Top Post-Collapse Barter Items And Trade Skills

SHTF Plan ^ | 6-10-2011 | Brandon Smith

[dennisw]

It is absolutely amazing how many excellent (often times brand new) barter items can be purchased at garage/yard sales for pennies on the dollar. I add to my stock every week from this source. Sometimes, I buy things (at the right price) that I will never use except as future barter. (As an example) A couple weeks ago, I bought a new heavy duty pair of leather welding gloves for $2.00.

The Chinese/Asians could cut off all exports tomorrow and America has a large enough backlog of computers, great tools, appliance and machines to last us for for years. Repairmen will spring up up all of a sudden and flea markets and garage sales and Craig's list will be where you will find what you want and repair what you want

[dennisw]

Bent nails were on purpose.

[dennisw]

Just about all those post economic collapse skills are guy skills. The present day consumer economy and service economy favors women. In a collapse the economy will favor men. The balance of power will shift towards men, in marriage and other sphere’s. Women, commies and liberals will still dominate the courts and the legal profession so people will have to evade, avoid, skirt, go semi-underground.

[blam]

"Most welders nowdays run on electricity, which may not be readily available after the collapse."

They'd work just as well shucking oysters, I think. Anyway, just $2.00.

[maine yankee]

SHTF PING

[Farmer Dean]

In a true post collapse,most all commies and liberals will have starved to death.People like me will NOT be helping them to survive.Harrassing the producers/survival skill men in court won’t be pretty either.

[blam]

Last week, I bought one of these (practically new) at a garage sale for $10.00 and a smaller one for $5.00. (50-60% worn out)

The week before, I bought a bag of chain saw blades for five bucks... the guy said it had used blades and that there were 10 in the bag. When I got it home and investigated, inside that bag were 6 new Oregon 18", 6 (used once and sharpened) 16" and 2 (used and not sharpened) blades.(each was neatly labled in a zip-lock bag)

These metro-sexual guys are selling their sick, dying or dead fathers' stuff that they could care less about.

[blam]

Solar Panels

[dennisw]

Lots of commies and liberals have the survival skills and trades mentioned. In a collapse hopefully they can adjust to the new reality, get rid of old political beliefs and use those skills. You have millions of hands on union guys who are quite usefully skilled but they always voted lefty due to union ties.

[dennisw]

America has a colossal inventory of survival tools and machinery stashed away in garages and barns. Ever see “American Pickers” on TV? We’ll do great if Asia cuts off from imports... I wish they would!

[DCBryan1]

People ask my why, 2 years ago, I got into beekeeping?

Well, there are several reasons, but mainly, because NOT MANY PEOPLE do it. Honey is a commodity as well as beeswax and propolis (which is a natural neosporin).

Also, strategically placed, are better than dogs as a security element. I have 100lbs test Stren fishing wire hooked tight to the hive body and top cover. If someone kicks in my shed, they are going to get about 100,000 pissed off bees on top of them.

Most people are ignorant of bees and steer well clear of them. It's natural. I find that black people here in Central Arkansas gives my house a VERY wide birth since you can see 4 hives from the road. (And the warning sign (although deceptive) works like a charm too)

[Raven6]

Things I'm stocking up for barter: Bic lighters, matches, oil lamps and lanterns, wicks for same, lamp oil and kerosene, wheel weights, bees wax and parafin, powder, primers, gun cleaning patches and solvent, nails, screws, and any small stuff taken for granted that can be had today "for cheap".

Learn how to process and store your own seed... With some seeds, it is not just a matter of drying them and putting them in a jar - some have to be fermented before you dry them, others have to be "nicked" or "cut" before the moisture will enter allowing the seed to grow. There is a lot of knowledge to be gained before it is needed, so start reading now!

[TruthConquers]

I’ve been working on knowing how to store seeds. But I have not seen anything about fermenting or nicking them. Can you recommend a book or a link, please? Thank you.

[blam]

Nice sign...may be I’ll get one of those.

[Raven6]

T.C., I don't have a book, as I learned this from my grandparents... I will say that I have seen several good sites on the web that will tell you which seeds require certain treatments.

Rule number one is to make sure that you are dealing with "heirloom" seeds, as opposed to hybrid seeds that will not reproduce. That is not to say that something you buy in the store will not provide productive seeds - you just need to make sure that you have the right ones. Tomato seeds are a prime example of ones that you would want to ferment... Just think of this as a process that duplicates a tomato that fell from the vine and rotted on the ground. I store the seeds from a fresh tomato in a small jar, complete with some of the tomato pulp, until they are fermented - about 3 weeks. I then rinse them well, removing all pulp, and place them on a paper towel to dry. Once dry, they go back into a clean jar until time for planting. Start tomato plants in late February or early March in a seed starter cup placed in a warm place, keeping them watered. If you don't have a "green house" make a little framework out of wood or PVC and cover it with plastic drop cloth. Put the starter cups in there with a 100 watt bulb (beware of creating a fire hazard - keep the bulb away from the sides and top.) You can even do this in your garage. Heck, some folks even use their kitchen window sill. Watermelon and several other seeds are done the same way.

I always "nick" the hard seeds (usually the vine plants, but also okra and a few others) with a razor knife or fingernail file, taking off just enough of the hard outer coat to allow moisture entry into the seed and start the growth process.

On potatoes, all you have to do is to take an existing potato and cut it in such a way as to make sure there is an "eye" in each section(I don't know if different areas of the country have different names for this, but it is were the little tube like growths extend from the potato itself). I dig a hole 24-36 inches in diameter and about 10-12 inches deep, just breaking up the soil until it is nice and loose, leaving the soil in place. I then put the piece of potato with the eye pointed upward directly in the middle of the loose soil. The plant will grow, and the loose soil allows for the growth of new potatoes. Just pick your favorite potato and plant away.

Something a lot of folks forget is to make sure your rows in your garden run north to south, so that the plants on either end of the row don't cast a shadow on the plants in the middle as the sun arcs across the sky throughout the day. This way all plants get and equal amount of sun. Plant the tallest growing plants on the outside rows (preferably on just one side of the garden only) if you can only have one garden spot - otherwise put the tall stuff in a garden of its own so that short plants can get all the sunlight possible in their own garden.

Just a tad of information that might be helpful... But there are some very good resources on the net, the best usually being the agricultural extension office of your local state university. The information is usually free... You can even call and talk to a real person about issues you either currently are having to deal with in your garden, or issues that might arise. My local extension even does soil testing so that you can know what you might need to add to your garden for best production.

Regards,
Raven6

[PA Engineer]

Great deal, but sigh.

[TruthConquers]

Oh, thank you so much.

Learning how to grow some food and store the seeds has been fun for me. My daughter says I’m a hobbit that way! Having a love for things that grow, that is. It is my cats that eat a second breakfast.

[familyop]

"Lots of commies and liberals have the survival skills and trades mentioned. In a collapse hopefully they can adjust to the new reality, get rid of old political beliefs and use those skills. You have millions of hands on union guys who are quite usefully skilled but they always voted lefty due to union ties."

Well said. That's happening in my area, even with young dudes who wear dreadlocks on their chins. They're becoming friendlier, growing more vegetables, less dope, learning and working more with technical problems (repairs, construction, etc.) and beginning to speak more in the way of old fashioned philosophies ("no farms, no food"). They're even developing interests in safe and legal uses of firearms and old fashioned ideas about family and security. They're tolerant of and friendly with old men with short haircuts.

...matter of fact, most of the meth problems and the like are coming from an older and more official corrupt kind of people (Gen-X-ers and Baby Boomers). One of those older problem children is a Vietnam vet who brags about drug abuse, manages a respected, local business and describes himself as a "Wiccan."

In many cases, conservatism and greenie-ism (the real kind--not the anti-competition or big ag interests) are meeting. I enjoy sharing knowledge and working with them. ...kinda like doing humanitarian work in Third World places again.

[familyop]

"Also wild rose hips and highbush cranberry. Both plants thrive in Western PA."

Thanks. I'll have a look at those to maybe figure out a way to grow them here, on Mars. ;-)

[DuncanWaring]

Ping.