# Trading post?



## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

Hi,
As some of you know I'm pretty well set with supplies for about 18 months I'm still getting stuff for
myself, But at the same time I'm gathering up stuff for a trading post. The question is what will
the sheepeople or preppers need? Chit man that's the problem they are going to need everything 
from toilet paper to reading glasses. So almost anything I see on sale cheap I pick up some or a lot of it.
I must have 600 rolls of toilet paper and even school books and rock candy for the kids.
The stuff that is cheap and plentiful will be life saving after TSHTF. So I got thinking why not
have a bunch of one thing to go along with everything else? I was pricing tobacco and a can of rolling
tobacco is about $34 for 6 ounces (top or bugler) but at smokers friendly I can get it for about $18 a
pound. It comes in a big sealed bag about the size of a big bag of potato chips. I'm on a budget but
I sell junk on ebay and trade for stuff. Any profits go towards prepping. That way I can prep without
banging up my income or savings. So what if I start stocking up on tobacco? It's cheap and plentiful. 
I bet after the SHTF it will be tough to find a smoke. 
I will have a secure location to use as a place to trade. Thoughts?


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## shotlady (Aug 30, 2012)

it is my same plan and I have prepped towards this. I haven't prepped for tobacco sales. I hit the dollar store and got the 10 packs of tooth brushes. dollar store glasses, qtips, shampoos body washes. I went bananas on soap. ivory because it takes less water to wash off. I really do wish there was a way for me to extend the life of seeds. so I can have shoe boxes full of them. also hand tools, hoe, rakes, shovels, nails, screws and screwdrivers, hammers. I also got the matchbook packs. dental floss. I had to ask myself, whats small that I can pack the most units in a space for individual sale... 
I spend time in homedepot and just kinda stand there.look a round and think basic life. same thing with dollar store.

whats the expiration date of tobacco?


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## Will2 (Mar 20, 2013)

take into consideration shelf life.

you are basically doing retail. The only difference Is you will likely be reduced to barter. 

none the less in wrol without security i.e. paid staff, you will probably get robbed.

imo get what you need first.

there should be a demand for anything after shtf that there is now...the demands will probably be similar.as people will not want to stay dependent.

more or less you should do camping/gardening shop to get an idea of what people will need.

people won't be able to pay for anything more than the basics.. food and water. most anything else will probably be for labour rebuilding whatever damaged infrastructure, supplying products or aiding a war effort.

I think people have a pretty defeatist live in stone age mentality but I think people will be far more prone to rebuilding community even in utter devestation. Any stores will be controlled by rule of force. running a store in wrol is just asking to be robbed.All goods will be looted and all resistance will be met with lethal force.

think raiding party.

in desperation people will riot they will loot and they will engage in banditry.


I hear there is a new madmax film coming out.

from this firefighting stuff I've been doing.. I pretty much get the sense if any form of government is up they will take any resource that is needed.


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## pheniox17 (Dec 12, 2013)

tabbacco is generally 2 years "use by date"

better off learning to grow and cure, and "trade" with close friends until the day comes (you will need accurate scales and 50grams is the best to sell as trade (post shtf), and pipes, be very carful tho the same implanents for the ciggies are the same for weed) 

trade with friends by the kg

other advice (I don't plan to be a trading post for this reason) security, you need lots of it.....


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## Montana Rancher (Mar 4, 2013)

budgetprepp-n said:


> Hi,
> As some of you know I'm pretty well set with supplies for about 18 months I'm still getting stuff for
> myself, But at the same time I'm gathering up stuff for a trading post. The question is what will
> the sheepeople or preppers need? Chit man that's the problem they are going to need everything
> ...


A good barter item is this

How to Use a Bidet: 7 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow

Forget the convenience of toilet paper SHTF think easy, if you search Amazon for portable Bidet, you will find easy SHTF options that are the cats meow.


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## bigdogbuc (Mar 23, 2012)

I would keep a small inventory on hand, the rest in a well hidden location. Several of them for that matter. It's an all your eggs in one basket type of thing. 

If you don't have something on hand, but you have it in stock, tell 'em to give you a couple days to "see what you can come up with" and check back. Your other option is to go mobile, that way you're not a sitting duck.

I think tobacco would be an excellent commodity. And lets face it, unless you're the one smoking it, do you really care about freshness? In a SHTF situation, society has collapsed, smokers will roll dried grass clippings if they can find paper. 

I have run across people that have been so desperate, they picked through butt cans at grocery stores and stuff, then rolled the tobacco they scavenged with pages of a phone book. Freshness is the last thing on their mind.


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## Montana Rancher (Mar 4, 2013)

Sorry to sleepy to pull up my last post but here is a sampling

Barter after SHTF is about pioneer skills so consider

Clothes pins
Mouse Traps
.22 rounds
.17 pellets
Traps
Lye
Canning lids
Canning Jars
Pressure cookers
Heirloom seeds
Copper tubing
Gas
Diesel
Any vehicle that doesn't use a computer
Water
Water distribution
Relations with Neighbors
Guns and ammo 
Since its Easter, a full knowledge of Jesus Christ and eternal salvation, that way you can be stupid and still spend eternity in heaven.
IMO Tobacco is a poor prep, Alcohol would be better as it has a larger audience.
Which leaves me to the ultimate prep, a alcohol still.


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## spokes (Feb 22, 2014)

Hit auctions, consignment shops, etc and watch for kerosene lamps, candles and the like. People will need light when it is dark. Also matches, lighters (those are a dollar store find also, you can get packages of 6 for next to nothing).

Excellent idea, but I agree. Prepare to barter and get good at it!


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## nephilim (Jan 20, 2014)

The one issue with an alcohol still is the high amount of methanol which can seep into your home spirits. I'd stick to beers and ales, which can be exceedingly potent, takes 6 weeks to brew a decent batch and can be done just by keeping the brew in regular room temperature conditions unlike spirits which require boiling and high heating to create them (from what I've read). 

Also you can do hedgerow wines at room temperature (elderflower wine, rose petals wine, mead etc). But yes, alcohol is perhaps the best bartering object you can have and if you can make your own, you'll be in a great stead as people always want it.


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## shotlady (Aug 30, 2012)

I think that now they have powdered alcohol coming out we can pack and store more in less space to!!! im going to come up on that!!


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## pheniox17 (Dec 12, 2013)

shotlady said:


> I think that now they have powdered alcohol coming out we can pack and store more in less space to!!! im going to come up on that!!


one of our news programs was taking the piss out of that last night

"only in America"

yet here in oz we get all present mix in cans (rum and coke etc)


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

I'm waiting for someone to come out with packets of instant water!

I think most of us have thought about the idea of having a few things to barter. I've been thinking about the "cheap a$$ knife channel" where they offer 120 knives (mostly folders, a few Bowie types and a couple of Samurai swords) for $120. Who knows, the idiots who didn't prepare and don't know better would probably be willing to buy them for big $$$$. Being a paramedic for so many years, I've got a ton of bandages and dressings and the like, but I doubt I would use for barter, until the dust settles.


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## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

I would think a Trading Post in town would be a great thing for a community. I look for the small town
not to far from here to sort of shut themselves off to rest of the world.
The right building would be easy to secure and why not have more than one vendor? 
No currency but still a place to go shopping trade what extras you have for something you need. 
Barter town i got lots of small solar stuff


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## RogerD (Mar 31, 2014)

Montana Rancher said:


> Alcohol would be better as it has a larger audience. Which leaves me to the ultimate prep, a alcohol still.


This ideal has been on my mind for a while now. I have a nice size small farm (68 acres) thats nicely hidden from sight and have the equipment to grow my own grains for a still. I'm thinking alcohol would be a good barter item plus the left over mash is a good animal feed. I'm also looking at trying to convert one of my old tractors to ethanol, so I will have a long term fuel source.


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## jimLE (Feb 8, 2014)

* prep for your self first.get what (YOU) need to survive..and if you see something (YOU) can use now and/or after the shetf happens.and if there's more to the package then what your looking for.ask your self.will someone trade for this after tshtf..and what will its worth be after tshtf? will people in my area need/want this?will people just traveling through need/want this?..if so,is it worth stocking up on now or later on?always look for expiration dates.even gauze and band-aids have **expiration dates.but yet not always printed on the packaging..*


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## Xtrento (Dec 11, 2013)

You better be well prepared to defend your trading post against bandits.


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## jimLE (Feb 8, 2014)

*i just thought of something..flashlights and rechargeable batteries for them.and there's some flashlights with batteries **built into them,and can be plugged into a outlet to charge it.and that means having a way of recharging them..now if you had all that.and a way of recharging what needs recharging.like a solar panel,power converter,and everything else to go with it.then you have something to barter with.now lets say you have a way to recharge batteries for someone..what do they have to trade you for doing that for them?i have 2 chargers.one electric.and the other is solar powered.after the shtf.i'll ask.what can you give me for recharging your batteries for you? and it has to be some thing I need and want..*


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## DanteAHellsong (Apr 16, 2014)

Couple of things come to mind while reading these messages, my Mother home brews some pretty sweet waters IMO >.>
Any how, my question is what are you guys planing to use for yeast. Only grapes have it as part of the seeded fruit, so grape wine is easy enough. But for all the rest, how do you plan to make or culture your own yeast. Beside that how many of you would be brewers have the regular income of sugar to keep long term brewing operations running. Also please know that brewing and cooking yeast are very different bacteria


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## DanteAHellsong (Apr 16, 2014)

The though occurs to me as I muddle about in the forums, you want to trade then I would recommend renewable resources such as pine resin or fire making utilities, things you can sit down and make rather easily enough without openly advertising "hey world of chaos, I has extra things!" Knowledge is power and few in this world are well armed if you catch my meaning 
Things that you can't make yourself you should keep for yourself. While the wealth of resources growing all around you should be examined thoroughly then exploited to the best of your abilities. Even knowing you guys, I don't know anyone else who can walk I to the woods with a six pack of bottles or cans and my usual belted on tools then walk out in a day or so with a take down bow arrows and all the utensils I need for making more. But when bullets start to run down, how much would those be worth to you then? Just food for thought for all you fine young friends out there :3


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

Most all thin skinned fruit and berries have yeast on them when they grow. That is one of the nice things about Jerusalem Artichokes - you use the stalks that collect yeast from the air to ferment your mash - just like grapes, apples, blue berries and on and on. The yeast is living in the air and settles on those things that have the sugars they like. I use the same method to make sourdough starter - the yeast is free.


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## DanteAHellsong (Apr 16, 2014)

PaulS said:


> Most all thin skinned fruit and berries have yeast on them when they grow. That is one of the nice things about Jerusalem Artichokes - you use the stalks that collect yeast from the air to ferment your mash - just like grapes, apples, blue berries and on and on. The yeast is living in the air and settles on those things that have the sugars they like. I use the same method to make sourdough starter - the yeast is free.


Thank you that was what I was wondering, now I just have to figure out how to harvest and preserve it... I hate those little packets you buy at the store. I know how to make bakers yeast. It's brewers yeast that has befuddled me for so blasted long!


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