Attached is my article on barter and trade in .pdf format.
I am a firm believer in having some trade goods, PMs (if I can ever afford them), as well as all the normal prepper items that will be for my use.
I do have some goods that are for use as humanitarian aid, for people that I am willing to help for whatever reason. Most of the time, by a huge margin, the humanitarian aid things will be given to my chosen recipient through some type of intermediary or anonymously so no one will know that the items came from me. I consider it far too risky for anyone to know I have 'so much' that I am willing to give it away. Because if I give it to someone, I should give it to them. Bad situation all the way around.
A few points that are not in the article:
1) Though I do list 190-proof Everclear as a trade good, I also stock it for my own use, primarily as a medical item. And although Everclear can be consumed as a drink, though it absolutely must be mixed with something, else it can do major damage to a person's mouth, tongue, throat, and stomach, up to killing one. So, because I have leftover partial bottles of alcohol from the time when I would drink occasionally and had family and friends that drank socially, I do intend to use them as trade goods. And because they are premiums, this is one of the cases where I will expect and demand a premium trade in exchange. If someone just wants a drink to have a drink, they can trade for all the cheap stuff that people are stocking up on, or simply will have when the time comes.
Also, I intend to use the premiums as gifts, welcoming people, tension breakers, and for other purposes where a drink of the good stuff will be greatly to my advantage even if I do not get anything directly in return.
The same thing goes for a few other luxury items, too. For my use, my family and friends, and to generate some type of goodwill that may be to my advantage in the future.
2) I do not specifically list birth control items. Partly because condoms have expiration dates, and the other items that can be used that are even reasonably effective are, in my opinion, not effective enough to prevent someone getting pregnant using them, and they or some representing them, decides that it was my fault, my responsibility, or are simply angry enough to attack.
And while some believe that birth control will not be a big thing in the PAW I believe otherwise. I think that there will be many people that absolutely will not want to risk having a child under the conditions that people will be in, at least not until some time in the future when things will be better. Many people are going to be looking for alternatives to the natural systems, and will be very angry at anyone that trades them something that wound up not working.
3) The list is not a recommendation to get everything on it. It is simply a list of possibilities that I consider and that others might consider if they had thought of them.
4) It is, as with pretty much everything I post, Just my opinion.
5) PMs (Precious Metals) are mentioned in the article, but I do have an article and a couple of spreadsheets that go into PMs in more detail. Anyone interested, just ask and I will post them, assuming the new software will allow the attachment of .xls files as listed in the Attachment section.
6) There are hundreds of other things that people will use for barter and trade. There is no way to figure out exactly what one person might want in the future, during and after a major disaster or other events. Every person is different, and there are major differences in what people need and will want in the various areas in which they live. So, I am sure that others will think of things specific to their situation that will be much better as trade goods than those on my list. It is a good idea to be aware anytime one is out and about for not only many other prepper needs and possible solutions, but also with possible trade good possibilities in mind.
Just my opinion.
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