Last fall, a friend of mine traded a large empty tank that was designed for water storage.
He was planning to complete a project with it that never got started and his wife said it had to go. He traded that tank to a local farmer for maple syrup this spring. The farmer needed it to collect the sap to make syrup.
两个人商定了一个价值的数额,我的朋友扔下了水箱。几个星期前,他和农场主如约见面,现在我的朋友正在享用他的烙饼上的新鲜枫糖浆。
Bartering can be a great way to get something you need and build up a community at the same time.For bartering to be successful, keep these simple guidelines in mind:
1. Know the value of your trade
无论你是否对交易服务或商品感兴趣,你都需要知道你所拥有的价值和你想要的是什么。如果你所提供的比对方所提供的多或少,那么你需要协商。你可以协商更多的贸易项目或现金,但了解你的报价的价值是重要的。你可以查看网上商店或商品目录来比较新的或喜欢的新商品的价格,或者在Craigslist或eBay上搜索二手商品列表。
Related Post:Bartering 101: How To Start A Babysitting Co-op
Two artists I know exchanged goods – one who made wooden cutting boards, the other a potter – agreed to exchange goods based on the retail prices of their work. They both got nice gifts for their spouses and now pass customers back and forth as well.
2. Decide in advance what is being traded and what the time frame is for trade
Before you drive off with your new treasure or use a barter service, be sure you have worked out exactly what is due to both parties. If the exchange isn’t happening fully at the same time, be sure you know when and where the final exchange is to take place. Be clear so there is no chance anyone will be disappointed.
3. Keep it in writing
Email makes this easy. Write down what you are trading and when so that everyone is on the same page. This will help avoid confusion later on.
4. Taxes
Stay honest with the IRS – the IRS still wants to record your trades over certain values, so check with your tax professional or seek information from the IRS. And even though bartering by definition involves the exchange of goods instead of money, the IRS expects their cut to be in cash.
5. Final thoughts
Don’t be afraid to offer to barter with someone. Many times people are rich in goods or services but not cash. If you have a skill that is valuable don’t be afraid to offer it to someone who makes or does something you need. If they say no, just remember your manners and say thanks anyway. They may change their mind later.
Editor’s note: We’ll be posting more on bartering and swapping in the future. For now, check out Shareable’sHow To Barter, Give and Get StuffandThe Barter Starter Legal Guide.
Have you ever bartered for something you needed or wanted? Tell us how it went!
David / PlanetThoughtssays
Nice article, Beth. It is a reminder about an option that is unknown to many, and as you say, it not only saves people money and avoids turning useable items into trash, but bartering also builds a feeling of connection (community).
Similarly, when I give away or sell a used item at a low or even market price on Craigslist, I also get that good feeling. When I know that an item does not have much cash value, I often offer it free, but only for pick-up by non-profits (and with the stipulation that they provide a letterhead document to me for the gift). I have given away flat screen displays and printers in that mode, and the non-profits are quite grateful.
Clay Forsbergsays
It’s nice to see an article on barter. It amazes me how little barter is used (especially in the business world). Barter is perceived as an “old world” method of exchange best be left to Luddites.
Our economic woes are not “not having enough,” but rather the personal distribution of what we do have. The opportunity for “resource maximization” is ripe at present with us coming out the overconsumption of the last twenty years. And barter is one aspect of this.
We have to open our eyes to the huge potential barter, sharing and other “resource maximization” techniques have in creating better lives for us all. The sooner we learn, that the inefficiencies of the transactional marketplace need not limit our wellbeing … the better.
Reneesays
I love the idea of bartering as described in the article. I like the going back to knowing neighbors, buying local and reducing wasteful spending
Selina Markhamsays
伦敦金融城公司(City of London Corporation)最近发布了一份关于易货交易和过剩产能交易的报告。
本研究探讨了多边互惠贸易的现有和潜在应用,包括对销贸易和企业及零售易货贸易。互惠贸易估计占全球贸易的20%(超过1000亿美元),但合同和谈判往往是漫长和复杂的。新兴的多边互惠贸易部门有可能通过共同投标机制消除双边能力交换的低效率。共同投标是主权货币的另一种交换方式,不能兑换成现金,没有利息,只能在能力交换范围内兑换商品和服务。
The report can be found on the City of London Corporation website. It speaks about Recipco and the Ormita Commerce Network as well as other barter exchanges like the Swiss WIR.