Do you have skills, talents beyond just what you do in the primary chase, hunt down?
In the bag and tag of the weekly paycheck? What you may have a background, a degree, training of some type in. That all around you just automatically associated with you. When they think of when it’s time to reach out. Who you gonna call. For someone that does your kind of primary employment.
Growing up on a Maine farm, there was lots of exchange of talents, swapping one piece of equipment for another in the arsenal of each farmer’s barn yard.
To avoid buying, tying up precious cash on a farm implement that only was used a couple if that times a year.
My Dad would borrow a belly straper from Don Hagan to smooth up the driveways. The right tool for the job and all set up on one of his 806 IH tractors. Nothing to pick up, hook on our own, unbolt. Remove, return hassle for just a little once in year job.
The feeling in the swap mutual with another Maine farmer.
That returned the equipment, did not let every other Tom, Dick and Harry use it. So when you needed it back, you did not have to do search and rescue. For the MIA red, green or whatever color farm tractor attachment. It can work, the give and take with the right responsible partners.
Had a real estate buyer tell me about her adventures while living in Florida with bartering. She bartered for medical services, everything else she and her family needed. The exchange just was not the cash and carry most of us are used to today. No credit extended. Unless it was I am coming over and shingling your porch roof for the swap of you letting me have that ailing lawnmower, a half cord of cut, split and has to be moved wood.
Do you have something to trade, swap or is it like the card game of Fish.
For the got any skills beyond brain surgery and diamond cutting, whatever ask?
If in this country all heck broke loose, a full compliment of survival skills held in your hand, inside to tout would be necessary. If money was no good, did not do the trick for the other end of the dickering, bartering, exchange.
If can you fix my car, have you got any gas, ammo, food was more important, sought after.
Instead of what if tucked in your purse, folded in your wallet for green, dead Presidents. Or plastic, worthless cards with magnetic strips no longer of any value.
Inflation with money no longer so sought after would be gone from the survival equation.
The folks deep in the hearts of a city that did not live on farms, did not have small business enterprises their parents ran to learn a myriad of skills. From the hands on, the neat feeling of I can do this, that and a lots more too. Empowerrment. DIY before it became a household word like “green”. Where we in Maine lived that way before someone thought of adding a color, marketing as something new, novel. To the day to day approach to life.
Worked at one radio station in Bangor where other than payrolls, so so much of everything else was a trade out, bartered.
For example, we’ll give you a dollar a holler, a radio spot cluster package in exchange from the heating oil company we were bragging up on air.
The cost of the goods, services reduced to strictly wholesale to wholesale. No mark up, waiting and in and out exchange of services. Not so sure taxes, service fees were always tallied up either. It could have been under the table stuff, slight of hand maneuvering. I just spun the records, rip and read the news.
The paved parking lot needs surface crack filling and resealing? Why don’t we tell the world about the great job you provide and reasonable prices doing just that Mr Guy With The Black Tar application devices? While you are out front the little studio with the big stick and guy wires in the back yard beats feet.
Does the job in a jiffy of efficiency. For us to broadcast it all over the listening area.
That that big red and white, lighted tower radiates, connects with on air, shares with all the listeners digging the music, news, other services we provide. Trade outs, bartering that the IRS is not so cranked up about, done below radar with a no paperwork. Just a gentlemen’s agreement. Simple hand shake and fair exchange between two parties. The arrangement that lasts, stands the test of time and just works in small Maine town living.
I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com