Why People Like To Swap Or Trade It

By Beryl Dalton


Another man's trash may be another man's treasure, but it's also true that things that are perfectly good may simply no longer be needed. That does't mean that others don't need it just as much as you once did. When you have such an item, swap or trade it for something you need now. This kind of transaction can be a lot more satisfying than discarding or donating still-usable stuff and buying more for cash.

Say for instance that you keep free-range hens and have more eggs than you can use for your family. Selling them would raise cash that you could use for the next sack of chicken feed. However, you may also be able to trade those eggs - worth up to four dollars a dozen - for things you routinely spend money on.

Maybe you admire a neighbor's perennial borders, full of color from early spring to the end of fall. Think about offering to barter eggs for bulbs, root divisions, or bushes from that garden instead of shopping at the garden center. Use the money you would have spent at the nursery to buy chicken feed.

Sure, you're not getting cash for your eggs by swapping for plants. However, you also aren't paying the local garden center high prices for new ornaments for your home and garden. Take the money you save on plants and buy the next bag of chicken feed. Pretty soon, you may be trading eggs all over the neighborhood for many different things you can use.

There are designated 'swap meets' where people trade everything from cars and trucks to clothing. These can be really fun, since you never know what you'll find. People also exchange services, like house painting, lawn mowing, or carpentry. The whole idea of getting away from boring old money is intriguing.

Local classified ad magazines, many of which will publish an ad for free, often have entries that say: will trade for (whatever) in good condition. If you have a whatever on hand, you're golden.

Swapping and trading are great for those who either don't have a lot of discretionary income or who choose not to use money to get things they want. Those on a strict budget may not allow themselves 'mad money', but they can't go wrong trading surplus or out-grown items for things they haven't budgeted for. Shopping is addictive because it's fun, not just for the things acquired. Bartering gives those strapped for cash a way to join in.

People who live on small incomes, who prefer to get by without a nine-to-five job, or just like the idea of barter rather than money exchange love trading. Canny traders can often get more than retail for items that people want; not everyone knows values well enough to judge correctly. People may not even mind paying a little more to enjoy the down-home atmosphere that goes with face-to-face bargaining.




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