The following are some things I’ve learned, or been told are good to remember when bartering.

First, determine how much you’re willing to pay for what you want. This does not mean just objects. You may have a skill you can swap with someone else who has a different skill.

Check with multiple people who may want to swap services or products with you. If there is an opportunity, check their reputation and the quality of their products, do so. You can do this if you meet others who have worked with them or there may be reviews. This will give you a better idea of whom and what you’re working with. You will want to see if there are local organizations that barter or you might want to see what services and projects are sought for by other people and see if you can provide what they need in swap to what you want. In my personal experience I have a time share membership and I host writers’ retreats at various locations to help pay the year fees.

One avenue for barter is to check the internet for sites that swap time of services, also known as time banks.

Confirm before any actual exchange takes place, a precise verbal and written agreement between parties. Upon this agreement, you may want to include some type of guarantee. For me I like the idea that material has to be paid but the services themselves might be exchangeable hour to hour. I’m still a bit paranoid. This would include at what deadline when both sides of the exchange needs to be completed.

You may want to check the normal cost for a product or service if you were to buy it outright to make sure you’re getting a fair deal in the exchange. Personally I also like to see some proof of the other person’s skills before I make a swap. If I want to write something for someone, I may want to let them see some of my past works to see if they would like getting similar items to their criteria.

Sweeten the deal. some people have gotten better deals at department stores by asking the clerk “is that the best you can do?” something similar might be done in bartering, but wanting the other person to be ‘fair’ or to give a good deal, goes both ways. You can under bid too far and a person will stop negotiating completely. I tried this when I was in Central America and wanted to get a chess set. I bit too low and the sales person walked away in a huff. This is something I am still trying to learn.

In the beginning of barter, I have learned that I can’t be desperate. This has served me well in buying two used cars. I had to be willing to walk way or have some excuse for NOT wanting to buy their car. That way the salesman or manger is motivated to ‘sweeten the deal’. I think I also had good success because I bought one of my cars at the end of the month and they wanted to help their stats at the end of the month.

For bartering in another country, you will want to indicate that you have a limited budget and they need to make it worth your time. I was given the suggestion once that when you in a shop of another country and a shop owner offers a price, give a alternative price of a little lower than half their opening price. Another suggestion I was given was that if you’re0 in the area for a while make friends with the owner. Don’t buy something for a couple of days then come and buy at the end and it’s likely they’ll give you a good price.

Don’t limit yourself on what you might be willing to barter. Some will swap home stays for traveling or mothers will swap babysitting nights. Bartering is a great way to off load items that you no longer want or need. Someone else may want it. Battering for services also promotes your skills or business to new people as they discuss their bartering experience with their friends.

You will always want to act professional and courteous in all interactions in the barter process.