Bartering vs. Buying

Maybe it is the recession that is getting on my nerves, but I am starting to look around for things that I can get rid of, sell, or trade to get the things I really need. I don't actually really need much, but things still feel unbalanced. I seem to have too much of things I don't need, and someone else might be able to use.

Of course, most NORMAL people tell me to just have a garage sale and get a little bit of cash for my randomness. I don't really know if I have enough "big" items to attract the folks that love to comb over that stuff. My other issue is that watching other people paw over my things gives me an unaccountable case of the creeps. I am leery of strangers to the point of near xenophobia, which is funny because I am generally very outgoing. But having that many strangers near my house and trying to decide if my silly heirlooms are worth 50 cents causes me to want to flee screaming. I wish I was overstating that.

Mostly I want some new, unique, and artistic objects d'art or services that really connect me better to my friends. I don't want to deal with too many strangers. I want to do things for and give things to people I can get more of that intangible stuff from. I'm looking for a little spiritual currency. I am trying to explain it and feel I am doing a pretty poor job at it.

For example, say I have a single antique vase that came from my family but that isn't my favorite and I would be willing to part with it. It isn't worth enough to sell to an antique dealer, and in any case they are not the sorts of folks I relish dealing with, especially after my experience having that old mixed box of silver and silver plate appraised. But if a friend thought they might like to have it, because it would look cute on their windowbox or something, I would gladly give it. And maybe that friend would buy me a latte, or paint my toenails for me, or give me a cute drawing I could frame and put on the wall.

Or maybe I could make something small like my lavender and lemon tea cake for a friend who likes sweets in exchange for some venison that their hunting father filled their freezer with.

Or I could write a little poem or story for someone, and they might want to do something for me from the art that they practice.

Or I could work someone's trade show booth and score a new shirt or shiny object for my effort.

Little things that friends do for each other is what I am after, I guess. But I get so isolated by my crazy schedule that I lose out on a lot of that, and seem to offer less of it because I am so focused on trying to keep my family in home cooked meals. Maybe if someone made me a casserole I could feed my family with, I could help paint a set, write a play, milk a goat, make some cheese, organize some books, or whatever thing would teach me something new and get me out of my own head, where I just tend to chase myself in circles.

Sure, I could work harder and pay people to do those things for me. But that is impersonal. Sometimes that is alright, but right now I would rather do small things and trade small gifts and get some new experiences and objects connected to memories and people that I care about.

LOL. Maybe I can find someone who needs more of my quirky stuff and energy who can teach me to manage what little money I have. I have a bunch of financial books, but they just make me depressed.

So, I will start with this: I have a collage I made when I was a working Chef. It is in a poster frame and currently hangs over my desk. It has funny little things clipped out of magazines, pictures and quotes and a cute photo of Julia Child. It might look good in someone's kitchen. I love it, but I would like to make a new one and need the space. Want it? I'll give it to you. If you live in Reno or the Bay Area, I will bring it to you. And if you want to trade me something for it now, great. Otherwise, surprise me with something small and personal later.