# Barter items?



## ghostman (Dec 11, 2014)

So i got my second piece of silver in the mail yesterday and placed an order today for another piece. What are some other items I can use for bartering? I thought maybe cigarettes, liquor, I also thought maybe buying some 22LR to use for barter ( In NJ you need to have a firearms id card to purchase or own firearms, I am not sure on ammo though so while I wait for my permit to be processed I want to figure if I can get ammo without a license.) What are other good barter items?


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## TG (Jul 28, 2014)

I made a forum search for barter items, great read: http://www.prepperforums.net/forum/search.php?searchid=635181


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Tarps & rope


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## TG (Jul 28, 2014)

Top Post-Collapse Barter Items And Trade Skills


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

ghostman said:


> So i got my second piece of silver in the mail yesterday and placed an order today for another piece. What are some other items I can use for bartering? I thought maybe cigarettes, liquor, I also thought maybe buying some 22LR to use for barter ( In NJ you need to have a firearms id card to purchase or own firearms, I am not sure on ammo though so while I wait for my permit to be processed I want to figure if I can get ammo without a license.) What are other good barter items?


Do you think its a good idea to trade an item (Ammo) that someone can use to kill you? I don't.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Barter will not be very effective in early stages. Until some kind of order is restored trying to Barter may just get you killed. Each is free to take their own approach.
We prefer to try and have what we need or live without it. I will not Barter ammo. Like Slippy say I aint giving you any help in coming back to take what is ours.
While it may help some sleep at night any dream of people being in the same boat trading what they have for what they need in an orderly and fair open market is just that.
Any thing you have will be needed by some one at some time. Come day after SHTF you will find there are a lot more weapons in Jersey than the State government thought.


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## TG (Jul 28, 2014)

It all ENTIRELY depends on the type of disaster.


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## oddapple (Dec 9, 2013)

I have from basic to ++pro in more of those skills than not. Lots of country people (that haven't gone disability) still have multiple common skills.

It seems that they have made such an issue of the power grid one better plan for at least that. For months.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

From what I was reading in the what will you miss thread it appears that chocolate, and coffee will be great barter items.


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Though alcohol might be good barter, it often makes people do stupid things.


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## ghostman (Dec 11, 2014)

From what I have read here is a general theory of what will happen after lets say an economic collapse. Several years or maybe even months after everything falls apart communities will have a farmers/flea market setup where people will barter for goods and services.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Auntie said:


> From what I was reading in the what will you miss thread it appears that chocolate, and coffee will be great barter items.


 Coffee we have a stock pile but it don't last forever. There is no suitable replacement, and you can not grow the beans here. If we get to a true SHTF we are locking the world out and going back to the 1800's way of life here. Our family did it and they made it so can we.


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## Moonshinedave (Mar 28, 2013)

I think you are right on with cigarettes and liquor, I think people will be looking for "pleasure items" like candy and coffee/tea. Someone once mentioned women will start wanting girlie stuff lipstick, smell pretty, shinny stuff. I figure after a while people will settle in on their lifestyle, but will begin to long for life's little pleasures, and will be willing to trade nicely for them. Then again, I could be wrong.


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## 3forus (Sep 8, 2014)

I will guarantee you will do well with woman's personal hygiene products tampons and pads. Another will be shampoo conditioner, soap, birth control, razors for leg shaving, ANY husband will trade good for what his lady needs, just saying


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## tango (Apr 12, 2013)

What do you use on a daily/weekly basis?
What things do you like for comfort?

That is what is good for barter.


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## James m (Mar 11, 2014)

If someone finds out you have a bunch of gold / silver. I do believe they may come back with a few friends.


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

The ultimate trade item if you have room for a garden and it won't put you in jail either like some other trade items you can grow!!!
tobacco seeds The Tobacco Seed Company - Grow Your Own Tobacco Plants


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

I'd be more inclined to want ammo after the $hit settles down. Ammo will be the new PM


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

Both ammo and tobacco will be good trade items but tobacco seeds cost a lot less and can give you more tobacco seeds if you buy the heirloom seeds.


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## Diver (Nov 22, 2014)

Personally I try to have very balanced preps, but recognize I am almost certainly going to have too much of something and too little of something else. If we get into a world where barter becomes the norm, whatever I have too much of will be my barter items.


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

James m said:


> If someone finds out you have a bunch of gold / silver. I do believe they may come back with a few friends.


Think about what you just said for a few minutes.....

Never mind. I'll help you.

The same people who claim PMs are worthless when SHTF are the same people who say what you just said. Makes absolutely no sense. Sounds like a fun thing to let fall on to the keyboard, it seems, but makes no sense.

Those people who come for your PMs will come for your stores, you wife, you....PMs are not some sort of magical item.

PMs are not barter, they are money, by the way. Money, unlike currency or barter items, is a store of wealth that stands the test of time. When I say time, I mean thousands of years. No currency or barter item can do that.

As far as someone taking whatever it is that I have, I have other metals to make sure that, if they do get my possessions, they can say they earned every morsel of food they took.


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## Diver (Nov 22, 2014)

I would also add the thought that today PMs are expensive and almost any prepper item from food to toilet paper is relatively cheap. In a post apocalyptic world the reverse is likely to be true. As a result, you'd be better off buying preps now and trading those for PMs later.

The real use for PMs is as an inflation hedge in a non-SHTF world.


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## Doc Holliday (Dec 22, 2012)

Although I had to sell my PM's a while back, I hope to sometime in the near future to start again. The only metals I am stock piling at the moment is Lead alloy and as much as I can get. I pick up pewter at thrift stores for the Tin to add to my alloy for fill out in my molds. 

If anyone can get by me and mine to get to our stock of preps.... they have earned it in spades. 

If I had to pick something to barter with it would be normal items that people will want (dollar store toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash, female products, coffee, soap, shampoo, even seeds ect..) 
I will never barter my ammo! I wont give someone the means to take from me later on.


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## TacticalCanuck (Aug 5, 2014)

Tooth brushes and toothpaste. The longer out the more the worth.


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## Diver (Nov 22, 2014)

TacticalCanuck said:


> Tooth brushes and toothpaste. The longer out the more the worth.


and nobody is going to break into your house today for a bunch of toothpaste.


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## warrior4 (Oct 16, 2013)

I've had a thought that fire starting material could be a good barter as well. While many have seen people use a bow drill very very few have actually practiced it or gotten a fire going with it. I've been stocking up on dryer lint whenever I get the chance. Manly because most people just throw it away so it's free and easy to obtain. I've very confident in my fire starting abilities so I don't really need nearly as much as I've got on hand, thus being able to barter it for other things. If I tell you I've got some lint that can spark a fire to help you cook your food, boil your water, and keep you warm at night that sounds like it would be worth something.


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## Tennessee (Feb 1, 2014)

I have PMs in my preps. I think as long as you are balanced in your prepping it’s a good ideal. People have been trading PMs since day one and will continue. You can have too many cows, chickens, toilet paper, etc. But I never heard some say they have too many PMs. If you are in a society where people can barter then PMs are a good thing to have and trade. Because PMs don't have a shelf life, they don’t go bad, take up very little space to store and they store forever. But remember one thing you can eat them.


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## Notsoyoung (Dec 2, 2013)

FoolAmI said:


> The ultimate trade item if you have room for a garden and it won't put you in jail either like some other trade items you can grow!!!
> tobacco seeds The Tobacco Seed Company - Grow Your Own Tobacco Plants


Just a warning: It is illegal for an individual to grow a tobacco plant in the State of Illinois, even if it is only for personal consumption. IMO it's because if you grow it, they can't tax it.


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## Notsoyoung (Dec 2, 2013)

I have read article by several people who have survived in areas where there has been economic or social collapse on something they both mention that was a big barter item was Bic lighters. 

IMO there will be allot of things that seems fairly common but would make good trade items. Aspirin or other common drugs that can be used not only to reduce pain but lower fevers. Toilet paper, feminine hygiene products Anti diarrhea medication will be in high demand as the quality of drinking water drops. Anti-bacterial/antibiotics will be in high demand. 

Ammo will be in high demand, and although there is the question of them using the ammo against you, you will have to balance the benefits over the dangers. As things start to become more stabilized and new communities start to form, I would not have a problem swapping ammo with the neighbor down the road for a pig if I knew him and got along well with him. One thing though, I would be hesitant to swap entire boxes of ammo, but instead would dole it out 5 or 10 rounds at a time. 

Personal hygiene products, tools for work on wood and tools for gardening will be in demand. Socks, blankets, boots, jackets, wool hats, gloves, will all be in demand. Think of what you buy and use regularly.


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## SARGE7402 (Nov 18, 2012)

I got news for folks when there's no TP there is a crisis


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## slewfoot (Nov 6, 2013)

What slippy said.


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## Danm (Nov 15, 2014)

i have been storing ciggerets booze and army blankets cheap knives and such for barter. but pm i would keep to myself for after things settle feel like during shtf i would be a target.


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## oddapple (Dec 9, 2013)

Danm said:


> i have been storing ciggerets booze and army blankets cheap knives and such for barter. but pm i would keep to myself for after things settle feel like during shtf i would be a target.


Yes. Food, liquor, tobacco, blankets, coats hats and gloves , drugs, tools/weapons, - stuff to keep warm will be big in this


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## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

Depending on the circumstances sex will be a barter item. It's very common in times of strife. Obviously women will have the market cornered with this item.


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## tinkerhell (Oct 8, 2014)

Hygiene items are cheap(use coupons), important, good for barter and good will, and won't announce to anyone that you have food.


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## oddapple (Dec 9, 2013)

Sasquatch said:


> Depending on the circumstances sex will be a barter item. It's very common in times of strife. Obviously women will have the market cornered with this item.


Why would anyone trade for what they can take? Kinda disgusting too.


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## rjd25 (Nov 27, 2014)

bars of soap, coffee, chocolate, liquor, pot?, PM's, ammo, cigs, stuff like that I would say...


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## 3percent (Dec 28, 2014)

Those bars of Ivory soap. You know, the plain jane ones that are only soap and cost next to nothing. Nice thing is too...they break in half real easy. Used to trade that stuff in the Marines, believe it or not.

The lady hygiene products would go well too. 

Don't drink or smoke, but I have been thinking of buying up some cheap smokes and vacuum sealing them as individual packs and storing them. Not sure how long it would last. Maybe a few cartons or so.

For liquor, I am going to purchase a bunch of those air plane bottles. Vodka and regular whiskey. Figure they would be sort of like small denomination bills and would be easier to trade for smaller items.

Been collecting cheap ammo too. You know that Tula steel casing stuff? It shoots pretty good, just kind of bad on a chamber. I set that stuff to the side for barter and only shoot my brass. But, it's fairly cheap and it's sure as hell better than nothing. 

Clean drinking water or a way to clean it may be good for trade too.

Better watch your six when you trade though. Make sure you don't give the impression you are the local wally world. PM's would be supper last resort.


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