how to barter for profit
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How to Barter for Profit
2 | P a g e
Contents
I. The dead art, resurrected again ................................................................................................... 3
1. What exactly is bartering? ................................................................................................................ 3
2. What to barter? .................................................................................................................................. 4
3. Stocking Up on Barter Goods ........................................................................................................... 4
4. Top bartering items ........................................................................................................................... 4
5. A complete list of bartering items ................................................................................................... 5
II. Top skills to barter ........................................................................................................................... 9
III. Risks .................................................................................................................................................. 12
How to mitigate risks ........................................................................................................................... 13
IV. Final Thoughts ................................................................................................................................ 15
How to Barter for Profit
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I. The dead art, resurrected again
Trading and bartering represented an important part of how a normal day was like for our
ancestors. Bartering involved all kinds of items as currency: furs, silks, perfumes, spices (most
notably, vanilla) and tea were some of the more traditional items of barter; human skulls and
poisons are a couple of history's more outlandish trade goods. In ancient Rome, soldiers were
not paid with money, but in salt, which was particularly valuable in that day and age, as it helped
to better preserve their food.
Bartering also took place during the Great Depression of the 1930s, after credit diminished
and bank lending decreased. Should that kind of economic collapse happen again, we could return
to the old bartering days.
If everything you own was stripped away from you, bartering could really help you
maintain your health in a good condition and even regain a bit of comfort back (i.e., some may
even trade you a bottle of Coca Cola). While some people are stocking up on precious metals, in
most situations, when you might need goods or a certain service, the people who actually have
something you want or need may not be able to make the change for a gold coin. Thus having
an item of value to exchange for another item of value without exchanging money represents the
basics of survival bartering.
Even today, on sites like Craigslist, more and more people are bartering what they have
for what they need. Stories are told about people who have bartered their way up from something
small like a cellphone to motorcycles, cars and even houses. Barter is a skill that you might
consider develop now. The first step is recognizing what barter is and if the items you own might
be of value to others.
1. What exactly is bartering?
Bartering means trading goods or services without exchanging money. If you are bartering
for survival, money will lose their worth, so you will need to place value on your items in terms
of what you need and how much the other person needs your item. Learning to barter will be a
good skill to rely on in times of need. You can practice by haggling over prices and quantities at
a flea market. However, know this: you will need to get better at making compromises, judging
an item’s value only by swiftly looking at it, all in order to have a clear idea in mind of what you
want to obtain.
How to Barter for Profit
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2. What to barter?
When bartering for survival, you need to get an idea of what items will become popular,
and what skills will be in high demand. In post-crisis situations, manufactured items such as soap
and toilet paper, matches and batteries will be sought for, as will ammunition and especially
medicine. In terms of skills, having a skill or ability that someone else does not possess can prove
crucial. Probably some of the most desired skills to barter for will be related to building, farming
or cooking.
3. Stocking Up on Barter Goods
When you are putting together your survival kit, consider thinking about packing spare
objects that you will use for survival bartering. These need to be objects that you will use anyway,
provided you haven’t met anyone willing to trade you for them. When going hunting or foraging
for water, for instance, it is recommended to have a bug out bag on you, in which to include a
few bartering items. You never know when luck is written in the stars. Finally, you might want to
consider stockpiling various goods in your survival retreat, or burying these somewhere in the
wild (in case your survival home is broken into and muggers rip you of all the essential and non-
essential things you might have stockpiled).
4. Top bartering items
Spare ammunition – commonly this refers to the .22 shells. Many people believe
that .22 round will become something of a standard currency in a long-term societal collapse.
This caliber firearm is very common, thus many people would be able to use the ammunition. Of
course, once it is used, it loses a lot of its inherent value, doesn’t it? Plus, I’m highly opposed to
giving ammunition to someone not part of your group to begin with. However, it is small, it can
be easily carried, and relatively inexpensive to stockpile, therefore a good choice.
Tobacco – cigarettes, loose tobacco, roll papers. I can easily see this becoming a valuable
trade commodity, particularly soon after a collapse as millions of smokers endure nicotine
withdrawal. However, unless stored under certain conditions, the tobacco can go stale. Might not
matter too much to a die-hard smoker but it is something to bear in mind. Plus, tobacco isn’t all
that cheap anymore. If you decide on stockpiling tobacco, I would suggest buying some of that
cheaper cans or tins of loose tobacco, rather than buying cartons of cigarettes.
How to Barter for Profit
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Alcohol – another likely valuable commodity. Even better than stockpiling bottles of
whiskey would be learning how to distill your own alcohol and set aside the necessary supplies
for doing so. If you do decide to stockpile alcohol, you do not actually need the good stuff, located
on the top shelf. In a survival situation, people will not care whether the alcohol they drink is
branded or not. But, you do need to consider how much alcohol to barter. You cannot actually
give away the whole bottle. Therefore, think about pouring a few shots into a glass or hand out
smaller bottles as needed. It is really up to you.
Food – Naturally this is something that would be highly valued and vital. However, you
need to consider that by giving away your food, you are depriving yourself and your family from
that same food, at some later time in the future, when this need will arise again, and it will. A
main aspect of bartering is giving up something you can do without to receive something you
can’t. However, if you have an extensive garden and your pantry is full, perhaps you might be in
a position to forgo that extra can of beans to receive something you can’t produce on your own.
First aid – If you start stockpiling now, you can probably manage to get a three month
supply of medicines on prescription. Fortunately, there are antibiotics you can purchase over the
counter, without actually needing a medical prescription, drugs of which you can take advantage
of now and stock up on before the hospitals are overflowing with people.
5. A complete list of bartering items
You can use almost any item to barter, but the following items will most likely be in high
demand:
Household Items:
• Aluminum foil
• Rechargeable batteries
• Solar battery chargers
• Bleach
• Candles
• Rope, string, cordage
Duct tape
• Glue of all kinds
• Rubber bands
How to Barter for Profit
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• Safety Pins
• Scissors
• Silicon spray
• Storage buckets with lids
• Tarps/plastic sheeting
• Utility knives
• Windup radio
• Windup or cranking flashlights
• Small metal stainless pots or bowls
• Matches
• Flint & steel
• Zip lock baggies
Clothing:
• Cloth diapers
• Baby clothes
• Flip-flops
• Needles and thread
Yarn and knitting needles or crochet hooks
• Shoes and laces
• Socks and underwear
• Winter coats and rain gear
• Boots
• Gloves such as work, garden and winter
Health:
• Combs
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Feminine products
• Nail clippers
• Tweezers
• Razors
• Soap
• Lotion
• Lip balm (chapstick)
How to Barter for Profit
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• Isopropyl or rubbing alcohol
• Band-Aids of all sizes
• Disposable gloves
Super glue
• OTC (over the counter) medicines
• Hydrogen peroxide
Food:
• Candy
• Canned and Dried Food
• Canning jars, lids, wax
• Coffee filters, which can be used for water filters
• Coffee or tea
• Cooking Oil
• Sodas
• Eating & Cooking utensils
• Salt, spices
• Sugar
• Vegetable seeds (heirloom)
Hunting/Food Gathering:
• Guns
• Ammunition (esp. 22lr and 12g)
Bows and arrows
• Bug repellent
• Animal traps
• Fishing line, hooks and nets
• Knives
• Snare wire
Miscellaneous:
• Hatchets, axes
• Magnifying glasses
• Mirrors
• Nails and screws
How to Barter for Profit
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• Non-electric hand-tools
• Pencils and sharpeners
• Paper
• Playing cards or dice for games
• Pocket knives
• Pocket-sized New Testaments
• Cigarettes
• Liquor
• Simple water filters
Toilet paper
• Eye glass repair kits
• Gold and silver
• Canteens
Look around your home for items without which you would be lost if you could no longer
make a quick trip to the corner store to buy more. Those items should then be added to your
bartering shopping list. While it is not necessary to include all the above listed items on this list,
you should be able to get at least a few items at a really good price and have room to store
them. Try using discount coupons or buy products that are on sale.
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II. Top skills to barter
Mastering a skill that will be invaluable in the aftermath of the catastrophe will not only
make you a vital member of any group, but it will give you a better position in any bartering. Also
if you barter a skill and not items for something you need, you won't run out of supplies as quickly
as someone who has absolutely no skills to trade.
Gunsmith – If you never gave this a proper thought, you really should. Debacles will
bring forward the need to keep intruders and criminals at bay, and the best method to do so is
by employing the use of firepower, possibly the most important line of defense. In time, though,
the condition of your weapon will get worse, as it will start to wear out. You may also need to
clean it, but you probably have absolutely no idea how to do that. Learning more on how to be a
gunsmith will help you better protect your family and yourself, that is a fact. You may also receive
protection from other survivalists, in exchange of you repairing their guns.
First Aid/Medical – This skill will prove vital in a post crisis situation, as hospitals will
not be able to cope with all the casualties. When access to hospitals, doctors and medicine will
be limited, people are going to turn to anyone that has basic medical care knowledge. In a world
struck by disasters, greatly reducing the possibility of us getting medical care at a moment's
notice, every cut, scratch and graze could induce death by septicemia. Learning more about this
skill will ensure you occupy a top position in your community and will give you the upper hand in
any bartering situation.
How to Barter for Profit
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Weaving/sewing –
When forced to live in the wild
and ensure your next meal or a
roof above your head, it means
that you will inevitably have to
work hard. You will rip your
clothes eventually. Do not
neglect the small tears, as they
can lead to bigger tears. In the
summer, it may not matter as
much, but during the winter,
you will need to maintain your
body temperature, so you will
not freeze to death. If you take
better care of yourself, you will
be able to stay healthy and
continue striving to protect
yourself and your family in the
process. Think of the following situation: it is freezing outside, and one of your gloves has a big
tear in it. You go searching for wood, but when you do find it and try to grab it, you cannot feel
your fingers anymore. Sewing might not seem terribly important, but, in fact, it really is.
Mechanical knowledge – Another
important skill to learn is mechanical
repairing. Seeing what the problem is,
fixing it and then putting it back again
where it belongs will prove to be of great
help in a world seriously affected by
mayhem. Provided you can fix different
circuits, watches, or even generators,
never forget that these are the things that
help people move on, in one way or
another. These are some of the things that people need in order to survive; if they need these,
they will also need you. Thus, you have the chance to become a greatly valued member in your
community. Cars will also be in great need of repairs so learn a couple of things regarding those,
as well.
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Tradecraft (plumbing, electrical, blacksmith etc.) – After a couple of weeks in improvised
shelters, people will start wishing for some of the basic home comforts they have grown so
accustomed to, such as plumbing and electricity. Also, even though many will still use cars, with
fuel being scarce, transportation will most likely revert back to riding horses. So, if you know how
to make a horseshoe, consider yourself lucky.
HAM radio operation – While there are a few options for post-crisis communications,
the HAM radio is by far the best one. But like any good equipment, you have to know how to set
it up, use it and maintain it.
Alcohol production/beer brewing – Alcohol is a versatile substance. It can be used
as a disinfectant, pain reliever or to help take your mind off problems. You could also use it to
sterilize needles, create a Molotov cocktail and start a fire. Regardless of how you decide to use
it, people are going to trade for it and being able to produce your own alcohol will put you in a
strong bargaining position.
All in all, this assembly of survival skills will prove invaluable. You just have to see it as a
matter of adapting to current circumstances, since you will no longer be able to simply go to the
store and buy whatever you may be in need of. Make do with what nature provides.
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III. Risks
While bartering may become the only way to trade goods or skills for whatever you need,
it doesn't mean that it is risk free. In this case, forget all about the benefit of the doubt and bear
in mind that in a bartering situation, nothing is as it seems.
In a post-crisis world, a bartering can be:
Organized (market): people from all across the immediate area will come and trade what
they have plenty of or what they don't need for things they do.
Unorganized (spontaneous): someone approaches you and asks if you would like to barter
for different supplies.
At a glance, you would think that neither could present serious risks, but if you think
carefully, they both have the potential to put yourself, your loved ones and your supplies at great
risk.
Let's take option A: the market place. You might think that being a public area, with lots
of people around who wish to trade their items, everything would be ok. The chances of you
getting robbed seem pretty low. That may as well be the case, but the danger may be lurking
somewhere.
Think about it, everyone there aims to barter, which means they brought supplies and
they are openly showing what they have and telling what they need, which is exactly like telling
robbers you do not have an alarm system in place. So let's say someone sees something you
have, that they need, but got nothing to trade, and the desperation grows. While they won't
attack you in front of everybody, they could follow you home, and try to forcefully take it. They
could also stakeout your place, wait till you're gone and rob you blind. Another thing to consider
is that if you are looking to barter for ammo, then you will advertise to everyone that your gun is
out of ammo, so I strongly suggest you never do this.
Now let’s take a look at the other possibility, which from the very beginning, implies the
fact that it will end badly for someone. For starters, there are three places in which the bartering
may take place, but you should only opt for the third one:
How to Barter for Profit
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1. The transaction takes place at your house. If this is the case then whomever you
barter with will know what you have and could potentially pose a threat to you, especially if it's
someone you don't know (bad idea).
2. The transaction takes place at the other person’s house. In this scenario you
might be walking into a trap, be taken hostage and forced to give up everything you have (worst
idea).
3. The transaction takes place on neutral ground. Setting up a certain time and
place for your bartering can reduce the risk factor. You might be thinking that you could get
ambushed or double-crossed, but so might the other guy, and I strongly advise to be
accompanied by someone you trust, when attending these meetings.
How to mitigate risks
Here are a few tips on how to reduce the chances of threats when bartering:
Never let them see where you have your supplies – If you have a stocked pantry
full of food, water, ammo, medicine and other important things, keep this out of site. You should
apply this right now, before the crisis arises. In survival situations people can become desperate
and if they know you have something they need, eventually, they will start thinking how to take
it from you.
Never take everything you want to trade at once – If you go to the market to barter
and you know that someone is interested in guns, don't take all of them with you. Talk to that
person, see what exactly she looking for, discuss the terms and once a deal is struck, and arrange
to meet them at some other time and place with the gun. This approach has risks too, but may
mitigate risks from someone trying to take your guns from you then and there.
Always conduct the transaction away from your supplies – Do not invite strangers
into your house if they are asking for supplies. Let's say you are willing to trade two cans of beans
for some medicine. Do not let them come into your pantry with you and see you have a year
supply of canned food. Ask them to wait while you retrieve the items. Optionally, you can set a
time and place to meet up with them.
Never take food or water from people you don't know - While food may be of great
importance, taking food or water from strangers may prove an even worst idea then starving.
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Seeing as most things will be scarce and people need both in order to survive, some may think
to poison the food and water they barter, in order to put their hands on all of that person’s
belongings, once he/she die. Barter only with close friends, if you have the chance.
Don't barter bullets unless you are in dire need - Guns and ammo will be as vital as
food and water and giving someone part of your ammo may not be such a good idea, as it may
come back to haunt you. The person you just gave bullets to may follow you home and use them
to attack you and your family. So unless there is a life or death type of situation, never trade your
ammo. Also don't take ammo from someone you don't know, they may be giving you blanks. Best
bet is to learn to make your own ammunition.
Always bring a weapon with you - Regardless of the place you barter, never go there
without some form of protection. Best idea would be to take with you a gun and at least two
knives, hidden from sight. You may be an honest person looking for an honest trade, but that
doesn't mean the other person is as well.
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IV. Final Thoughts
In a post-apocalyptic scenario, while stocking up on food, water, medicine and ways to
protect yourself and your loved ones, learning how and what to barter may prove invaluable. This
is the time when you can choose one or two skills of vital importance and turn them into your
most important survival weapon.
Over the past 5 years, I have improved my mechanical skills and I am now enrolled in a
course of medical assistance. What I have learned from these experiences is that both abilities
are extremely useful and helpful in our day-to-day lives and boosting someone’s confidence in his
own strength.
However, you need to start organizing your daily schedule and make time to get involved.
The reward will soon come. Learning new skills will give you the necessary energy to do whatever
you set your mind to and help you grow and develop as a survivalist. These abilities will allow
you to thrive in challenging environments and be on top of every situation.
Many people tend to let their age get the best of them. Most people’s mentality goes like
this: “I just turned 45, I will never learn and adapt as a 17 year-old.” Fortunately, I am here to
contradict you. Honestly, you might not have the eagerness of a youngster, but with a certain
amount of practice, you can still do anything you want and things will be looking up. Whether it’s
riding a motorcycle or building a car engine, you are bound to succeed if you put your mind to it.
Moreover, desperate situations call for desperate measures. These are the times when you
can change as a human being; you can adjust quicker and get all those inner fears out of your
system. All I’m asking is to give yourself a chance to be the best you can be.
So, let’s do it together. Go ahead and stock up on the essentials, enroll in any courses you
think are fit for your personality type and be ready to start bartering, get the most bang for your
buck and survive any catastrophe!
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