| Story Views | |
| Now: | |
| Last Hour: | |
| Last 24 Hours: | |
| Total: | |
Prep /Survive: Think You Are Going to BARTER When SHTF? Think Again! Vital to plan NOW What You Will or Will Not Do! (Video)
Think you are going to barter when SHTF? Think again!
December 17, 2013
I certainly would not weight a lot on my ability or willingness to barter when the chips are down. The problem is, everyone is going to be needing basically the same things. eg water, fuel, food. This video talks about using money, but I think for the scenarios we will be facing, money can be used for t.p. ors tarting your fire.
Really think it through what you will have set aside for bartering and NEVER be showcasing everything you have. We must consider that the person coming to you to barter very well may be armed and there with the intention to take all that you have. A friendly-looking face during this time should not be trusted, yes even your uncle John.
My barter items are what I call fluff, they are what will be considered luxury items and what I myself would not want. Cigarettes, vodka, lollypops, instant coffee…that sort of thing. I have a few dollar store reading glasses and knit caps in with that as well. I had to really look deep into myself when I was sorting small bottled water for barter. I had to move them from that section, I truly do not think I could barter for something that essential. I just can’t. I’d give it away. Some may think I’m a fool for that…but it’s my conscience I will have to deal with.
Please think these sort of things through now, while there is relative calm. Plan exactly how you will handle a barter scenario and be sure your entire household is in agreement with the prearranged items and methods!
My thoughts on the practical limitations of bartering, and why you shouldn’t plan on relying on bartering in any major capacity.
In a real SHTF scenario most of the items shown in the video would be useless to most people. Food, clothing, shoes and any items to make a hard life more bearable would be in demand. My grandfather during WWII in Europe helped his family by trading Salt that was in short supply and rationed for other items that were in short supply like butter, meat, a chicken, shoes for his kids etc. He worked as a stationary engineer in the boiler room of a factory and the salt he traded was used as a water softener for the steam boilers. Any of those toys shown in the video would only make you stand out as a HAVE among HAVE NOTS and paint a big target on your back. Keeping a low profile and not drawing attention to yourself is the best policy when the SHTF really starts.
$ugar, $alt, alcohol, tobacco, soap, deodorant, and SKILLS…. those things are great for bartering!
As long as there’s still time, it makes sense to get rid of the things you no longer want/need and acquire the things that make more sense to survival. There are plenty of charities thatl happily take stuff. I wouldn’t wait for the perfect deal. Get rid of dead weight.
*Eliminate and concentrate* is good prepper discipline.
Great article concept, poor examples. The article is correct, that if you think you are going to stock gold, silver and bullets, and expect to go next door and trade with the hippies growing a garden in their backyard for fresh food – you are sadly insane. Few realize just how fast ‘home grown food’ is going to be consumed by the families that actually grow it. BIG difference between commercial food production and ‘home gardening’, regardless of what all the videos and ‘hobby farmers’ tell you. Ask those old ones who came through the Great Dust Bowl how long those food stocks last, when you actually get hit with even so much as one year of drought. Fools might trade their food, but most won’t. Best plans for trading? Don’t. Plan instead to stock extra seeds, stable items like salt, baking powder, sugar, coffee (whole-bean), pepper, flour, rice and vegetable oils. Hey, being food, THOSE might even be slightly tradeable – but most-likely, not for food.