I am not surprised. After a few trades I think most people would figure out the value of one good in terms of another, especially since each one would be providing one of the goods and not just currency.
I am sure the barter system in DC was set up to avoid taxes, whether income or sales.
I am sure it was all about avoiding taxes. Tho I see from another post that it’s now become taxable, maybe why I haven’t heard of it in a long time. Seemed such a good idea!