Can anyone tell me why this ugly old propane heater is making me so happy right now?
We just traded this brown thing taking up space in our garage for a new, crystal-clear, crack-free Subaru windshield. And let me tell you, I feel like MONEY! To my chagrin, after my windshield was installed, the bartering just continued. Prepared to pay a commission to our friend who stored the heater in his stove shop and set up the deal, he said, "No money! Just help us install a new front door, and we'll pay you for your extra time. Oh, and go on a river trip with us this summer." OK!
This trade has me extra impassioned about the barter economy. I've used this little under-ground economy quite a bit in the past. When I owned a food business, I traded sandwiches for massages, manicures, pedicures, facials, and land-scape design. OMG I was so glamorous back then. Now I'm excited by a windshield.
In what ways has our current economy effected the barter economy? After all, isn't this the original economy? It makes sense that we would return to it in hard economic times. I rather like the idea of just trading things for things rather than working for money to trade the money for the things. In some ways, bartering seems to give the items being traded a more true value. The two parties agree to its worth, in a very personal way, rather than the infinitely complex monetary economy brewing around us.
Now, we need to find something to trade for the new mountain bike Scott is dreaming about.
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