Online Recycling - Getting something back

Giving away stuff for free is a noble gesture, but many people - especially those in possession of higher value items - will prefer to attempt to get something in exchange. This is where trading or bartering sites come in. Over the years a large number of such sites have been established with varying degrees of success. One of the biggest, with many thousands of listings, is U-Exchange , usually just known as U-Ex. The U-Ex principle is a straightforward one. Members post the details of the stuff which they have available to trade - or stuff for which they're looking - on the web site. These listings are categorized geographically, making it easy to search for items in a particular local area. The site is also equipped with powerful keyword search capabilities to aid in the discovery of relevant listings. When such a listing is located, the original poster can be contacted directly through the web site. This facility means that personal details are kept private for as long as possible. And in the true spirit of barter, all trades are conducted at no financial cost.

One of the most enjoyable ways to use U-Ex is simply to browse the trades available in your local area. This approach invariably throws up something interesting and unexpected. For example, how do you like the idea of exchanging a sofa for a couple of pieces of a developing artist's original work? Or perhaps you would prefer to trade your New York apartment for one in Sydney, Australia? Using U-Ex doesn't just help you get rid of unwanted possessions: it could change your life. At the very least, by their very nature, such sites often become as much of a social as a recycling experience, with members often reporting that the best part is meeting new people when carrying out an exchange. Obviously all the usual online safety precautions apply, but the vast majority of people report nothing but good experiences from such connections.

Taking both the idea of barter and its social element one step further are the so-called Local Exchange Trading Systems (LETS). These are heavily based on the concept of barter, but facilitate the exchange of goods by introducing a local "currency" which eliminates the need for people to locate a direct trading partner for their items. Instead, they can trade their goods or services for local currency units which can then later be exchanged with different members of the network. In many respects such systems are indistinguishable from any regular currency. However, there are important differences which mean that, in general, LETS systems are not a replacement for standard currency. Firstly, they are by definition restricted to a local area. Secondly, LETS currency units cannot attract interest, so usury is impossible.

Although many LETS schemes are small, highly localized, and suffer from a severe shortage of serious goods and services, others are flourishing. In Australia, for example, LETS schemes have been encouraged as part of the country's social security initiative. Some Australian schemes are so successful that people have been able to use them to build houses. In an even more remarkable success story, the Ithaca Hours scheme in New York has been the subject of inquiries by the Chinese central bank, which is considering adopting Hours as a formal currency in China. Hours have become virtually as acceptable as standard US dollars in their locality, with people using them to pay rent, eat in restaurants, go to movie theaters and even pay their hospital bills. Many local residents even receive part of their salaries in Hours. It is fast approaching the point where they are indistinguishable from regular currency.

Next: Easy ways to sell >>
 

More Opinions Articles
More By Bruce Coker