Barter????? Does anyone ever do this?

[jacks'thunder]

We know times are tough for every one. Money is tight. Do you ever barter / trade if you want to buy something? Whats the best trade you have ever done? Do you like barter or would you prefer cash exchanging hands? How do you find people to barter with?

Thanks!

 

[Charlene]

ALL the time and i LOVE it! when i find something i want, i usually just offer less than what i'm willing to pay to give the seller some "wiggle room". i haven't found too many places that won't barter. heck, even walmart will do it. one fall, i found the perfect cushion for my glider. it was on sale but i still offered less and they took my offer.

probably my best one was when my son was in college. we were at a local mall and he found a leather coat he wanted. it was $300. being a tight wad, he didn't want to pay that much so i offered them $100 cash. the saleswoman called her manager over. manager told me she would take $120 for it but i had to sign up on their mailing list. i hate junk mail. since i was paying cash, i just gave them a ficticious name/address and we went happily on our way.

another time, back in my motorcycle days, i was at a big swap meet. i wanted a pair of chaps that a guy had for $200. i told my brother (who had been going to this swap meet for years) that i was gonna barter. he told me not to bother, this guy NEVER took less for his stuff. big, burly guy with a beard, sitting in a chair. i asked if i could get my picture taken with him. he said sure. so, i sat on his lap, put my arms around him and cooed in his ear. brother snapped picture. i told the guy i had $100 cash and could i PLEEEEEEEEASE have those chaps? he about broke my arm taking my money. LOL

most times, if you offer less and the seller poopoos you, all you have to do is thank them and walk away. nine times out of ten, they will call you back to take your offer.

 

[anoki]

I don't barter often, but I have done it. Usually, I don't mind paying the money if it's what I want and worth it. If it's outrageously priced, I don't need it that badly!

The one time I will never forget bartering was when my sister and I were in the Dominican Republic. There was a shopping area we went to, and the prices were WAAAYYYYY crazy, even for a tourist trap. There were a few things I saw that I liked, and each time I'd say a price and if they weren't willing to drop the price at all, I walked out....came home with everything I saw there that I liked! My sister saw a really nice wall hanging that she wanted. She does NOT like bartering....but I had her stick to her guns, and she got it at a more affordable price....I've never seen my sister that stressed out!

As for trading for things...did this all the time when I boarded my horse! Board & lessons in exchange for barn labour. I've done some leather work in exchange for things as well...

~kathryn

 

[Carolyn R]

I don't like trades, but I do search CL if I am looking for an expensive item I don't mind getting in good used condition. If the price is way out of the ball park I don't even bother, if it is in the ball park and says OBO, I never insult but always go for a lower price. I just got an enormous cage for my daughters future bird for her 16th bday. Would have been close to $4000 for a new one by cages by design, got it for 20% of that! One of the best was a local woman selling two saddles on CL, she didn't have the brand listed but I asked for pics. One was by Dakota or American saddlery, can't remember, the other was a flex tree By circle y, I was planning on getting the circle y, went and offered $400 for both. Neither worked for my horse. Both were in great shape, dusted them and added some leather CPR to condition them, put them on eBay and the two went for $950 altogether. I was able to recycle that money for a saddle that did fit.

Even buying on eBay, some people that only have 20-30 transactions under their belt and take poor pics, I have purchased saddles, if they didn't work, I cleaned and conditioned them, took better photos and doubled my money. I have never had an unhappy buyer yet.

 

[Riverrose28]

Ironic that you ask now, at Easter, yes I've bartered in the past, saddles, work for board, and other things. Problem is in my state if you barter/trade, you need to pay taxes on it, so we try to keep it all under the table. Guess we are breaking the law, so we try to keep it quiet. Heres a story:

We have chickens, lots of eggs, and can't sell them to the public without government intervention, so we give alot away to neighbors and friends. Word has gotten out. Three weeks ago a woman her husband and their granson pull in the drive. I've met them before, they used to own a farm down the way, it was forclosed on, they are raising their grandson, as their daughter dumped him off and ran away. They are living in camper, anywhere and everywhere. He's ill and lost his job, she makes and sells jewelry to get buy, I think they get some public assistance with food since they have a minor child, but I have not asked. They have been here before, and I've given them eggs. Well they come buy, the kid gets out of the truck and goes to see the minis, not a problem, I give them three dozen eggs, really I don't need them, she says that I must pick a braclet from her collection. I say I don't really wear jewelry, and to save it for a paying customer. Well she says I will insult her if I don't trade the eggs for a braclet. OK, I'll pick one. She has about thirty, there is only one that catches my eye, it has blue teardrops, 12 to be exact, that is the one I take. As most of you know that have been here awhile, I lost one of my daughters in Sept to an accident, so I thought the tear drops would remind me of all the tears I've cried since her passing. For the first week it did, then a realization hit me, the tears are really not for my pain, they should signal to me the pain and suffering that our fellow Americans suffer every day, with homlessness, desperation, and loss of hope. I should remember this woman and her efforts to survive and all of my fellow Americans that have less then I do, becuase at any time we could become them. I hope she comes back for more eggs, I'll offer her a hug and maybe our garden will be producing then and I can offer her some veggies as well. I don't need another braclet, as this one hasn't been taken off in three weeks.

 

[jacks'thunder]

Alright! We have some deal makers here! I love that!

Terry- What a touching story. So sad but so true. I'd love to see a picture of your bracelet, I have a picture in my mind but I wonder how close I am..

 

[jacks'thunder]

Well this is our most recent trade. My hubby had a gun for sale and his uncle had this tractor for sale. Both were very happy with the even up trade. And I was happy because no $ was involved!

 

[atotton]

I do barter some, but being a college student I really prefer cash unless i can make some money off the trade. One of my best trades was when i got my 3rd miniature. My part was to put away the winter supply of 650 square bales, some barn work. He needed a bit of extra help to due to an injury and felt that was a good enough barter.

 

[sfmini]

When I was younger, I worked for my board, never paid a day's board because of it.

I've traded horses for others as well.

Pete is a master trader, He barters all the time.

Nothing wrong with it, as long as all parties are happy.

 

[REO]

I rarely barter (trading) but I would if I could!

And I don't dicker (offer less) for what I want, but people do with me and I'm willing.

 

[MindyLee]

My hubby is a diesel mechanic & wrecker driver, he's bartered for trucks, hay, driveway gravel, fill dirt, use of heavy equiptment, metal roof on house, & much more.

I am a mini equine farrier, I've bartered for chickens, hay, a saddle, 2 harrnesses, 2 easy enty carts, iris flowers, beef/chicken/lamb meat, brand new dental tools, 2 pigmy goats, & much more.

If not need in $$$ I dont mind trades!

 

[Lil Eowyn]

I don't trade, but I do look deep for used items that are cheap but in good conditions. I got a really nice show halter for Éowyn, for only $30 and that was in nice shape with a nice metal noseband etc. And a full body sleazy and a head and neck sleazy for only $10 each and they were brand new in the package from Schneiders (Over $80 value) I also got a Courbette English Saddle for only $40, that came with irons and leathers and nice condition. I got all of those on craigslist. Nice deals! =)

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

My husband and I love to barter/trade whenever we can.

We have traded a miniature foal for farrier work and farm equipment for cattle and cattle for farm equipment depending on what we have and what we need. Right now he is working on a trade with one of our neighbours who has some cows he wants to sell for a large hydraulic wood splitter the neighbour wants and we don't use. Over the years we have traded a variety of goods and labour for goods/labour we needed. We have a friend who is an electrician, he wanted a boat we owned, traded some wiring jobs for the boat, another neighbour is a carpenter and we needed some work done on the house, traded him an old (needed some work) tractor to do the work. We have also traded the use of our stock trailer for vegetables all winter long. It goes on and on, we would rather not spend our cash for anything we don't have to.

 

[chandab]

I've done minimal trading.

Need some quilting done on a quilt I made, traded the gal some fabric for the work (piece was bigger than I could do on my machine and needed more quilting than I could do at the time). Traded some finished quilted pieces for finished bracelets. Traded a nice big quilt for 3-4 mini horse winter blankets and a couple foal blankets.

 

[jacks'thunder]

I love hearing about every ones trades!

Charlene that was a GREAT story!!! LOL! I can see it in my head!!! LOL!!

 

[Shari]

I used to barter with friends when I lived in WA. It was great.....

Here, people seem to want to just rip you off.

 

[mickeymoto]

I barter and trade for everything. I have gotten dental work, and vet care at drastically reduced prices. I offer to do office work, insurance, web work, etc and have never been turned down. I also offer a reduced price on just about everything, except for groceries. The key is to be respectful when bartering and not insult the seller. I also buy off Craigslist for all my furniture, home goods, etc. I have gotten some wicked deals. I got a brand new leather couch and loveseat. The husband bought it while his wife was visiting her sister. She came home and hated it. He could not return it, so he put it on Craigslist. I just happened to see the ad minutes after he put it up. I called him and while we were on the phone, his wife was giving him heck. He said he would almost give it to me, just to hush her up. He lived in the town next to me, so I headed over to take a look. It still had the plastic on it. He gave me the set for $300, if I would get it out of the livingroom right that moment. I did not have my truck, so we hauled it out to his garage and hubs picked it up later that day. We even found our last truck on Craigslist. Was a one owner truck with less than 40,000 miles on it. I also buy off Ebay and Etsy and will always email them an "offer". Sometimes it is accepted, sometimes not. But well worth the try. Bartering has been around for centuries and really was the first system of doing business.