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Thread: Bartering And Horse Trading (Part Duh)

  1. #51
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    Re: Bartering And Horse Trading (Part Duh)

    Quote Originally Posted by Mouse
    My wife likes to junk, and many in my family.

    She scored a really nice wood basket with needlepoint accents and it was full of needelpoint floss, needles, various tools for needlepoint, two pairs of electric scissors and a bunch of other stuff for a few buxks at a garage sale. She hits the sales usually weekly and comes back with generally good stuff and only spends a few bucks on it. Its only hobby stuff for her or useful things that she will consider.

    She found a dripolator coffeemaker at a sale and talked them down to 15 bux (still too much if you ask me), but it's porcelain and in mint shape. It's the cleanest dripolator anyone has seen since they made them. That's our shtf coffee setup. It's like brand new.

    I bought a tool box for my cucv chevy wood truck for 15 bux. I grinded off the old paint and did some quick repairs, bought a few cans of cheapie 3 bucks spray paint and have a tool box for my truck. I could have got a nice used box for 100-150 bux. I made my own nice used box.

    It goes on forever what you can find if you are looking out for it. The price is always negotiated DOWN. I don't care what it is.
    Hi Mouse. I must apologize for having not posted and responded for so long. I don’t really have an excuse. I have thought about posting a hundred times but every time either something happens that needs attention or I get the wind knocked out of my sails. I wonder if others are having the same difficulty at this time in history. Anyhow, I’m Baaack !

    It sounds like you have a great wife and family there; with so many barterer and horse traders you all will be able to make your dollars stretch to the breaking point. I suggest that you each put together a list of your wants and needs. And share copies to each other. This way, when any one of you are out there on the hunt you will be the eyes and ears for each other - thus multiplying the odds of finding what you need. I even pay a finder’s fee for some items; this has made me deals and money that I otherwise would not have ever known about.

    The sewing and knitting items that your wife found at garage sale prices would have cost many times more if she had bought them new. Besides saving a load of after tax money you had earned, she also bought these items with no state sales tax. And something that few consider is how your wife’s (and your) lives were enriched since she probably would haven’t bought these items if she had to have paid full retail. I bet momma was happy and you know the old saying “If momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy”.

    I can look all around my place and see items that I had found for practically nothing that I would have never bought new. Some we can use and some will be resold at a profit later. It’s all good. Remember what Ponce said about living in Cuba where many, many things cannot be bought at any price. Ponce believes that we will become like Cuba in time and that we should have multiples of things we take for granted such as coffee machines, toasters, drills, etc. I listen to Ponce and ACT on his wisdom and have accumulated backup items for the years to come. I just hope it will not be for 50 years like in Cuba.

    Good score on the $15 toolbox. New it would have been hundreds of dollars, used it would have been $100-150 as you wrote, but you practically stole it for $15 ! As I have written through the years, we as a society are moving from form to function. Form is new, modern and most expensive while function is at the lowest price we can pay for the same utility of the item.

    Wouldn’t it be interesting if we all were to calculate the savings by buying used items and then invest that savings into physical silver ? Could amount to a life’s savings in time. But this doesn’t usually happen since we all are pinching pennies and don’t have discretionary money for long term investments.

    A few days ago I received a call from a seller who I had put on the back burner. It was for a large quantity of vinyl records. I wrote of this in post #41 on Sept 29 when I had first met this seller. So it has been two and a half months until I completed the deal. Turns out, he had “only” 1,400 records. I bought them for a total of $100. There were about 25 half speed master recordings. The last one I bought 15 years ago cost me $31 new. So I guess I got more that what I paid for in just those 25 records. The rest were a lifetime collection of rock and roll starting in the mid 1960s. Some really great stuff.

    And to top that, he sold me a laser guided Technics turntable where the person never touches the tone arm; it is automatic. This accounts for why almost all of the records had no scratches on them. Oh, by the way, he sold me the turntable for $5 !

    I asked the all important question, “What else have you got for sale ? He had about 60 Cds for $5; I bought them, not knowing what they were and later found about 15 I put aside for my own listening.. The rest I may give away or sell at a garage sale. Hey, I’m a packrat and can’t help myself.

    He asked if I was interested in antiques and then pulled out a box full of antique jewelry and art objects. Some beautiful jade and ivory pieces. I still haven’t valued them all. A carved ivory bracelet like mine was on Ebay for $350 and some of the jade pieces were surprisingly expensive from what I could gather from Ebay and retail prices. The whole box cost me $30 !

    This seller has lots more he wants to get rid of including a huge chest full of old baseball cards going back to the days of Babe Ruth and earlier. He said that they are in protective individual packaging. I know almost nothing about baseball cards and could lose my ass so I need to do some research before going into this. The whole chest may cost a couple of thousand dollars and I’m not sure that I want to risk this much capital. I’ve done this in the past and always come out smelling like roses but just one big slipup can destroy a year’s bargain hunting profits. My hesitance is that baseball cards are a hobby and the economy is bad and fragile and could break down without warning. So who would want baseball cards after a market crash ? Well, if I could get the lot cheap and sell off enough cards to recoup my initial investment within short order, it may be worth the risk.

    And who knows; maybe I won’t even be able to make this baseball card deal in the future. This is why I always have my eyes and ears open for deals to make. Some fall through and some come in big winners but I try to always have some deals in the works.

    Best wishes,

    Agnut


    The Coinage Act of April 2, 1792
    (1 Stat. 246)
    Statute I.
    April 2, 1792 Chapter XVI.–An Act Establishing a Mint, and regulating the coins of the United States.
    Section 19. And be it further enacted, That if any of the gold or silver coins which shall be struck or coined at the said mint shall be debased or made worse as to the proportion of the fine gold or fine silver therein contained, or shall be of less weight or value than the same out to be pursuant to the directions of this act, through the default or with the connivance of any of the officers or persons who shall be employed at the said mint, for the purpose of profit or gain, or otherwise with a fraudulent intent, and if any of the said officers or persons shall embezzle any of the metals which shall at any time be committed to their charge for the purpose of being coined, or any of the coins which shall be struck or coined at the said mint, every such officer or person who shall commit any or either of the said offenses, shall be deemed guilty of felony, and shall suffer death.



  2. #52
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    Re: Bartering And Horse Trading (Part Duh)

    Quote Originally Posted by zap
    My meat man ( the butcher )called me this am, wanted to know how I was doing on meat did I have a freezer full?

    Hahah I laughed, he just wants cigars, so I told him I am running low on Filet Minion, Rib eye.

    Ok he says, I'll get a box packed for you come on down, Guess I am going trading today!
    Hi Zap. I guess you could say that in bartering and horse trading, you get right to the meat of the matter. Last summer I tried trading boxes of Iowa beef for a transmission rebuild but so far, no cigar. But you never know, the seller may need my services and I have kept his phone number.

    I cannot overemphasize the importance of keeping records and phone numbers for future networking. In my last post I wrote of waiting two and a half months for a record deal. If I hadn’t called him occasionally (bordering on pestering, actually), I would have missed the deal. And future deals with him. Only time will tell as to how big this one connection will turn out. The uncertainty in deal making can be a positive in that so many folks avoid uncertainty like the plague; therefore there is little competition.

    It is oxymoronic (especially the moron part) that most folks will not venture forth into what they perceive as the unknown/uncertainty of taking a risk when the reality is that Not taking a risk is a far, far greater potential loss than to have taken the risk/venture in itself. Because only by expanding our horizons can we see the broader picture and grow to become more that we were in the past.

    Best wishes,

    Agnut

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    Re: Bartering And Horse Trading (Part Duh)

    Have been doing well on the bartering aspect as well. We gave out a lot of extra garden produce in the summer and have been giving extra eggs to the neighbors (There is about....5 neighbors within half-mile). We aren't looking for paybacks in particular, but more to judge the basic state of the neighbors. We got thank-you's on almost all of the produce. We started getting eggs from our chickens, more than we could use by far, and started just sending some around the immediate area.

    It's all good. We keep sending out eggs to a few of the neighbors and with the veggies and so-forth all the sudden we have helpers if we need to do something, we have some regular egg customers that trade in beef or future favors with brush-hogging or wood cutting or whatever.

    We are newbs at this stuff and people are trading eggs and veggies and labor favors. All the other stuff will fit right in there - you need a tool? Your stove has a crack in it? You need your truck fixed? Around here, at least real close around here, about 50% is let's put in and work together, trade together, and more I am realizing these folks are thinking defending together.

    Bartering and horse trading is a very worthwhile outlet. It might not make sense to the city people, but out here people barter and trade all the time for everything, and it's just a way of living. People will give you stuff you need and you give them stuff, and there aren't really books kept officially, it's just an arm's length and moral view - if I took 5 dozen eggs from you this month should I give you how much ground beef or steak, or how much work helping you do whatever - and it's all just time and materials and in fantasy land this shit works. It's a value based, relatively fair, we keep some karma account of what we owe eachother and it balances out.

    Not to say you shouldn't rape on garage sales, but the whole trading network with your neighbors.....I would have never imagined until I moved out of the cities. It's a tough survival out in the woods, but there are rewards in terms of how things work.
    Patience comes to those who wait.....calculate distance, drop, wind speed, relax and gently commit.

    Once the economist's neurons and dendrites are fully programmed (usually for life), economists serve as robotic broadcasting devices explicitly designed to hide the political nature of the economy from the public. In other words, the economist serves no function in society except to protect the ruling elites from public scrutiny while they loot the planet. Jay Hanson

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    Re: Bartering And Horse Trading (Part Duh)

    Quote Originally Posted by agnut
    It sounds like you have a great wife and family there; with so many barterer and horse traders you all will be able to make your dollars stretch to the breaking point. I suggest that you each put together a list of your wants and needs. And share copies to each other. This way, when any one of you are out there on the hunt you will be the eyes and ears for each other - thus multiplying the odds of finding what you need. I even pay a finder’s fee for some items; this has made me deals and money that I otherwise would not have ever known about.
    Hi, mouse's wife here. This point is a good one. I learned from a Philipino friend to always keep a list of items that are needed and any measurements in my purse at all times. Because you never know when you come across something that you could use but you don't know the size you need or etc. We were always hitting up sales or the local outdoor fleamarket (oh how I miss that place).

    Also, let others know what you might be looking for, especially if they do alot more garagesaling than you do. My mom loooooves to go to estate sales and garage sales. And she is the expert bargain hunter. I tell her what I'm looking for and in about a month she has one in excellent shape for pennies on the dollar. Bless her soul, she usually just gives it to me and won't let me pay her for it because it cost her so little. Alot of the time, I just mention to her what I've been wanting and she'll say "Well, hunny, I have one of those in storage. Let me get it for you!" I have been wanting a stand mixer. I said something to her about it. She apparently got one years ago at a garage sale for $5. Albeit, it's about 30 years old but she's used it many times and it works like a charm! It's mine the next time I see her I wish everyone could be blessed with a mom like her. She has been an inspiration and the best mom ever.

    Quote Originally Posted by TheNocturnalEgyptian View Post
    Be polite to everyone you meet, but have a plan to attack them just in case.
    Quote Originally Posted by Serpo
    What can religion do ...............send people mad,crazy and make people kill.

  5. #55
    Palladium agnut's Avatar
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    Re: Bartering And Horse Trading (Part Duh)


    Spectrism, that silverware and goblets you got was an incredible deal. I mean incredibly good; not unbelievable. These great deals do show up from time to time; the key is that we barterer and horse traders HAVE to get out there and see what is being offered. Thanks for the photos and post. The more we all contribute to this thread, the more viewers will read and see such fantastic deals can be made. I mean fantastically good; not a fantasy. HaHa

    Now in your second post you mentioned candles. I too am looking for candles; the bigger the better. Doesn’t matter if they are used or not; the weight of the wax in the candle is my focus. Why ? Well that wax may be melted down later to make candles and you never know, candles and candle wax may become hard to come by. Anybody know what the price is for a pound of candle wax ?It is like when my grandmother collected scraps of cloth and balls of string. She lived through the last depression and the times must have been so scarring/dramatic that for the rest of her life she continued this and other frugalities.

    Through the many conversations with Ponce I have learned a lot and have begun to collect things in multiples that I will need or have for sale when they become expensive or otherwise unavailable. Put on a scale, they would weigh over a ton by now and I am still picking up whatever I can. Fortunately, I have the room to do this with a large barn and outbuildings.

    Your Wagner cast iron fry pan was a bargain. Check on Ebay for relative selling prices. I also have several types of cast iron pieces and am still looking for more. That German meat cleaver would come in handy for processing beef and pork; also good for a home defense weapon (although I prefer a short machete, honed like a razor).

    Keep collecting the nails, especially the 40 and 50 pound boxes like Home Depot sells. I have gotten several boxes for from $1 to $3 a box at garage sales. Ponce has told me that a straight nail in Cuba is worth a dollar because they are so scarce. And forget buying sheets of plywood at any price; its just not available.

    The first place I go to when garage sailing is the free stuff. Copper, brass, aluminum, wiring and lots more. This free stuff will often pay for your gas to get there in the first place.

    Best wishes,

    Agnut

    P.S. Here’s an article about bartering; it seems to be in the process of being more written about as this so called economy unwinds.

    In a Tight Holiday Season, Some Turn to Barter


    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/23/sc....html?_r=2&hpw

  6. #56
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    Re: Bartering And Horse Trading (Part Duh)

    Quote Originally Posted by Mouse
    Have been doing well on the bartering aspect as well. We gave out a lot of extra garden produce in the summer and have been giving extra eggs to the neighbors (There is about....5 neighbors within half-mile). We aren't looking for paybacks in particular, but more to judge the basic state of the neighbors. We got thank-you's on almost all of the produce. We started getting eggs from our chickens, more than we could use by far, and started just sending some around the immediate area.

    It's all good. We keep sending out eggs to a few of the neighbors and with the veggies and so-forth all the sudden we have helpers if we need to do something, we have some regular egg customers that trade in beef or future favors with brush-hogging or wood cutting or whatever.

    We are newbs at this stuff and people are trading eggs and veggies and labor favors. All the other stuff will fit right in there - you need a tool? Your stove has a crack in it? You need your truck fixed? Around here, at least real close around here, about 50% is let's put in and work together, trade together, and more I am realizing these folks are thinking defending together.

    Bartering and horse trading is a very worthwhile outlet. It might not make sense to the city people, but out here people barter and trade all the time for everything, and it's just a way of living. People will give you stuff you need and you give them stuff, and there aren't really books kept officially, it's just an arm's length and moral view - if I took 5 dozen eggs from you this month should I give you how much ground beef or steak, or how much work helping you do whatever - and it's all just time and materials and in fantasy land this sh*t works. It's a value based, relatively fair, we keep some karma account of what we owe eachother and it balances out.

    Not to say you shouldn't rape on garage sales, but the whole trading network with your neighbors.....I would have never imagined until I moved out of the cities. It's a tough survival out in the woods, but there are rewards in terms of how things work.
    Hi Mouse; your generosity with your neighbors pays off in many ways. We do the same thing here with all of the fruits and vegetables we pick up from the local supermarket. Yesterday we got 26 boxes and a friend took 12 boxes for his church members last night. He will return what he can’t give away for our beefalo and chickens. It was totally unexpected but several deals have come our way as a direct result of this. I have written about generosity before as a part of bartering and horse trading. I know you don’t expect paybacks but that seems to be the way it works. Don’t refuse their returning favors; they need to return your generosity in order to sort of “balance the books” in their eyes. What goes around comes around, eh ?

    In the last couple of years I have been seeing sellers advertising that they will take something of value from the buyer. Tools, guns, antiques, etc. Just another sign of the times we are in (and heading into). With the skills and type of neighbors you have, you and your family should be able to weather and even prosper in hard times. I feel much safer living in the country as I’m sure you would agree. I cannot imagine what city life would be like after a collapse what with the gangs, ghettoes, law enforcement, food delivery, etc.

    Always remember that not everyone suffered in the last depression. Having needed work skills as well as bartering skills will carry you through most any adversities.

    As for “raping and pillaging” at garage sales, I have long ago written about this. It is better than buying at a store because there is no sales tax, used items are a mere fraction of their new price, prices are negotiable, lots of unexpected surprises, and more. Deals are consummated in a framework of free will with no coercion as prices are negotiated. If the seller will not sell at a particular price, the counteroffer is next in the buyer‘s court. And so on until an agreement is made. It may seem that you as the buyer “skinned the seller” and made off with a screaming steal. But have you considered what the seller got out of this deal ? Who knows if the seller really needed the money or the item you had that you were bartering with ? Theoretically since there is no coercion and free will agreement, there should be no anger or resentment. Of course, as long as the goods traded were as advertised. No deception, lies or misrepresentations.

    Trading with your neighbors is somewhat different than buying at a garage or estate sale. Your neighbors are like extended family. Trading with neighbors is less cut and dried and generosity in what you give in the deal is a reflection of you character and regard for them. It can be a beautiful thing which cements a community together.

    Best wishes,

    Agnut

    P.P. Mouse, I will respond to your wife’s post as soon as time permits (you lucky son of a gun).


  7. #57
    Iridium Spectrism's Avatar
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    Re: Bartering And Horse Trading (Part Duh)

    Great advice Agnut.

    Mouse- I like the soft touch and summary Agnut gave and that you are using. Neighbors are like friends within the walls of the castle that you all may need to defend together. That is not the place to strike the best bargains but rather an easy exchange of value.

    In yard sales, you are shopping among strangers (mostly) and for all you know, the item that they sell to you for $10 they may have bought last week for $5. I like to be a complete unknown when I buy- whether its silver, supplies or ammo.

    In the neighborhood, you share your capabilities in a more communal cooperation. If you have reasonable neighbors, you have much wealth there.
    SPECTRISM time countdown2025

  8. #58
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    Re: Bartering And Horse Trading (Part Duh)

    Quote Originally Posted by agnut

    Trading with your neighbors is somewhat different than buying at a garage or estate sale. Your neighbors are like extended family. Trading with neighbors is less cut and dried and generosity in what you give in the deal is a reflection of you character and regard for them. It can be a beautiful thing which cements a community together.
    Treat everyone as your neighbor.

    o-->

  9. #59
    Iridium Spectrism's Avatar
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    Re: Bartering And Horse Trading (Part Duh)

    Quote Originally Posted by Book
    Quote Originally Posted by agnut

    Trading with your neighbors is somewhat different than buying at a garage or estate sale. Your neighbors are like extended family. Trading with neighbors is less cut and dried and generosity in what you give in the deal is a reflection of you character and regard for them. It can be a beautiful thing which cements a community together.
    Treat everyone as your neighbor.

    o-->
    While that sounds good, I firmly believe that some people you educate and some you don't. When someone wants to sell me a $300 tool for $10, I don't always tell them that they should ask more. I give them $10 and say thankyou. If it is a nearby neighbor or family, I ask why they are selling.
    SPECTRISM time countdown2025

  10. #60
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    Re: Bartering And Horse Trading (Part Duh)

    Quote Originally Posted by Spectrism

    When someone wants to sell me a $300 tool for $10, I don't always tell them that they should ask more. I give them $10 and say thank you.
    Mouse summarized it best:

    Quote Originally Posted by Mouse

    ...we keep some karma account of what we owe each other and it balances out.





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