Top Barter Items For Survival Situations

Survive the Coming Collapse .com ^ | 11/22/12 | DAVID MORRIS

[Kartographer]

Survival Diva here to discuss an important, life-saving tactic that too many Preppers leave out of their preparedness plan. We may think we have everything covered for survival, but what if we’ve prepared for six months or a year when a crisis comes that lingers for years? Few of us have the resources to put three, four, or five years of food storage and preparedness goods aside, but depending upon the emergency, we may need to figure out how to make it through a breakdown in infrastructure lasting that long.

As David has said before, the “stuff” that you store up is only there to help you get from one predictable source of provisions to the next. It won’t last forever, but it will give you time to figure out or set up sustainable solutions.

One of the most obvious choices for developing a sustainable food supply is through gardening…specifically with heirloom seed that can be dried and used season after season. In my opinion heirloom seed is imperative for long term survival. We will need a variety of fresh vegetables and fruits to combat appetite fatigue and for good health, especially when food storage begins to dwindle. If you can afford the cost, adding heirloom seed to your bartering goods stash will give you plenty of bartering leverage.

[21twelve]

That is why you “rent” them out rather than trade. Selco (Bosnia) said that a can of spam was the going rate for 20 minutes of time with a woman.

[JRandomFreeper]

I'm a celibate, so that doesn't really matter to me.

I will put a very sincere stop to any slavery or abuse that I see, though.

/johnny

[jy8z]

Buy heirloom seeds. Hybrid varieties are made for the current growing season and second generation plant will have poor yields, if any at all.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

You should get some germination after two years. But not a lot, maybe 15-20%. Any longer then that and you possible will get nothing. Or you may.

Seeds are odd beasts at the best of times.

[Drango]

Junk Silver. (old coins w/90% silver)By definition will barter very well.

[Old Sarge]

I expect Old Sarge to be along anytime now

Too bloody right I am!

And you all know my position on that subject, too.

[Ramonne]

Salt. I read that a good supply of salt will be worth gold. Don’t know if it is true though.

[gotribe]

Those packaged seeds will last for years. I have some going on 10 years and still strong. You will get some drop-off in the number that germinate, but I plant 2 per spot anyway, and end up fine. Never throw away old seeds unless they’re moldy or sprouted.

[Chode]

.22 could very well be the new equivalent of change... CB's=a nickel, shorts a dime, LR a quarter, Mini-Mags=50c and .22Mags a dollar

[PA Engineer]

For you review, consideration and comment.

Interesting article, but I was a bit troubled by either an emotional or myopic perspective on the part of the author. For instance the author posits a barter situation.

For instance, a doctor who typically charges $120 for an office visit who is in need of a welder who normally charges $60 per hour is likely to trade services equally when the need is great enough.

What if the "doctor" does not require "welding" services and the "welder" does not require "medical" services? What if the welder's neighbor requires medical services, but the welder's neighbor can provide eggs to the welder? There is a problem.

The author then goes on to say:

It isn’t a stretch to imagine a time when gold and silver won’t be as valuable as critical survival goods. Yes, gold and silver will continue to increase in value and are excellent investments, but in my opinion it is better to invest in gold and silver after necessary preparedness goods have been purchased.

This is where I always stop, along with the you can't eat gold and silver. In a short term grid down that will be true. I emphasize short term. Barter is extremely inefficient if not impossible when moving beyond immediate trade between two parties. How does one transfer wealth (barter) when the welder needs eggs, the neighbor needs medical care and the doctor needs neither? The answer is the same as it was with the Romans and before. A "barter" system of something of value that is weighed against services. That system has always been coinage of precious metals. In the case of grid down or economic collapse, that coinage is gold and silver.

For our example of barter, the coinage has to be recognizable. Simply enough we can answer that need with junk silver. The majority of people cannot afford gold, but they can maintain small denominations of silver. Gold will be necessary for wealth protection and restarting the economy. Silver on the other hand will be valuable to solve the inefficiencies of the barter system.

I am certain junk silver should be a part of everyones preparations. MTC. YMMV.

[two23]

Jack Daniels

[PA Engineer]

Beat me. Ditto.

[Domestic Church]

Wars have been fought over salt.

[2ndDivisionVet]

You can’t kill and eat a rabbit, squirrel, deer or pheasant with a dollar bill. Ammunition can feed you, protect you and should be barter gold.

[Jack Hammer]

Thanks all; when I’m chowing down on nice fresh veggies after the apocalypse, I’ll remember your kindness.

[greeneyes]

I was looking at a list of stuff to learn the other day. The thing I was most interested in was a course on gunsmithing.

Now I don’t even own a gun, and have no idea how to even clean one. Still seems like it would be a good skill to have.

I inherited my Grandma’s treadle sewing machine. I learned to sew on that machine. This reminded me I need to get it out of the storage room and see what to do to make it work again. I haven’t done any sewing in so long, I’m not sure I can figure out how to thread it or any other machine I have.

Lots of interesting food for thought.

[Chode]

yup, i guess that's my point, .22 as barter in the place of change you use to pay for small items using .22 in the denominations i listed, what you use it for, either to hunt with or further barter is up to you...

[Secret Agent Man]

the first dollar you actually shoot into someone.

[greeneyes]

I have a list somewhere that tells the average viability of most seeds. Corn is the shortest at 2 years. Most others range between 3-6 years, but the time can be lengthened with vacuum pack and freezing.

Course those long term survival seeds you see advertised are another story. I only plant heirlooms, and I save my seed each year. I also order at the end of year sales when they have the combo packs really cheap.

[Secret Agent Man]

water and the ability to create safe drinking water. then food.