June 18th, 2010

Boulder County Trader welcomes new member Randy Kady! (Swapstartmybiz). Randy is a man with a plan, and that plan is modeled on The Red Paper Clip. He’s going to turn his collection of 30 years of National Geographic magazines into capital to start his dream business, all by trading up with individual issues. With the enthusiasm of a five-year-old and the savvy of a seasoned trader, Randy is off to a great start.  He’s already done interviews on local and national TV.

Randy is just up the road, in Loveland, Colorado.  Check out his site at swapstartmybiz.com, and make him an offer!

We’ll be checking back with Randy often.  You should too!  He’s going to have some great barter items coming up.

– Bonnie

Tags: barter, National Geographic magazines for trade, Randy Kady, Red Paper Clip, swapstartmybiz
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May 29th, 2010

Scenario One

Anne is a landscape designer whose computer is giving her problems. It’s the beginning of the season and cash is tight. Bob is a computer tech who has just gone out on his own and is eager to get the word out about his service.  He’s listed Cash and guitar as his wants, and added Try Me! to his listing for Computer Services.

Anne sees Bob’s listing under Computer Services.  She notices the Try Me! icon on Bob’s listing and uses the Ask this Member! link on his listing to send a message asking if he’d barter for landscape design.  Bob messages back that he lives in an apartment.

Anne goes to Search to look for guitars.  She finds three, returns to Bob’s listing and sends him the listing numbers.  Bob puts the numbers in Search and pulls up the three guitar listings.  He messages Anne that two of them look acceptable. One of the two listings doesn’t have a Try Me!  The guitar listing with the Try Me! belongs to Carl, who has listed his wants as Dining and Furniture repair.  Anne messages Carl asking if he’d consider some landscape design in exchange for the guitar.  Carl responds that he doesn’t need any landscaping, but his mother has wanted to get the yard at her townhouse spruced up.  (This is actually shaping up to be a four-way trade; Carl owes his mom some money.)  If Anne could take a look at the yard, suggest a plan and help him select the new plants, he’d swap for the guitar. Carl asks Anne to email pictures of some examples of her work, Bob visits Carl to check out the guitar, and Anne checks Bob’s customer references.  It’s a deal.

Scenario Two

Diane is moving and won’t have room for her antique hutch in her new condo.  She posts a listing for the hutch under Antiques and under Furniture.  She lists Moving and Hauling and Cash as her wants.   She looks at listings under the Moving and Hauling category and contacts the two nearby movers who both have the Try Me! icon on their listings.  Neither one is interested in the hutch.  Diane goes to Advanced Search and searches for Antiques under Member Wants.  She finds Ed’s listing; Ed restores and resells antiques and has motorcycle to trade.  She messages Ed and sends him a link to her listing for the hutch.  He messages back that he’d like the hutch, subject to inspection, but he thinks his motorcycle worth about $100 more than the hutch.

Diane contacts both movers again, this time with the listing for the motorcycle. One of the movers will accept the motorcycle in exchange for moving Diane’s household to the new condo.  Diane checks the mover’s references and asks for proof of insurance. Ed takes the motorcycle over to the mover for a test ride and inspection and leaves it there.  Later in the day he picks up the hutch and $100 from Diane and gives her the signed and notarized title to the motorcycle.  Diane delivers the title to the mover and they sign a contract to pack and move her to the new condo after her closing next month.  For tax purposes, the three parties agree to assign a value of $1,500 to their trades.

For $100 and a little research, Diane has solved the problem of what to do with the hutch, and now can spend money on things for her condo that she would have otherwise had to use for moving.

Tags: 3-Way trade, Advanced search, barter, exchange, Search, swap, three-way trade, trade, Try Me!
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May 4th, 2010

Here in the Denver area, Spring has been an awful tease. One day it’s spring, then winter, spring, spring, spring, summer, winter, winter, spring, spring, winter, spring.

Springtime is when we do the home maintenance and cleanup from the winter.  My place needs spring cleaning, window washing inside and out, carpet cleaning, gutter repair or replacement in a couple of places (or maybe they just need cleaning out), yard cleanup, more pea gravel brought in, rose and tree pruning, and the interior wall paint completely removed from the garage floor. (Former occupant, what were you thinking?)

Some of the work I’ll do myself, for some I’ll pay cash, and for some I’ll barter.

Very soon now people will be looking for contractors, painters, electricians, gardeners, carpet cleaners, craftspeople, masons, carpenters, handymen and just about anyone who does home repairs or improvements.  If you’re one of the above I hope you’ll try bartering your skills this season.

In the meantime: Spring, spring, winter, spring, winter, winter, spring….

– Bonnie

Tags: barter, carpenter, carpet cleaner, carpet cleaning, contractor, Denver, electrician, gardener, gutter replacement, handyman, home maintenance, home repair, mason, painter, pruning, Spring, trade, window washing, yard cleanup
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April 27th, 2010

We’re only four months into the new year and already the competition for The Bonnies is hot as a firecracker.  Last week, amidst a bevy of bodacious barter plans, one name rose to the top, that of Senate hopeful (R NEV) Sue Lowden.

Lowden’s plan for healthcare reform involves swapping chickens for medical care. While barter is as near to my heart as anyone’s, I consider the Lowden Plan, while lofty in its idealism, just a wee bit impractical.

Imagine walking into University Hospital for a scheduled X-ray.  You’re going to have to tote several chickens; X-rays are pricey, maybe 20 or 25 chickens.  There will be feathers and God knows what else all over your clothes and shoes, and chickens can be noisy.  If someone complains, security will probably be called in, making you late for your appointment.  Not practical.

Then there’s the potential for gaming the system.  Someone already came up with the idea of bringing a snake instead and then just claiming, “It tastes like chicken.”

Lowden claims her plan has legs because “Doctors are very sympathetic people.”  There I agree with her; most of the doctors I’ve run across are indeed sympathetic.  But they’ve got overhead.  Payments on a BMW are surely at least $800 a month- how many chickens is that?

Lucky for us, just in case, some clever souls (via Buzzbomb.it) have come up with a wonderful chicken-to-medical procedure calculator: http://lowdenplan.com

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has put out a handy tool for finding a physician willing to barter:  http://dscc.org/chickens

And last but not least, the Wall Street Journal has taken a serious look at the proposal:  http://bit.ly/bSAMW6

I say, go for it-  but with something other than chickens, something the doc can use.  And if bartering won’t work, try bargaining.

– Bonnie

Tags: bargain, barter, Buzzbomb.it, chicken, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, healthcare reform, Katherine Hobson, Lowden Plan, Sue Lowden, swap, The Bonnies, Wall Street Journal
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April 20th, 2010

Christmas has long ago come and gone, and still those gift cards languish in your top desk drawer. The good news is  they’re fairly easy to sell for cash or exchange for a card you’d use.  There’s an abundance of websites dedicated to just that.  Before you jump in, here’s a few things you may want to know (not the least of which is  a gift card to Essentiels Spa in Boulder would make me one very happy girl).

Several things affect the value of a gift card:

-  If the card is nearing expiration, you’re not exactly going to be in the driver’s seat when it comes to negotiating its value. Worst of all, the card may be worthless because it’s already expired.

-  In this economy, a card for Costco or Target is easier to barter or sell than one for DiamondEarrings.com.

-  A card for Famous Footwear may be easier to swap than one from Joe’s Shoes for Gigantic Feet.

-  A monthly “service fee” is deducted from the face value of some cards.

-  If the barcode has been scraped or bent, the vendor may not be able to accept the card at all.

-  Some cards can be used online but not in the store, and visa versa.

-  Some cards are linked to an individual and cannot be transferred.

To determine the face value of a card, ask customer service where it’s accepted to run the card and give you the details.  Some stores will give you a receipt showing the current face value and expiration date.

To find a website where you can dispose of your card, just run a Google search on “trade gift card” and you’ll get thousands of results.  All the sites are a bit different, so you’ll need to do a little research.  You’ll get a better deal when you trade the card rather than selling it for cash.  Traders are charged around 5% and/or a modest listing fee.  The going discount for cash is usually 25%-40%.  Most, but not all, sites guarantee the value of the card to buyers.

You can list your card on Boulder County Trader to swap it for a different card, something else you’d like or cash.  Whatever you do, get that card out of the drawer and get some value from it before it expires.

- Bonnie

Tags: barter, Essentiels Spa, gift card value, gift card websites, gift cards, sell gifts cards, swap, trade, trade gift card
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April 13th, 2010

Almost all barter exchanges and many of the national barter websites are using points or “barter bucks” to facilitate barter among their members.  Let’s consider instead the traditional, more richly personal side of barter, bartering a “a coincidence of needs.”  Such a transaction doesn’t have to be one-on-one to work, and work well.

Adam owns a small specialty meats shop and needs help setting up his books on new bookkeeping software. He approaches Barb, a CPA down the street from his shop, to see if she’d be willing to trade an assortment of fine meats for her help. Barb, who bills at $150 an hour, looks at Adam’s setup and figures about two hours to get Adam up to speed.

Barb would be happy to barter for her work, but she’s a vegetarian.  However, she remembers Carl, a caterer she was considering for her next office party.  She calls Carl and finds he would happily accept $300 in quality chicken breasts from Adam; he goes through a lot of chicken in his catering business.  In exchange, Carl will apply a $300 credit to Barbara’s bill for the office party.

What happens in this scenario?

Adam gets help with his bookkeeping without having to dig in his pocket to pay Barb $300. He makes a profit on the chicken, trading it at retail.  He may now get referrals from Barb and business and referrals from Carl, the caterer. Plus, he’s found an accountant he’d like to work with.

Barb gets a couple of hours of business she wouldn’t have had otherwise, and perhaps a new client in Adam.  She may get referrals from both Adam and Carl, and she has to come up with $300 less cash when she gets Carl’s bill for the office party.

Carl gets $300 worth of chicken he doesn’t have to pay for out of pocket. He’s found a great local resource for meats, and Adam says he’ll give him a nice discount on future orders.  Carl will make a profit on Barb’s office party, and may get other work and referrals from both her and Adam.

This is truly a win-win deal.  Just remember to keep your mind and options open, and you’ll manage nicely without the “barter bucks.”

– Bonnie

Tags: barter, barter bucks, barter exchange, barter website, coinsidence of needs, three-way barter
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March 18th, 2010

These prestigious, in-name-only awards will be handed out at the end of December for the year’s best barter transactions.

Thus far, Mark Collantes’ quest for a seat on Virgin Galactic’s SpaceshipTwo has really kept our attention.  Alas, Mark was unseated yesterday, if only temporarily, by a story from the BBC.

Devon musician Tobias Ward-Edwards traded his motor home in exchange for a commissioned portrait of his idol, Jimi Hendrixs, by artist “Nick” Viney.  This had apparently started out as a cash arrangement, but when Ward-Edwards became somewhat strapped for cash during the production of his new album, he asked Viney if she’d take his motor home in exchange for the painting when it was finished.

Vaney agreed, and everyone is happy.  Ward-Edwards has his inspirational Hendrix painting, and Vaney and her children plan to move the motor home to a small piece of land she owns in France.

You gotta love it. Read the story by Jemima Laing and get a look at the painting here.

And remember, it’s an honor just to be nominated.

– Bonnie

Tags: 2010 Bonnies, barter, barter transactions, BBC, Jemima Laing, Jimi Hendrixs, Mark Collantes, motor home, Nick Viney, Tobias Ward-Edwards
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February 12th, 2010

Meet Mark Collantes, author, pilot, financial markets wizard, marathon runner, dreamer.  Mark has a great imagination and isn’t afraid to put it to work.  His project for 2010 is to parlay ten signed copies of his novel The Academy into a ticket for a flight on Virgin Galactic’s SpaceshipTwo. (He needs about $288K; seating is limited.)  How will he do it?

Through barter.

What would you be willing to trade him for one book?   You can join the fun by making him an offer.

Let’s check in on Mark from time to time to see how he’s doing.  GalacticBarter.com

– Bonnie

Tags: Galactic Barter, Mark Collantes, Spaceship Two, The Academy, Virgin Atlantic
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January 26th, 2010

1.   Membership fee will barely buy a latte in Vail

2.   Impress friends with your extra income

3.   Finally get rid of the pool table ex-husband left behind

4.  Don’t have to wait for tax refund to get car fixed

5.   Something to do at work when bored with Twitter

6.   Beats dealing with whackos off Craig’s List

7.  Cut out the middle man without feeling guilty

8.  Time spent with barter clients could break afternoon nap habit

9.   Good way to get value out of that unused wedding tux

10. Great-Aunt Mildred will think you know how to manage money

Tags: reasons to barter, reasons to join, Top 10 lists
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January 18th, 2010

I recently had a conversation with a new acquaintance.  We were discussing Boulder and how it had grown since we’d both moved there, then the conversation got around to skiing, and then to ski boots, specifically the new boots she’d bought last month.  She’d just used them for the first time on Sunday, and they’d killed her feet.  She hadn’t even been able to finish the day on the slopes. They’d felt fine to her in the store, but she now realized she wouldn’t be able to ski in them again; they just weren’t designed for “her” feet, not sole-mates. She’d tried to return them, but they’d been worn once, so… She has something she can’t use.

I suggested she might try bartering them.  Her response:  “Yeah, but what would I trade for?   I think I’ll just take them to that used sporting goods place.”  As this was a new acquaintance, I resisted my urge to render advice.  (I usually reserve that until at least  the second encounter.)   Still I wondered, what would she trade for?

The first step, of course, is finding a match for the boots.  There’s probably someone out there right now running a Google shopping search for that exact boot.   Or there’s likely someone in the area who also wears a size eight, who also needs new boots and would be happy to test drive these for a day.  Or there’s another woman whose new size eight boots are killing her and she’s headed out to go buy the same brand of boot that my new acquaintance is thinking about consigning at the used sporting goods store.

When my new friend takes the boots to the consignment store, she and the store clerk are going to have to set the “fair price” a customer would be willing to pay for the boots.  My guess is that will be about half of the retail price new.  Then, when (or if) the boots sell, the store will want their consignment fee, usually 50% of what they got for the boots.  So, my friend is left with about 25%, or $100, of the retail price she originally paid for the boots just a few weeks ago.

But what if she were to trade the boots?   Again, let’s arrive at a fair dollar amount- maybe a 25%-30% reduction in retail.  After all, they’ve been worn- but only once.   That leaves about $300 in value.  So what would she trade for?  The windows washed, upstairs and down?  An afternoon at a spa?  A restaurant gift certificate?  Some new landscaping?   Tax planning advice?   30 hours of babysitting?   A course in dog training?   Having the plumbing around the house tuned up?  $300 cash?

When thinking, “Yeah, but what would I trade for?” ask instead, what you would want or need to spend $300 on.  Whatever it is, you’ll get more in value than the $100 from the consignment store.

Don’t worry.  I’ll tell her next time.  – Bonnie

Tags: barter, consignment store, ski boots, trade, valuation
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