU

    ISplatU Monkey+

    I do think 22LR will be in demand, and buy extra also.
     
  10. Hispeedal2

    Hispeedal2 Nay Sayer

    If you shoot one furry varmint a day, you could eat meat everyday for 47 years [winkthumb]

    I like your plan for buying .22 ammo. I will do this.
     
  11. ItalianGator

    ItalianGator Monkey+

    Thoughts on Land?

    I've learned a lot from reading this thread. To be honest, my earlier assumptions were challenged with the content within. I especially liked some of the common-sense advice of not doing business at your base of operations (being wise who you do business with).

    Many also mentioned trading skills which is, to me, the better option. Why? Because whatever supplies I may store up will eventually be depleted as time goes by. Traded items signals that I have something of value (and thus am a target for a raid). However, if I trade a skill, they're less likely to come after me because they would need me (I'm no good to them if I'm dead).

    One person mentioned taking in gold/diamonds for bartered items given away. I'm sure this was under the assumption that the situation was more temporary than a long-term societal-event (solar flare knockout of nation's power grids, etc.). Taking in those items knowing that you'll come out better after the disaster settles makes sense from a business perspective provided that you have enough supplies to get you through to the end.

    But what I didn't see, and expected, was more mention of trading land. If some unprepared person/family owned property, had the deed in hand, and would be willing to part with it in exchange for some protection, water-filtration supplies, tools/seed, and/or a limited supply of food, I would be interested! I wouldn't kick them off of the land or out of their home, but I would put them to work on the land with the tools/seeds they get from me. They could keep most of what they grow/produce with a portion owed to me (I need to eat and to have other produce to barter with).

    I mention this because I made a bad deal a few years ago. I didn't have the mindset then that I do now. I have a townhouse on the edge of a small city. I have access to some woods/water within a few miles, but as far as personal property is concerned, I really don't have much... barely enough to try out some square foot gardening.

    If a SHTF moment were to come, we would be hunkered down with whatever supplies we have stored up. We wouldn't be able to produce enough food (gardening) to sustain us, and that worries me a lot because those food supplies would eventually be exhausted. BUT, if I could make a deal with an unprepared person/family, we might be able to help each other out. We get their land in exchange for our knowledge, tools, some supplies, etc.

    And if things get better as society recovers, I would come out better in the long run. Afterall, if money is worthless and if we don't resort back to a gold standard, then land will probably be the only thing of real worth.

    And yes, I know what you're thinking "why not buy some land before the SHTF". If we weren't so upside down on our current place, I WOULD buy something else. But having a 2nd mortgage would seriously impede our ability to pay down debt and to pay for the stored supplies we're going to need (we're just getting started in our preparations).

    All in all, the only other thing I can think of doing before the SHTF is scope out local properties that would be large and fruitful so that I would know who to try to work a deal with. Smaller-scale deals might be worked out with multiple townhouse owners in our community (benefit of proximity, collective land use).

    Any thoughts on all of this? Encouragement / constructive criticism is welcome!
     
  12. -06

    -06 Monkey+++

    I remember my parents talking about what they could not get hold of back in the depression, what was unavailable during ration stamp days of WWII, of shortages during the Korean War. I have tried to accumulate a few extra pounds of coffee, chocolate(cocoa), salt, pepper, sugar, spices, motor oil, fluids, spark plugs, etc. I try to keep more than a set of extra tires for each vehicle and a few spare parts. Old military rifles and ammo should be good to have also. Hopefully with a good array of tools/equipment our services will be needed.
     
  13. VisuTrac

    VisuTrac Ваша мать носит военные ботинки Site Supporter+++

    funny as it may sound, i am talking to my local party store operator and prepping to buy 2 cases of rum in half pints and 2 cases of Jack Daniels in pints and storing them in the larder.

    trade will take place with friends and away from the compound for other folk. we have a pretty lively 'farmers' market every weekend in our home town. i'd hope that this would make a good venue for barter/trade as it allows for meeting on neutral ground.

    welding would probably be the skill i'd use to get some additional necessities or things that i'd ran out of. things break and i might be able to fix them cause we aren't running down to the local sears store or jumping on the net to order a new one anymore (when the TEOTWAWKI comes)

    just my 2 cents.
     
  14. Bear4570

    Bear4570 Monkey+++

    IG this is a very good idea should you have the skills to trade. As an example, one of the things my wife and I have stocked up on pretty heavily is medical supplies and homeopathic literature. I was a FMF Navy Corpsman for 5 years followed by being an Orthopedic Surgical Technician, then a Emergency Room Nurse for 20+ years. My wife has been a Paramedic for 15 yrs. We have discussed the possiblity trading our Medical Skills if the need arouse.

    Always nice to have several avenues to follow....."Just in Case" [winkthumb]
     
  15. fortunateson

    fortunateson I hate Illinois Nazis!

    The mention about land has me thinking.
    You could let out your land in exchange for the crops produced - IOW sharecropping.

    As far as storing things - think of things that even preppers leave out - You'll be one of the few suppliers under heavy demand -here are a few:
    Condoms ?
    Can openers ?
    Bug repellent?
    Sunscreen?
     
  16. ozarkgoatman

    ozarkgoatman Resident goat herder

    I would not trade anything that I could not reproduce. Ammo would be out of the question. Of there are exceptions to every rule. If it was life or death for me or mine then anything is on the table.

    BWM
     
  17. Melodye

    Melodye Monkey+

    Start getting books on medicinal and edible plants. You need several books with color pictures in order to ensure you are collecting and using the correct plants.
     
  18. Hispeedal2

    Hispeedal2 Nay Sayer

    I have peaked in this thread periodically as it has grown. I really should read it all before posting, but here I go anyways.....

    For the "precious metal" hoarders..... I don't buy it. If your family is barely making it. The world has gone to crap and you have a little flock of chickens... are you going to trade a chicken out of your child's mouth for a few ounces of gold.... no. Why? Well, what the hell can I do with gold to stay alive. About the only precious metals will be carbon or stainless steels, brass, and lead.

    I guess with that... I am more in line with the skills or items to stay alive crowd. I generally buy twos of everything. If need be, I can trade out one. Some things cost nothing, but would be valuable to others who don't have the knowledge or skill with them. For instance flint. I keep a bit around for knapping or practicing primitive firemaking. Teaching that skill and throwing a bit of flint in would be valuable to some as matches and lighters run low.

    Most of the low cost items that are easy to store have been listed already. Skills worth bartering have also been mentioned. Well, that's my 2 cents.
     
  19. ozarkgoatman

    ozarkgoatman Resident goat herder

    Agreed but if you have a farm set up to grow your own food PM's are a good wealth presevation tool.

    BWM
     
  20. ISplatU

    ISplatU Monkey+

    No one will trade food for anything if we are starving, but It may not get that bad, or is should start getting better some day, and that is when you use gold silver. It has been the standard for money for 6000 years.
     
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