Carry out a barter by agreeing the measures and the rate first, inspecting every good before accepting it, handing over large amounts in portions with the second portion following only after both sides have checked the first, and having at least 2 witnesses from each side. Write down any deal that repeats, with quantities, dates and what happens if a delivery fails.
Part of Negotiation from Strength
The step-by-step procedure for exchanging goods directly with another group, in a world without contracts or consumer protection.
Barter Needs Both Sides to Want What the Other Has
Direct barter works only when each side has what the other wants at the same time, a problem economists call the double coincidence of wants (the term is associated with the economist William Stanley Jevons, recalled from memory). That is one reason to start small and with goods both sides plainly need. The rate comes first; see Exchange Rate Establishment.
Method: A Trade, Step by Step
Step 1: Meet at the agreed place and time with the agreed number of people; see Establishing Communication Channels.
Step 2: Agree the measure. Use the same container, balance or count for both goods. Check the measure itself, since a bowl that holds more is a rate change. See Trade & Currency for standards.
Step 3: State the deal aloud. “5 measures of grain for 1 of salt.” Have at least 2 witnesses from each side present, as the parent article advises, so they hear it.
Step 4: Inspect. The parent article’s checks: grain for mould, tools for cracks, meat for spoilage. Sample from the middle of the lot, not only the top.
Step 5: Exchange the first portion. For a large trade, half now. For a small trade, all at once is fine.
Step 6: Verify. Each side checks what it received. Do this before the second portion.
Step 7: Exchange the second portion at the next meeting, or immediately if the first portion was sound and the trade is small.
Step 8: Record. Write date, parties, goods, quantities, condition and witnesses. Both sides keep a copy for ongoing arrangements; see Agreement Documentation.
Step 9: Settle disputes at the next meeting with the witnesses present. Say beforehand how a complaint about quality will be handled.
Rules That Keep It Safe
- No credit with strangers. Do not hand over goods now for a promise of later; use portions instead.
- Never trade what you cannot replace. Surplus only, as the parent article says.
- Keep your base out of it. Meet away from storage and living areas.
- Do not bring more than the trade needs. Extra goods invite theft and show your stock.
- Keep the trade itself short. Long meetings invite argument.
Hold the line on portions
The usual fraud against a trusting party is a good first portion followed by a poor or missing second. Do not hand over the second portion until the first has been checked, and never pay in advance for goods you cannot inspect.
When a Trade Goes Wrong
- Short measure or poor goods: show the problem to the witnesses and ask for a fix at the next meeting. Do not accuse; the other side may not know.
- A missed delivery: check the channel; there may be an innocent cause. If it repeats, stop trading and tell your community.
- A threat: withdraw. The governance material is firm that threatening force over a trade turns a commercial problem into a security crisis; see Conflict Resolution.
Common Mistakes
- Accepting goods unchecked because the partner seems honest.
- Different measures on each side.
- Forgetting to record.
- Trading in a hurry.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Alliance Building — what steady trade can grow into
- Combine with: Identifying Trade Value — choosing what to offer