The rise of barter clubs

Here is an update on the current surge in barter clubs:

“I live my life on barter,” says [Dale] the spunky, 5-foot-3-inch consummate deal-maker, who is part of a growing network of people working and playing in a largely cashless universe.

Dale, 57, runs Barter Advantage, one of hundreds of exchanges around the country that have emerged in recent years that take the age-old concept of barter – neighbors swapping chickens for a hog, for instance -to new, sophisticated, IRS-approved heights.

Instead of simple swapping, the exchanges offer what’s called round-robin trading, allowing members to barter their products and services for credits that they can later spend on whatever they want – from travel to office supplies to dental work – as long as it’s offered within the network.

Here is a previous post on the benefits and limits of barter clubs. Here is a previous post on the enhanced liquidity of gift certificates.

Thanks to Paul Jeanne for the pointer.

Addendum: Here’s a way to barter your books and music, thanks for Daniel Akst for the tip.