Successful Swaps

Image Gallery

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

THE MOTHER EARTH NEWS ® , Inc., P.O. Box 70, Hendersonville, N.C. 28739

In Issue No. 37, Bill Wodraska shared some of his thoughts regarding one of mankind's better ideas—barter—and offered up an interesting suggestion: "I'd like to see a continuing feature on barterand offered up an interesting feature on barter and skillandlabor exchanges," said Bill. "Maybe MOTHER could even swap subscriptions for contributions to the department." "You're on!" we replied . . . and announced our stillstanding offer: Anyone (and that means you!) who sends us a short (200 words or less) account of an actual barter that's good enough to print will receive—as the folks on the following pages have—a twelvemonth subscription (or extension of same) to THE MOTHER EARTH NEWS ® .

As an artist and woodcarver, I've found I have a bartering commodity that seldom fails to clinch a deal.

I began to realize this 10 years ago, just before my wife and I got married. We went to see a doctor known to have covered his walls with swappedfor art. Sure enough, the doc accepted one of my ;ketches in return for the vaccinations and inoculations we needed for our Mexican honeymoon.

That first transaction dispelled my misconceptions about professionals working only for money, and trading was firmly established in my head as a respectable alternative to cash deals.

The next opportunity to barter came when we wanted a purebred Persian cat and were really taken with one expensive kitty. I heard myself saying, "How'd you like a wood carving—any subject—in exchange for the cat?" Soon the kitten breeder had his carving and we had Angel . . . a source of endless enjoyment.

Since then we've gotten new mattresses, fresh eggs and produce, a toy train for our son Corey . . . and when Corey needed stitches, we even had those done for a small sign I carved.

Need I say more? As far as I'm concerned, bartering's indeed a blessing.

Robert Wade
Virginia Beach, Va.

Since I hope to open a preschool in our area someday, I decided to take a training course at a Montessori school in a nearby city last fall. My daughter was too young to accompany me to class, but a friend who has a son about the same age as my girl—offered to watch her while I was gone. When I finally open my center, I'll teach her son for free.

I've discovered that quite a few folks around here would like for their youngsters to attend a preschool, but just can't afford that "extra" expense. Maybe I can waive some of the tuitions in trade for labor and materials used in building repairs.

Kay Ramirez
Hope, Idaho

About four years ago my wife and I left the city rat race and bought an abandoned 75-acre farm in central Texas. The fields on the tract's northern section were relatively clear and rolling, but about 29 acres in the southern portion were heavily eroded and overrun with shrubs.

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print