The new barter system
Bartering has been around a lot longer than money. I’ve talked about it before and I remain a fan of this system because it works. With the economy being what…
Bartering has been around a lot longer than money. I've talked about it before and I remain a fan of this system because it works.
With the economy being what it is and the road to recovery appearing somewhat longer than we had all hoped for, alternative methods seem more and more attractive.
It' surprising what you can barter for. When my truck got wrecked, I traded a body shop owner a set of office cabinets to put it back on the road. And he even bought the materials! I once traded a coffee table for a new set of tires. At the 250,000-mile point my truck engine gave out and I traded cabinet work for a new engine with the mechanic.
It might not be possible to trade for everything you need. The local supermarket might not be interested. I'd be amazed to hear of a bank trading for mortgage payments. But trading for all or part of a particular need can work in many situations. It's a card that can be played in many ways. But it needs to be tossed on the table. You might be surprised at how willing people are to trade goods and services.
D.D.
David DeCristoforo possesses an extensive resume as designer/maker of fine furniture, high-end cabinetry and architectural woodwork. His experience in professional woodworking spans a period of 35 years. For the past 20 years David DeCristoforo Design has been located in Woodland, California. During this time David's shop has ranged in scope from a "full on" cabinet production shop with as many as 15 employees to a small fine furniture and custom millwork shop, working with his son, David RBJ, a highly skilled maker in his own right.