Posted: 11/26/2009 4:41:04 AM EDT
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I was having a discussion last week with a friend, who jokingly said that in the event of a long-term privation period, the first things he'd really miss is his coffee and Coke. Got me to thinking............
In a post-SHTF environment, at some point things will stabilize to some degree and people will begin to interact. Seems like there are a lot of things that people would give their eye teeth for that they couldn't get for a while. Are you storing any trade items that would be in short supply? Ammo for trading? Tobacco? Alcohol? Coffee? Long-shelf-life snack foods? Also, are you storing gasoline/diesel? And how? Rotation of such would be a major PITA, but having a couple of hundred gallons of reasonably fresh fuel would be a major comfort if it were otherwise unavailable. |
| I would think tobacco, ammo (common calibers .22 LR, shotgun shells), toothpaste, toilet paper, booze. Any of the creature comforts would and could be used for barter. I'm getting ready to go to the Philippines and don't smoke but cigarettes are dirt cheap there. Don't know how well they would store though (I know there is a limit of two cartons but it would be good to have a couple of cartons around to store) |
If you set yourself up in the position to barter, you are saying, "LOOK AT ME, I HAVE WHAT YOU NEED!!!" You might as well paint a target on yourself and your preps for every band of looters. I will be the guy that looks like he is suffering just like everybody else.  In a real SHTF situation, I will be staying as low profile as possible.
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Quoted:
If you set yourself up in the position to barter, you are saying, "LOOK AT ME, I HAVE WHAT YOU NEED!!!" You might as well paint a target on yourself and your preps for every band of looters. I will be the guy that looks like he is suffering just like everybody else. In a real SHTF situation, I will be staying as low profile as possible.Same here! |
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I understand keeping a low-profile, and wouldn't try to set up a trading post or something. That's NOT what I'm suggesting. But there will be a period of time after the worst is over, but before the grocery stores and WalMarts reopen, that friends/neighbors/fellow preppers can let their guard down a bit and will be looking for the things that make life a little less severe.
I don't believe that too many of us are going to be hunkered down in isolation for months until all services are completely restored. And even when they are, it's not likely that everybody will just be going back to their old jobs, business as usual, regular paycheck, etc. Barter will be the required commerce for the many who don't have cash. And if there's no place to spend it, cash won't be worth much anyway. It's this time frame I'm curious about, not the first day/week/month of some disaster. And what happens when the "event" outlasts your emergency rations? Would you willingly starve? No. Would you stage an armed raid on your neighbor's home? No. Would you depend entirely on the charity of others, or on government handouts, with their probable restrictions and requirements? Probably not. You'd assess what you've got, its relative value, and then....... You'd barter. |
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I am gathering things that my family needs and uses. It's handy to have extra on hand. I have zero desire to stock booze or ciggs for somebody else to use. I don't drink or smoke. Buying stuff I don't/won't use would eat up my resources. I may consider giving my neighbor a roll of TP or trading for something I need.
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I have a couple cartons of cigarettes vacuum sealed in storage. I'm no longer a smoker, nor do I intend to trade them. They are intended for unexpected house guests who happen to be smokers. It's not fun being around a smoker being forced to detox in the middle of an emergency situation. It happened in 1998 with a relative who stayed with us after the ice storm. I'd rather french kiss a pissed-off badger than through that shit again 
Hope they like Marlboro Lights... |
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Yeah Im gonna have to agree with the general consensus.
Why buy something with the intent of trading it for something else when you could just get that item in the first place. Now if its something you can get for free or real cheap, then sure go for it. Or if its something you do use like cigarettes or alcohol. You can stock up on alot and trade off what you dont need. Thank of it like that, would it make sense for me to spend money on diapers when I dont have any kids (and as far as I know wont have any soon) with hopes I could trade them to someone who needs them? No it would be pretty rediculous. Id be better off just stocking things I need. |
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Thinking out loud - I bet there are some things that are fairly inexpensive now that would be very valuable in a long-term bad situation. Sugar, chocolate (doesn't store long, though), peanut butter, cheap liquor, coffee, playing cards, shotgun ammo, batteries, soap, knives, mirrors, nail clippers, toothbrushes, toilet paper, and so forth. I imagine that there would be some people that would trade what would now be very expensive items for those currently cheaper items. If they've got an excess of something and so don't think they need it (say a pair of shoes, for example) that roll of toilet paper or that mirror might be more valuable to them and they'd happily trade for it.
But, in general, I agree with some other comments: take care of your own supply needs first. GL |
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THE IDEAL TRADE GOODS SHOULD:
1. Be something you use yourself, preferably regularly. This means if TEOTWAWKI doesn't happen next week, you're not stuck with sixty crates of anti-radiation pills with a short shelf life.. OR: 2. Be cheap now AND cheap to store 3. Be small and/or light and/or easily transportable 4. Have no or very long expiration date 5. Be a consumable to promote return trade 6. Be something every other preparer ISN'T hording - which lets out .22 ammo and toilet paper 7. Be scarce AND NEEDED or at least hightly desirable after disruption and widely tradeable 8. Have trade value in an evacuation center as well as in an open market 9. Be something that can't be easily manufactured or or easily improvised or substitutions found for Your trade goods should meet as many of these conditions as possible. Note that if the items are something you use yourself regularly (Condition #1), then the other factors are of less importance, but are still worth considering. I have my own ideas on the subject, but I'm interested to see what others think before I post them.. |
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While I think open trade would be a hazzard. Having some things that you COULD use to barter isnt a bad idea. Especially if you are in a rural area that will not collapse hard like an urban area. A buddy of mine trades his plumbing/hvac skills plus manual labor to a few neighbors for things in return like firewood , brush hogging his fields , borrowing their dump truck ect.
If you have a neighbor who say man I wish I had more .22lr to hunt small game. its nice enough to toss them a box. Id bat its paid back well with help from them. In an urban enviorment which we are currently stuck in. Our only plan is to leave. |
| Barter will be essential in a prolonged, off the grid, SHTF situaition. There is no way in hell you can buy everything you need now. You will absolutely need something that someone else has, and you will have something that someone else needs. Plain and simple. I'm not talking about painting a sign on your house saying, "come and look through my gear for something you want!!!" I'm simply saying buying an extra brick of .22lr, buying a couple extra magazines, will be items you can trade for maybe some extra batteries, a bag of rice, etc. You are a fool if you think you wont need to procure something down the road. Plus, it for charity purposes, offering up something to someone in need could make you a good neighbor. |
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The travel size soaps,shampoo,mouthwash,toothbrushes,powder,OTC meds,etc.
Booze, cigs,chew. Rope,wire,cable,screws,nails,tools, and POWER. Medical needs,sample meds,first aid supplies, fluids,IV sets,etc. Those are items I could barter with as I stock them. Of course all the short/mid/long term foods. |
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I just buy extra of what I already store with the only exception being cigarettes ( I dont smoke) and I figure they may come in handy one day. everything I would trade would be very low key and would be after the inital year of me surviving as to not make a target of myself. If I trade I trade, if not oh well I have extra stuff for me then is kind of how I look at it.
J- |
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A common opinion on ammo is that the ammo you trade today may be used tomorrow to rob you.
The only ammo trading I will be doing will be with folks I would hand my firearms to as well. My opinion on bartering goods and services is that I am not buying stuff only for barter and I am not setting up so I can provide a service for others only. Anything I might consider bartering is something I myself use and will keep rotated. Anything service wise I learn to do and have the tools for is something I do for myself as well. And by service I am just thinking along the lines of mechanic stuff or carpentry or something along those lines. I did not learn them to never use them for my own needs. Anything I wind up having that is something I will not use is generally something I sell or give to someone who will use it. I just don't see much point in having stuff taking up space if I will never use it. I understand the post about the marlboro lights but since I have never had to put up with someone quitting the smoking habit I don't plan to put up any cigarrettes. I might regret it but it is my choice to do it this way right now. If I had someone close to me who smoked who I wanted to help out I could see having cigarrettes on hand but right now I don't so I won't. |
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SALT At first people would not see the need because people would be living off canned foods and such but as soon as people begin to preserve food salt would become a form of currency just as is was in the ancient past. this....It can be stored indefinitely and can be purchased cheaply..think blocks...and it can be used for TONS of purposes....also .22 will be good because it can be used to take game, but it is low power enough that any one looking to take potshots at others with it will have to realize unless the other is totally unarmed that even if he pulls the trigger its only going to result in his death also more than likely. but at close range ie someone coming at you a .22 will get their attention and kill within a fistfighting distance. the point of stocking it ,not to trade bricks of it ,but in desperate times a handful in a pocket could procure a meal, a repair part , or even just goodwill. depending on the level of shtf a simple single shot .22 would be easy to manufacture, think of the trade level of that. besides..who can really have too much .22 ? My family will all be armed with .223 and 9 mm as would I suspect most on this sight that are looking for alternative preps. what idiot (whom I would have to trust a little to even be considering trading anything )that had to trade for a few .22 would want to run the risk of taking that potshot knowing that my my dad or son would not hesitate to mow his ass down for such a stupid action... |
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Barter for what? Someone's going to trade the family diamonds for a roll of TP, and then when everything's back to normal you'll hit up a pawn shop? The whole concept is silly.
Most likely your neighbor will have nothing of value at all. Personally, in a SHTF scenario I want food, ammo, etc - not shiny trinkets that I might be able to sell for a profit at some uncertain future date. Priorities... Of course, I'm an urban prepper... and my neighbors are, with a few exceptions, worthless. I've got alot of Katrina neighbors here - people I will expend ammunition on, not barter with. |
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I agree that bartering and trading will be essential after a major collapse or SHTF. Trade is how we built this country and it will be essential to rebuild. Localized trading is going to be a center piece for a sustainable community. Find out what is lacking and start working in that area...eggs, bee honey, home canning, home-brew beer, plumbing/electrical, gunsmithing, etc. Some off-the-shelf consumables are okay, but I wouldn't stock a room full of tampons and TP just for future bartering. Services will be better barter material and won't expose your own personal stocks. If a good neighbor needed a handful of shells for his hunting rifle and I knew them well enough, sure, I'd help out, especially if they had something I could use or some service that was useful. Picking up some of your own essentials with a little extra is a good idea...salt, sugar, honey, cooking oil, peanut butter, etc. is always a good idea that could come in handy for something you may need to trade for that you didn't expect like emergency medical services, construction supplies for a major repair, etc. Self-sufficiency is great, but no single family will be able to do everything...even mountain men and pioneer families relied and depended on trade to restock needed items they couldn't make, produce or hunt/gather.
ROCK6 |
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Barter for what? Someone's going to trade the family diamonds for a roll of TP, and then when everything's back to normal you'll hit up a pawn shop? The whole concept is silly. Most likely your neighbor will have nothing of value at all. But if your last Katahdin water filter is clogged, and your neighbor has extra, but needs a flashlight and a dozen batteries? Like I said, this wouldn't be an issue in a short-term scenario, but how long can you hold out (especially in an urban situation) with absolutely everything you're going to need? IMO, about the only ones who might not need to barter in such an occurrence will be those in rural areas who have the ability to raise livestock, at least chickens or rabbits, and keep a sustainable garden. And who can protect these. |
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I would think tobacco, ammo (common calibers .22 LR, shotgun shells), toothpaste, toilet paper, booze. Any of the creature comforts would and could be used for barter. I'm getting ready to go to the Philippines and don't smoke but cigarettes are dirt cheap there. Don't know how well they would store though (I know there is a limit of two cartons but it would be good to have a couple of cartons around to store) Put the smokes in your freezer. They keep a very long time that way. |
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To those putting down the thought of picking up a few barter items, think about this––I wonder how many fresh eggs or how much fresh milk a bottle of whiskey or a case of beer could bring six months after the SHTF.
Try storing a gallon of fresh milk or cream for as long a a bottle of JD. |