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Barter Goods

3 min read

Stock goods that are consumable, universally desired and difficult to produce, because informal economies emerge within weeks and those are the items people will trade for: alcohol, tobacco, salt, coffee and tea, common-calibre ammunition where firearms are common, and hygiene products. Take them after the essentials, and store them out of sight and away from heat and flame.

Part of Tier 4: Strategic Reserves

Trade value comes from goods that get used up, that nearly everyone wants and that nobody can easily make.

What Makes A Good Trade Good

An item holds value in trade if it gets used up, nearly everyone wants it, and it cannot easily be made locally. Lightweight and durable help too.

What To Take

  • Alcohol. Liquor stores, bars and restaurants. Spirits last indefinitely and have medical and fuel uses.
  • Tobacco. Convenience stores and gas stations. Addictive substances have outsized trade value.
  • Salt. Grocery stores and road-salt depots. Essential for preserving food.
  • Coffee and tea. Lightweight, morale-critical and universally craved.
  • Ammunition. Only if firearms are common in your region. It is calibre-specific, so common calibres hold the most value: .22 LR, 9mm, .223/5.56 and 12 gauge.
  • Hygiene products. Soap, toothpaste, feminine hygiene products and toilet paper. People will trade for them as marks of normal life.

Where To Look

Liquor stores, convenience stores, gas stations, grocery stores and depots, pharmacies and the shelves of abandoned homes.

Handling The Stock

Step 1: Rank by weight. Weigh each good against its likely trade value; apply Carry Capacity vs. Value.

Step 2: Keep it dry and cool. Heat and damp spoil tobacco, coffee and tea.

Step 3: Store it apart. Keep spirits and ammunition away from living areas and from each other.

Step 4: Trade, do not hoard. Goods that sit unused are tied-up weight; trade where it brings in something you need.

Common Mistakes

  • Taking barter goods before survival gear. The essentials come first.
  • Keeping all goods in one place. A single loss takes everything.
  • Ignoring local demand. What is wanted differs by place and by time.

Safety

Alcohol and ammunition are fire and injury risks in storage

Spirits are flammable, so store them away from flames and heat. Ammunition must be kept dry and apart from fire, and handled only by people who know how. Do not carry it loosely.

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