Post by heavyhitterokra on Dec 29, 2019 22:13:24 GMT -6
I love hearing good 'Trade stories.' If you know me very well, you know that I like trading better than I like buying and selling things. With a trade, both parties go away feeling happy. (There is nothing quite like the feeling of a good trade and an honest handshake.)
I just visited the 'Meat Rabbit' forum this morning and read a comment made by, George. I'll post an excerpt here, where George says, ("One time I swapped 9 frozen rabbits for a newly weaned milk doe (goat). She turned out to be one of the best milkers we've ever had, and I thought the deal was great!")
Having read that, made me realize there was no 'Trading' thread created under the heading of 'Homesteading Type Topics', as of yet, so I decided to start one here today.
Having a basic knowledge of how to 'Trade' is as much an integral part of homesteading as knowing how to operate a wood stove. Invariably, while homesteading, there will come a day when you need a thing that you do not have; whether that be a tool, a material possession, or a skill.
Chances are, if you ask around, you'll discover a neighbor who has that very skill set, or that tool, or that material possession that you desire. Knowing how to trade might just save your bacon in a circumstance where your well pump has stopped working, or maybe you need to borrow a tractor for a day, or maybe you just need a hand with an overwhelming task. Sometimes, you may just have surplus of a certain item, or items, that you don't have a way to use or a good place to store.
It's always better to trade those things than to just let them go to waste. If you don't want to just give those items away, you need to know how to strike up a trade. Even if it's as simple as trading eggs for butter, or as I once did, trading cheese for eggs.
I once traded an old minivan for 5 ricks of cut, split, and delivered, oak firewood.
In summer, I trade tomatoes, okra, sweet potatoes, corn, Irish potatoes, onions, cabbage, cucumbers, summer squash, and Roselle, for just about anything you can imagine, except for maybe, gasoline ... For some reason, people won't trade for gasoline. (Probably because of the gas station franchise).
I have found that most personal business owners will willingly trade for goods, if you approach them the right way.
The key word here, is 'personal' business owner. For example: I would never approach a person working a McDonald's franchise and ask them if they'd trade tomatoes for French-fries. Though many times, I have traded tomatoes for hamburgers, at little Mom & Pop operations around town.
In the city, there is almost always a shortage of things that are homegrown, or of things that are homemade. Because of that, I've traded freshly harvested, certified organic, produce, for; Chinese food, for hamburgers, for pizza, for groceries at the local grocery store, and for mechanic work done to my truck. I even traded 30 pounds of vine ripe tomatoes for a $30.00 rooster once.
Labor is another viable trade good ... I've traded labor for lots of things over the years.
Labor is one of your most valuable assets when it comes to making a good trade. Whether it be something as simple as mowing a yard, or something as complex as wiring a neighbor's house, barn, and welding shop.
I've dug post holes by hand, in trade for manure to spread on my garden. I've traded an eleven acre mowing job for the use of a team of mules to break new ground that my tiller was too small to handle. I've traded electrical work for carpentry work. I've traded a day's labor at a local sawmill for help framing, pouring, and finishing a concrete pad. When trading things; the ability to provide labor is your best friend. If you can provide skilled labor, even more so.
Trading gives you a good feeling of trust and a notion that there are still good people in this world who really do honor their word. (Thanks for posting that, George.) This could become an interesting thread.
I just visited the 'Meat Rabbit' forum this morning and read a comment made by, George. I'll post an excerpt here, where George says, ("One time I swapped 9 frozen rabbits for a newly weaned milk doe (goat). She turned out to be one of the best milkers we've ever had, and I thought the deal was great!")
Having read that, made me realize there was no 'Trading' thread created under the heading of 'Homesteading Type Topics', as of yet, so I decided to start one here today.
Having a basic knowledge of how to 'Trade' is as much an integral part of homesteading as knowing how to operate a wood stove. Invariably, while homesteading, there will come a day when you need a thing that you do not have; whether that be a tool, a material possession, or a skill.
Chances are, if you ask around, you'll discover a neighbor who has that very skill set, or that tool, or that material possession that you desire. Knowing how to trade might just save your bacon in a circumstance where your well pump has stopped working, or maybe you need to borrow a tractor for a day, or maybe you just need a hand with an overwhelming task. Sometimes, you may just have surplus of a certain item, or items, that you don't have a way to use or a good place to store.
It's always better to trade those things than to just let them go to waste. If you don't want to just give those items away, you need to know how to strike up a trade. Even if it's as simple as trading eggs for butter, or as I once did, trading cheese for eggs.
I once traded an old minivan for 5 ricks of cut, split, and delivered, oak firewood.
In summer, I trade tomatoes, okra, sweet potatoes, corn, Irish potatoes, onions, cabbage, cucumbers, summer squash, and Roselle, for just about anything you can imagine, except for maybe, gasoline ... For some reason, people won't trade for gasoline. (Probably because of the gas station franchise).
I have found that most personal business owners will willingly trade for goods, if you approach them the right way.
The key word here, is 'personal' business owner. For example: I would never approach a person working a McDonald's franchise and ask them if they'd trade tomatoes for French-fries. Though many times, I have traded tomatoes for hamburgers, at little Mom & Pop operations around town.
In the city, there is almost always a shortage of things that are homegrown, or of things that are homemade. Because of that, I've traded freshly harvested, certified organic, produce, for; Chinese food, for hamburgers, for pizza, for groceries at the local grocery store, and for mechanic work done to my truck. I even traded 30 pounds of vine ripe tomatoes for a $30.00 rooster once.
Labor is another viable trade good ... I've traded labor for lots of things over the years.
Labor is one of your most valuable assets when it comes to making a good trade. Whether it be something as simple as mowing a yard, or something as complex as wiring a neighbor's house, barn, and welding shop.
I've dug post holes by hand, in trade for manure to spread on my garden. I've traded an eleven acre mowing job for the use of a team of mules to break new ground that my tiller was too small to handle. I've traded electrical work for carpentry work. I've traded a day's labor at a local sawmill for help framing, pouring, and finishing a concrete pad. When trading things; the ability to provide labor is your best friend. If you can provide skilled labor, even more so.
Trading gives you a good feeling of trust and a notion that there are still good people in this world who really do honor their word. (Thanks for posting that, George.) This could become an interesting thread.
Thank you, God, for helping me with so many things in life. We are truly blessed.