“Barter Kings” makes me chuckle. They take a worthless object and trade up and up and up until they get a motorboat just in time for a planned late afternoon boating trip. I have been doing barter for years and in REALITY it is much more subtle. You have to trade for things of approximately equal value. You can do good on barter but it doesn’t happen near as fast nor with items of such obviously unequal values as on the show.
I read a piece on “Auction Kings” and got so disgusted I refuse to watch. They charge a buyers premium of 30% and a sellers premium of 30%.....pricks.
I remember years ago reading a book about a horse trader, the claim was made that this man was such a good trader he could leave home in the morning with nothing to trade but a pocket knife and return home the same evening with a fine horse.