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VIDEONew Adventures in Bartering
By
Laurie Petersen Jul 24, 2009 11:20 am
A wealth of goods are available if you've got the right stuff to swap.
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It’s not as unusual as it sounds. One New York City woman I read about secured $12,000 in contracting services in exchange for designing a logo. An Idaho woman exchanges her haircutting and pedicure services for childcare. Over in Salt Lake City, someone is bartering her Jeep for a husband.
Good luck with that one.
Increasingly, businesses are bartering for things like meeting space. I once worked for a publisher who bartered back-of-the-book small space ads for hotel rooms. He used a corporate barter company similar to ITEX (ITEX) Employees also enjoyed the perk, because we were often able to garner free rooms for use on vacation trips, too.
I like to read and have had success with conventional trades. I use PaperBackSwap and BookMooch to keep my book shelves refreshed. The PBS folks offer CD and DVD swapping services, but I’ve yet to try those.
The New York Times recently took a spin through the barter listings on Craigslist and it convinced me my scheme might just fly.
I’ve got PR, writing and editing skills. I’m a pro at Internet-based research. I’ve got unused gift certificates for yoga classes, hair cuts and consultation with a nutritionist. I have a fly-fishing trip up for grabs. And, finally, my closet is filled with clothes that are in decent condition but are way too big. My daughter also has a stash of clothes that are now too small. In a pinch, we can babysit.
I ventured anonymously onto Craigslist, where the lead trade in the NYC Barter category that day was sewing and administration duties in exchange for use and sharing of studio space. Someone in New Canaan, CT, was offering graphic design services in exchange for tree removal. Gift cards for supermarkets and big brand stores like Wal-Mart (WMT), Target (TGT) and Best Buy (BBY) were also in demand.
A producer and composer offered his services in plumbing, electrical work, drywall installation and painting in exchange for a Web site. We talked, but I didn’t have the required technical skills. Still, the conversation ranked with the best I’ve had through Match.com!
The whole experience reminded me of online dating. Oddball emails streamed in from people using strange names. Several asked if I were still "available for work." This one came from someone calling him or herself emasculate: “Hi do u still need/want help with money? let me know I can help” Right.
Two or three respondents did seem legitimate. But I decided to go the old-fashioned route and found someone through my church who does the kind of sheet-rocking and other work I need done with help from clients at the local homeless shelter.
Researching the barter phenomenon led me to a few excellent resources. Here’s The Simple Dollar’s list of 14 Great Places to Trade Stuff Online. Ehow.com offers a step by step primer on How to Barter and How to Write a Barter Agreement.
Share your experiences with swapping goods and services on The Exchange.
No positions in stocks mentioned.
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