Bartering

[Lindy]

I have done my fair share of bartering over the years; but, typically in exchange for services. While reading local listings on Craigslist (I'm always buying or selling something it seems on this site), I ran across an ad in "skilled trades" category, of a local/regional decorative concrete contractors. There ad stated "We will barter of professional services in exchange for: cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, 4-wheelers, jet skis, rvs (camping trailers or motorhomes), trailers (horse, flatbed, or enclosed type), and contractor equipment. Let's make a deal!

Who knows, maybe this works for them ... guess people could have items such as these that they don't need/use much anymore and would be willing to exchange them in order to increase the value of their most important asset (their home) in a long lasting/creative and enhancing way.

If they are successful in this bartering/marketing plan, I wonder what the average turn around time on the items they take in is (as to selling them for a value that is equal to, or better than, the value of th work they preformed) ... and where they put/store all this stuff if they take a lot of it in.

(I re-wrote and posted this message again, since it didn't come up the 1st time ... maybe I timed out when writing previous message since I had to keep stopping to answer the phone while doing so).

Lindy A.

[NS'Creter]

Aahh yes...the barter system. I'm a little surprised that it's advertised as extensively as Lindy has noticed. Of course it's alive and well here but not as out in the open as that. It sure is a sign of tighter economics isn't it? Why not? It's an easy concept to understand and use...it can be greatly beneficial when fair arrangements are made. I have yet to actually do a barter deal with my 'crete work but I'm not against the idea. You probably recall that residential pool deck and patio job that I designed and then the owner used my competitor to construct my design? Anyway, I'm over that, but the fella originally offered a nearly new skid steer machine in the deal. Had we actually come to terms I was prepared to accept the machine as partial payment. It was a good sized rig and would have been put directly to work. Oh well, that's as close as I've come so far. There are a few things that I'd like to have done to my ol' truck and if I'm runnin' the biz I intend to pursue a barter arrangement for that.
What was I thinkin'? I have had one barter deal...I forgot. I did a strip-overlay-stain-engrave-seal job on an old precast doorstep and the fella gave me an Intrepid for my work. That was a very good deal for me...but the car cost him nothing as he owns a towing biz and the car was in his impound. That's a good example of a fair barter arrangement. ;D Anybody else have a barter story?

[Lindy]

I guess there is one other thing to be considered with the blatant bartering that this local contractor is doing, is that there may be some sort of tax advantage since you are not being paid in the traditional way (declaring income); however, it would be necessary to pay all charges for transfer of titles, licensing, etc. before you could sell a majority of the items they are taking in.

I remember a time about 25 years ago when I belonged to a local bartering club ... but it was "services for services" oriented. Businesses offered a wide range of bartering/surfacing work; from: from small remodeling jobs to plumbing work, electrical/wiring for mechanical work on vehicle, clearing land for laying carpet, etc./etc. Members paid a $50 a year membership fee; their company was then listed in the local bartering club directory (published 4 times a year); each member making their own deals with other bartering club members. This all ended (after a couple of years) when the "Federal GOVERNMENT" stepped in and basically put an end to our bartering club by mandating that all services must have a dollar value in order to suck taxable income dollars out all our members (instead of our mutally beneficial trade out of "service for service").

Lindy

[NS'Creter]

Oh yes, the gooberment needs to get their share. That's why bartering is mainly an underground situation. The only legal way to do it is to declare dollar values and remit the appropriate tax dollars. Maybe it's wrong but I'm willing to do it in an under the table way.

[Lindy]

In the USA or Canada, bartering is an under-the-table deal (has been for a great number of years for the reasons I stated above); which is why it is so preplexing that this particular contractor on a mega-large/popular nationwide access website (Craigslist) is being so "open as to bartering for high dollar ticket items" (he is certainly not doing so "under the table") but he might find himself "sitting at a table" with his accountant and an IRS agent at some time down the road with his bartering being a real costly mess to straighten out.

Lindy A.

[NS'Creter]

Yup. Maybe that fella figures that since he's doin' it out in the open everyone will assume that he's doin' it legit. He probably claims enough to keep suspicions down. Or he's just a moron and a living example of God lookin' out for idiots. ;D

[Lindy]

Idiots seem to stubble through life with more lives than a cat, always landing on their feet. Sort of like morons that CHOOSE to drive drunk; they frequently take the lives of the innocent that just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Lindy A.