Anything can be used in barter. But, what good is a list of everything? Still, I found the attempt to be comprehensive revealing of how vast the possibilities of barter are.
I made this Barter List as a sub-task in writing an article comparing Ammunition with other barter items. While searching the web for ideas I was surprised to find that the largest list contained only 101 items. Nobody had taken barter to its logical extreme of anything being a potential barter item. The list, below, has 422 items and gets the ball rolling.
I don’t recommend going out and purchasing excess quantities of the items on this list; that’s not its purpose. Most people don’t have all the essentials needed for a disaster. Stockpiling excess for barter before having enough of the essentials could be a tragic mistake. However, knowing where enough ends and excess begins is not easy. After all, the best barter items are essentials that only become eligible for barter when possessed in excess.
This Barter Item List will be used as raw input to create more focused and actionable lists. See the Optimal Barter Equation for a method to rate these barter items with respect to money, essential needs and life priorities.
See Checklist For Hard Times for a list of tasks and essentials that every family should consider having on hand.
(Note: Items in Bold are potential money substitutes. The word Items is used as there are no skills or services listed. I may make a separate list of barterable skills and services in a subsequent article.)
Air Pumps
Alarm Systems
Alcohol For Sterilization
Allen Wrenches
Aloe
Aluminum Foil – Heavy
Ammunition
Ant Traps
Antibacterial Soap
Antibiotics – Augmentin & General
Anti-Fungal Spray
Anti-Histamines
Apple Cider Vinegar
Aspirin
Atmospheric Water Generator
Auto Mechanics Tools
Axes
Baby Food Jars
Baby Formula
Baby Oils
Baby Wipes
Backpacks
Bag Balm – Antiseptic Lotion
Baking Sheets
Baking Soda
Baking Supplies
Ballpoint Pens
Bandages
Bandana
Barley
Baseball Bats
Baseball Caps
Batons
Bats
Batteries
Beanies
Beans
Belts
Betadine
Bibles
Bicycle Chains
Bicycle Pumps
Bicycle Tires & Tubes
Bicycles
Binoculars
Blankets
Bleach – Sterilization
Blood-Pressure Cuffs
Board Games
Bolt Cutters
Bolts
Book – Carla Emery’s “Encyclopedia Of Country Living”.
Book – Favorite Novels
Book – Gray’s Anatomy
Book – How Things Work Type Books
Book – Hyperinflation Survival Guide
Book – Physician’s Desk Reference (PDR)
Book – Recipes
Book – SAS Survival Handbook
Boots
Bow Saws
Buckets, Pales & Lids
Bugout Kits
Bullet Proof Vests
Bullion Coins – Silver & Gold
Burn Treatment Supplies
Calculators – Solar
Can Openers
Candles
Canned Beans
Canned Chili
Canned Fruit
Canned Milk – Evaporated
Canned Salmon
Canned Tuna
Canned Fruits
Canned Meats
Canned Soups
Canned Stews
Canned Veggies
Cannabis
Canning Jars With Seals And Lids
Canning Supplies
Containers – Tools
Carabiners
Carbon Monoxide Alarm
Carrying Cases
Cash – Foreign Or Domestic
Cereal
Chain
Charcoal, Sand And Barrel For Filtration
Chewing Gum
Chickens
Chisels (Wood And Metal Working)
Chocolate
Cigarettes
Cigars
Clamps
Cleaning Brushes
Clothes Pins/Line/Hangers
Clubs
Cocoa
Coconuts
Coconut Oils
Coffee
Coleman Fuel
Coleman’s Pump Repair Kit
Condoms
Containers – Food Storage
Containers – Water
Cooking Spices
Cookstoves
Copper – (Wire, pots, etc.)
Cosmetics
Cots And Inflatable Mattresses
Cotton Hankerchiefs
Crackers
Cups
Cutters (Side-Cutters, End-Cutters, Snips)
Dental Floss
Dentistry Kits
Diaper Pins
Diapers
Diaries
Dice
Dishes
Drill Bits
Driver Bits (With Manual Drivers)
Duct Tape (Camo Or Olive Drab)
Duffel Bags
Duracoat
DVDs & Music CDs
Ear Protection
Egg Beaters
Eggs (Freeze Dried)
Electricity Generator
Epoxy
Eye Protection
Feminine Hygiene Products
Files – Iron
Fire Extinguishers
Fire Starters – Magnesium
Firearms
Firefighting
Firewood
First Aid Kits
Fish Hooks
Fishing Line
Fishing Rod & Reel
Fishing Tackle
Flashlights
Flour
Freeze DriedFood
Fuel – Diesel
Fuel – Gasoline
Fuel – Natural Gas/Propane
Fuel – Stove – Sterno, White Gas
Garbage Bags
Garbage Cans
Garden Seeds (Non-Hybrid)
Gardening Tools & Supplies
Garlic
Gas Stabilizer
Gasoline Containers
Generators
Glasses – Reading & Prescription
Gloves – Work
Glue
Goats
Gold
Graham Crackers
Grain Mill (Non-Electric)
Graphite Grease
Gravy
Grease
Gun Cleaners
Gun Cleaning Kit
Gun Holsters
Gun Magazines
Gun Parts
Gun Scopes
Gun Sights
Gun Slings
Gunsmithing Tools
Hairbrush
Haircare
Hammers (Of All Sizes)
Hand Pumps & Siphons
Handguns
Handsaws
Hard Candy
Hatchets
Hats – Sun Protection
Heater Head For Propane
Hemostats
Hemp
Herbs
Holsters – Gun
Honey & Honey Powders
Hot Water Bottles
Hydrogen Peroxide
Ice Chests
Ice Or The Ability To Make It
Ice Packs
Imodium
Iodine
IV Lines & Bags
Jackets
Jean Shirts
Jeans
Jerky
Jewelry
Journals
Kerosene
Kleenex
Knife – Folding
Knife – Hunting
Knife – Machete
Knife – Multi-Tool
Ladies’ Supplies
Lamp Oil
Lamps
Lanolin
Lantern Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, Etc.
Laundry Detergent
LED Lights For All Rooms In The House
Light Bulbs
Lighter Fluid
Lighters – Disposable
Lightsticks
Lime – Outhouse
Liquor – Whiskey, Vodka
Lotions
Lumber
Magazines – Reading
Magazines & Speed Loaders – Gun
Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman
Maps – Topographic Of Your Area
Masterlocks
Matches
Mats
Mattress’s – Inflatable
Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoons
Medical & Gas Masks
Medications – OTC
Medications – Prescription
Metal Mixing Bowls
Milk – Powdered & Condensed
Milk (Freeze Dried)
Minerals
Mop Bucket W/Wringer
Mops
Mosquito Repellent
Mousetraps
Mouthwash/Floss,
Mylar Bags
Nail Clippers
Nails Nalgene Water Bottles
Needles – Medical
Needles – Sewing
Notebooks And Pads
Nuts
Nylon Cord
Oil – Canola
Oil – Motor
Oil – Olive
Oil – Tools
Oil – Vegetable
Oil- Coconut
Pacifiers For Babies
Pad-Locks
Painkillers, Aspirin
Paintball Gun
Pans
Paper
Paper Plates
Paper Towels Paracord
Paraffin Wax
Pasta
Peanut Butter
Pellets For Winter
Pencils, Paper, Note Pads
Penlights
Pepper
Pepper Spray
Peroxide
Pet Food
Pillows
Pins
Pipe Tobacco
Plastic Sheetin
Playing Cards
Plywood (3/4 inch)
Popcorn
Portable Toilets
Posts
Potato Peelers
Pots And Pans
Pretzels
Propane Cylinders
Protein Bars
Pry-Bars
Q-Tips
Radio – AM/FM (Crank Power)
Radio – Long Wave For Backup Communications
Radio – Police Band Monitoring
Radio – Short Wave For Local Communication And Monitoring
Rain Gear
Rakes
Rat Poison
Razors
Reading Glasses
Rice
Rifles
Roach Killer
Roasting Pans – Aluminum
Rope
Rubberized Boots
Rubbing Alcohol
Safe – Fireproof
Saline Solution
Salt – Sea Salt And Some Iodized
Saltines
Sand Paper
Sandals
Scalpels And Blades
Scissors
Screen Patches
Screwdrivers
Screws (All kinds, 3-inch Deck Screws)
Seeds
Sewing Kits & Items
Shampoo
Sharpening Stones, Files
Shaving Razors & Cream
Shotguns
Shovels
Silver Bullion
Silver Coins– Pre-1965
Skin Products
Sleeping Bags
Slings/Splints
Slingshot
Smoke And CO Detectors
Snares
Sneakers
Soap (Hand, Dish, Laundry, Cleansers)
Socket Sets
Socks
Soda
Solar Calculators
Solar Panels
Soup Base
Soysauce
Spices
Spikes
Spotlights – Portable
Spray & Squirt Bottles
Stakes
Staples
Steel Wool
Sterile Pads
Stethoscopes
Stevia
Stove – BBQ Grill Or Portable Coleman
Sugar – Brown
Sunglasses
Sunscreen
Sutures
Syringes – Dental, Intravenous
Syringes – Wound Cleaning
Syrups
Surgery Kit
Tampons
Tang
Tarps
Tea
Thermal Underwear
Thermometers
Thermos Bottles
Tires – Spare
Tobacco
Toilet Paper
Tomato Paste
Tools – General
Tools For Gardening
Toothbrush/Paste
Towels
Trail Mix
T-Shirts
Tuna Fish (In Oil)
Tweezers
Twine
Underwear
Utensils
Vaseline
Vegetable Oil (For Cooking)
Vinegar
Visqueen
Vitamins
Wagons & Carts
Washboards
Watches
Water – Packets, Locally Purified
Water Containers
Water Containers For Car
Water Filter – 3-Stage Under Sink For Drinking Water
Water Filter – Whole House Chlorine
Water Filters/Purifiers – Portable
Wax Paper
WD-40
Weather Stripping
Web Gear
Wedges
Welding Tools
Wheat
Whiskey
Whisks
Wicks
Window Insulation Kits
Wine
Wire – Electrical
Wire – Fence
Wire – Household
Woodworking Tools
Wool Scarves
Wool Blankets
Wool Mittens
Wool Socks
Wool Sweaters
Wool Work Clothes
Work Gloves
Work Shirts
Workboots
Wrench Sets
Writing Paper/Pads/Pencils
Yeast
Zip Ties
Copyright © 2010 by Terence Gillespie. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given to McGillespie.com
