Input? Bartering for specialized services

[Rucus Sunday]

Kinda long, but bear with me.

I've had an idea for a possible means to barter for specialized services in the event or aftermath of a serious, long-term social/economic disruption (depression, shtf, teotwawki, etc.).

The kinds of services I'm talking about are those that would usually require the expertise of someone with specialized skills or training: medical, dental, veterinarian, complex mechanical repairs--in other words, essential things that you yourself might be unqualified or unable to provide for yourself or your family.

So here's my idea. What about stock(pil)ing certain basic tools, implements, spare parts, devices, supplies, etc. related to these fields that: (1) are necessary and/or routinely used/needed by practitioners; (2) need to be replaced fairly often due to normal use; (3) are difficult (or impossible) to manufacture on one's own; (4) are small enough to easily stockpile/transport; (5) are relatively inexpensive today; and (6) have a long, stable shelf life.

For example, you might stock up on various kinds of dental burrs (which have a relatively short lifespan) to offer in trade for a dentist's services. Or maybe other tools/supplies that a dentist would need in order to treat patients, but could be very difficult to obtain in hard times.

The same concept would apply to other specialized services that rely on specific tools/instruments/supplies, or spare parts for those tools.

Anyone have any input on what someone could stockpile in order to barter for specialized services (doctor, surgeon, dentist, electrician, veterinarian...)? I think it would be cool if people could name a service they're familiar with, and what we could stock up on (per the above criteria) to maybe barter for that service. Make sense? Dumb idea? Back to the drawing board? Go take a hike?

 

[nurselissa]

I allways thought that when you bartered it need not be anything related to the service/items you get in return. For example I would assume that a dentist would have all the tools he needs to do what ever needs to be done but he may not have some thing he needs/wants.......alchocol, ciggerettes, TP, for example.

I've also heard other people who are allready well stocked/preped say that while others are running out last min to get water and food they we gonna stock up on these little luxuries that may be hard to come by so that they can barter.

I hope it doesnt come to bartering for a lot of people, there are people with alot of useless jobs/skills out there It would be interesting to see the whole shift in things if/when people like mechanics and farmers and "blue collar" workers are in high demand and people who spent years and years in school are pretty much useless. Glad I know how to farm a little (shh...don't tell).

Mel

 

[Rucus Sunday]

Well, it's a different take on bartering. People with critical skills, like dentists, would usually be offered barter items not related to their profession (food, alcohol, cigs). But how many patients would be able to offer them something they can use in their practice? The key here is to keep the item small and essential. Maybe a critical component to a necessary tool (e.g., a small assortment of drill burrs), or some dental dams, etc.

 

[Rucus Sunday]

okay bad idea. Thanks anyway

 

[WVtreehanger]

I think the idea has some merit--a niche bartering market so to speak. Would probably be more successful in a location where the professional would have lots of customers and more likely to run out of whatever it is you just happened to have.

 

[theoutlands]

Dang, Rucus - give ppl a *little* time to read and ruminate! 9 hours over a Friday night isn't enough time to get a decent level of feedback - esp. since we're trying to get people trained where the new Prep-rooms *are* these days!

I'm in treehugger's corner (ok, *hanger* but I'm feeling silly) on this idea. But I'm also trying to learn how to do for myself or do without, rather than laying in supplies for *others* who didn't feel the need to prep...

 

[Rucus Sunday]

Sorry TO I'll have to learn to be more patient Treehanger makes a good point, since there would probably be more need for these kinds of barter items where they'd be most likely needed.

I was thinking about it this morning. If things got truly bad enough where the manufacturing/distribution infrastructure broke down (and these days there's less and less being manufactured here anyway), and many of us were left on our own for a long spell, what would you offer, say, a doctor in exchange for his (or her) services? I mean really: what would you offer? Maybe he's already traded for all the cigarettes and liquor he can store. His last patient gave him a case of TP, which he added to all the TP he's already traded for. The patient before that traded him a bunch of vegetable seeds, which he added to all the other seeds he's already traded for. He doesn't need anymore canned food, or water filters, or gas, or oil. So what would you trade him?

Maybe some items essential to his practice? And what might those be? That's the kind of info I'm hoping to get some input on. Not just for doctors, but for any specialized skill we may have to barter for.

 

[ejagno]

My FIL is a doctor and when he first came here to practice 45 years ago it was a poor farming community with an even poorer seafood community immediately to the south. He began alot of bartering and to this day he continues to barter with those same folks. He gets the freshest shrimp, the most beautiful fish, the tenderest okra, fresh eggs and you name it. He said it's worth it's weight in gold.

 

[SheWoff]

My doc still does a limited barter for services also....last visit cost me 2 quarts of dill pickles and 2 pints of blackberry jam. Not that I am saying that is what they will still want post SHTF, but food will always be needed.

One other thing I have thought of for bartering is material, thread, needles, buttons and such. All are relatively cheap right now and are easily available, but a couple of years after TSHTF, some of us are going to run out of clothing, blankets, etc...and all that may come in pretty handy for bartering for somethig else I need.

She

 

[Sefus]

I generally say let everyone prep their own stuff but there is merit to the idea. I personally will have what is recommended in the books 'Where There is no Dentist/Doctor', but would much rather give those tools to a trained professional to use on me then to use them on myself.

Only problem I have with it is if I am preping for someone elses profession, then I am neglecting something else in mine.

 

[Rucus Sunday]

Only problem I have with it is if I am preping for someone elses profession, then I am neglecting something else in mine.

I don't see it as an either/or proposition. Per the criteria I listed, you'd be stocking things that are small, inexpensive, and have a long shelf life, and doing so only as your budget allows. I'm talking about essential services that are difficult or impossible for the average person to provide for himself/herself. How do you prep for something like that? It's hard enough just filling a cavity, let alone performing an appendectomy. So my idea is to stock up on small, essential, hard-to-manufacture items/parts that enable these specialists to perform their jobs. They might be more willing to barter their services for something like that than for something else, and you'd probably have very few "competitors."

 

[nurselissa]

Just wanted to add that if a Dr had allready been traded all the things he/she needed then out of the goodness of their heart and that oath thing they take (can't spell it) they would just help someone. I know as a nurse I would, and if its a year from now I would help as a ARNP (finish school in 9 months, yay me)!!!!


Melissa

 

[Technomancer]

One might consider trading services or skills for things that may have no use to the unskilled, for instance it would be useful for a mechanic or electrician to keep the basic tools handy in a BOB. Then you could offer to fix someone elses equip in exchange for other equipment broken or otherwise which they would see merely as junk.