List of barter items in SHTF

[Bullfrog]

And the key is a trade or skill that will be in demand. A blacksmith can make tools for other trades but there won't be a lot of demand for computer programmers.

Actually... I wonder about that.

If civilization partially collapses there may be no worldwide internet, no 'cloud', etc, but there are going to be a lot of computer controlled machines that will run with locally generated power, but not without commands to control them.

Computer controlled looms to make textiles, CnC machines, assembly lines, medical equipment, diagnostic machines, John Deere tractors, Combines and other Ag equipment... if you plan to salvage parts from other tractors to get one going, someone is going to need to reprogram the pcm. A lot of those other machines were designed to depend upon constant or periodic access to the cloud.

Someone who can write low level programs for embedded systems might be a valuable commodity in a semi-civilized world... and there will be no outsourcing. It could be the 1970's all over again, instead of the 1870's. More likely, some kind of hybrid between the two.

 

[Alan3413]

Yup, lots of raspberry Pi's in EMP-safe static bags in a warehouse. Ditto for microcontrollers. I'd imagine someone with the skills to hook these up to repair broken machinery will be living high on the hog.

Better brush up your C language skills. JavaScript, not so much

 

[Doctor_M]

A vagina and a pair of DSLs will always be a valuable commodity of exchange.

Uncomfortable, but accurate.

OnlyFans, SeekingArrangments, and other online platforms illustrate that women who need to ply a trade will always have one commodity that they can monetize. Right now, the digital media are just surrogates for what would happen in a real dystopian world.

Much like professional athletes... that commodity has a certain half-life. Nobody is trading SPAM for 60 year old fish tacos, even at the end of the world.

 

[Crazytrain]

Yes. And the key is a trade or skill that will be in demand.

I'm often surprised at how helpless many people are with what I consider basic skills.

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.

-Robert A. Heinlein

 

[jr88]

Heroin
Cocaine
Meth
Hookers
Liquor
Tobacco

OK Then, Baltimore, Philly, NYC......good to go !

 

[RFBfromDE]

Never understood precious metals.

If no one will take paper money, what makes you think I’d let my hen go for gold?

 

[newmuzzleloader]

Never understood precious metals.

If no one will take paper money, what makes you think I’d let my hen go for gold?

Because 1 day your children will thank you for it!
Unless that's your only hen and the only food your family has is the 4 or so eggs she lays in a week.

Seriously though, if you are equating paper money, backed by nothing but the government's good word, with gold and silver which has had value for thousands of years then I have a couple thousand pieces of government paper I will trade you straight up - dollar for dollar - for any silver and gold coins you may have laying around in your sock drawer.

 

[hobiecat590]

Electricity. Anyone with a power source to charge up small electronics will have something to barter. A small solar panel will be a steady source of income

Bingo! A large array w/ batteries might also come in handy to run a fresh water well pump to provide/barter water for thirsty neighbors. It will also come in handy to charge the Tesla and other devices needing recharging.

The usual stuff:
Salt
Spices
Seeds
Booze

 

[welder516]

If needed our government will seize every bank account in the USA, to get people into compliance.

Better have something to trade with

 

[Doctor_M]

Hand tools (I hardly ever walk by a cheap hammer at a yard sale)
Duct tape
Tarps
Cordage
Candles
Lamp wicks
Oil lamps

 

[Alea Jacta Est]

Hand tools (I hardly ever walk by a cheap hammer at a yard sale)
Duct tape
Tarps
Cordage
Candles
Lamp wicks
Oil lamps

Tactical practical. Damned smart.

 

[hobiecat590]

I'm often surprised at how helpless many people are with what I consider basic skills.

I grok where you are coming from and really miss RAH.

In a SHTF post WROL society folks are going to learn very quickly TANSTAAFL.

 

[Jim12]

Because 1 day your children will thank you for it!
Unless that's your only hen and the only food your family has is the 4 or so eggs she lays in a week.

Seriously though, if you are equating paper money, backed by nothing but the government's good word, with gold and silver which has had value for thousands of years then I have a couple thousand pieces of government paper I will trade you straight up - dollar for dollar - for any silver and gold coins you may have laying around in your sock drawer.

I'm guessing that almost nobody in this day and age has any concept of the price or value of gold and silver coins. And they'd probably think it's counterfeit if you offered it. And they wouldn't know anybody else who does, either. I would think that gold and silver would be next to worthless among the overwhelming majority of whatever is left of society.

 

[newmuzzleloader]

I'm guessing that almost nobody in this day and age has any concept of the price or value of gold and silver coins. And they'd probably think it's counterfeit if you offered it. And they wouldn't know anybody else who does, either. I would think that gold and silver would be next to worthless among the overwhelming majority of whatever is left of society.

That's pretty sad but you're probably right, as the "boomers" age and die off so does the last connection with real money, not the fiat ******** that's used as money today. Now that I think about I work with younger people who think it's odd that I keep money in my wallet. There is an ATM at the closest Wawa or Rofo, everything else is on their phone.

 

[cap6888]

Good topic. The book by Selco about surviving the Balkan war talks about this. Number one rule is barter in a safe area as has been said already. Lighters were a HUGE item for trade. Anyone who served in a combat zone knows that tobacco of all varieties is a another biggie. I knew guys buying packs of smokes for $20. The little airplane size bottles of liquor would be something too. All this stuff has been mentioned.

As someone else said, I wouldn’t barter ammo. You are potentially arming someone who may come back to get more for you. And not the nice way.

 

[Sundazes]

Feminine hygiene products.
Ammo

 

[Growler215]

... Anyone who served in a combat zone knows that tobacco of all varieties is a another biggie. I knew guys buying packs of smokes for $20.

I was once stationed on an SSBN that went out for what was supposed to be 5 days. 10 weeks later, we were still on patrol, and guys were trading "nuders" of their old lady for a pack of smokes.

 

[Growler215]

I personally don't forsee a lot of barter going on in the first month the OP asked about, as folks would probably stay hunkered down and eat through their frig/freezer/pantry. But in any SHTF scenario that looks to go on for a long time, barter will surely become common at some point.

I would categorize barter items as either "irreplaceable" or "replaceable." Irreplaceable is obviously stuff that I may never be able to replace once it's gone. Probably only going to trade my irreplaceable stuff for other, different irreplaceable stuff that I didn't think to stock, even if I have purposely overstocked some irreplaceable items in order to have trade goods. Hopefully the list of stuff I need but don't have is short. I may also end up trading some for services if necessary, e.g. to set a broken bone, or to make a replacement sythe blade from a leaf spring off my truck, or whatever other skill someone has that I need.

I think there will be a lot of trading of replaceable stuff, especially since a lot of it has a fairly short shelf life or loses its value if not used. This could be stuff like eggs, milk, produce, a quarter of venison, rent of a specialized tool or a mule, or even labor. Obviously I would take irreplaceable trades for my replaceable items, but I expect most people would have a similar attitude to mine. So, if I have extra milk, butter and eggs and my neighbor wants some and has more watermelons than he can eat, we are probably going to work something out.

But if he doesn't have anything replaceable to trade, and no one else needed what i had (e.g. milk, butter and eggs) at the time I had excess, I'd take .22 cartridges (which I already have more than I would ever need) or pre-64 silver coins rather than have my trade goods spoil with no return.

Eventually it might even get around that I was willing to take silver for stuff, and so others might then be willing to accept silver also, knowing they could trade it to me.

 

[md77]

NVG's and batteries. People will be looking to acquire/defend things and anyone who can work in the dark will be in a much better place. As others have said, solar panels and rechargeable batteries. .22 with a can you can run wet might not hurt either.

 

[Pinecone]

.22 LR ammo.

Cheap enough to trade in small amounts (like change), small and cheap enough to stockpile a LOT.

Usable by many.