I Have Options? What Options?

Barter websites?  What?  Who knew they existed?  Over the past 100 years, bartering has been a way of life during a downturn of an economy.  Now, with the internet as mainstream it has been an amazing portal of not only information but services.  Yes, services…even for free!  There are dozens of sites that exist for exchanges and amazingly enough, there is always a service you can provide for something you need.  Parents have done it for decades; exchanging baby clothes, toys and food.  Does anyone remember Swap TV?  It was on every Saturday morning in Europe in the 80’s and it showcased the barter system even between children…you know, my yoda for your baseball card.

Using your search engine, dozens of bartering websites come up.  Some are totally free and some require a membership, while others you earn points and a few you pay per post.  The idea of the bartering sites is to live a greener life.  Eliminating potential waste in a landfill is more appealing to most than putting that item out by the curb.  On any given Sunday I have seen entertainment centers, TV’s, furniture, tables, microwaves, refrigerators as well!  There are so many bartering sites, it is easy to be as specific as you wish!  Specific barter sites exist to gear your wants to e-commerce, garden seeds, business to business, vacation homes, real estate and cars!  Local schools are getting involved in this upswing of bartering too!  Where schools used to hold seasonal clothing sales, they are now having an enormous swap meet.  Any item from clothes, shoes, household items, furniture, appliances are there!

Just like all of the blog site options, social networking sites and shopping sites out there, quite a few options exist for the barterer.  Check out sites and read their requirements, tax liabilities and any membership fees.  Sites exist for just person to person services, goods for goods and even vacation home for vacation home.  Be aware!  Bartering is free on most occasions…well it should be all of the time however, there are many sites out there that require a membership fee to list what you would like to barter.   This may prove useful to a small business owner that is looking to save on the bottom line or even a larger corporation to join forces in such a way that does not compete with one another.  So---do a search and check out the barter websites today!