The New Normal: The Barter Movement

On 22 May 2012, I posted on my status message in Facebook saying, "Money money money... What if we revert to barter? Barter in 2012." I forgot the reason why I posted that but I smiled when I came across the same after about a week of scoring a guitar for my nephew in  exchange for the 3D Turbo Roaster through the help of Bacolod City Barter Community spearheaded by Atty. Jocelle Batapa-Sigue and replicated somewhere else, locally ad abroad after it became somewhat a movement. It's a new normal in trade.

Coins I bartered with food.

Barter is a kind of trade wherein we generally exchange goods for another goods. Services for goods or vice versa can also be exchanged or services for services. The difference between sale and barter is that sale is a kind of trade wherein money is given in exchange for goods or services.

Barter appealed to many recently because after the ECQ or Enhanced Community Quarantine where everyone cannot go out totally, the communities were downgraded to GCQ or the General Community Quarantine wherein people can go out already but only observe safety measures. Most can go out and exchange goods which they found in their households while doing their general cleaning. Some discovered their unused appliances while some yearned to acquire some appliances which they cannot order because there are limitations on freight/shippings even from online stores, and the malls are closed. With the advent of online communities, it is now easier to post picture and close a deal before doing the actual bartering.

I also joined the La Carlota Barter Community so that I can make barter transactions closer to home. I met some acquaintances and friends too while doing the barter. Also, I scored a haircut service after meeting the guy who bought my nephew's extra comb set. I exchanged my nephews used clothes to snacks and everyone in the house is happy.  

Bartering is already the mode of trade before the advent of money or shells (there are archaeological evidence that we used shells in exchange for goods too). 

Anyway, my nephew cannot comprehend why we do the barter because he seems to calculate that his favorite pants which do not fit him anymore is only being exchanged to yogurt drinks only. Meanwhile, my senior citizen mother asked me whether the guitar or the pasta maker I got from barter are in good running condition since people are supposed to keep their things. I said, of course mother. You don't barter it if it is useless. It's like sale, I just did not use money to acquire it but our roaster or my herbs and other essentials. I added that before the ECQ, we tend to order online immediately when we need something but in times of COVID 19, we rediscover some home and personal essentials and acquire and dispose them through barter. All without parting money, now that earning money is scarce.

Happy bartering!!!

NEXT TIME, I'll post a blog on how money came to be. :)