We love to barter, the man person and I. We don't get opportunities to do it as often as we'd like but we enjoy it when we get the chance and when we get a chance like the most recent one, we really enjoy it!
There's a local family owned Chinese restaurant here that we patronize on a regular basis. Mom and Dad cook and their son, daughter, and nephew run the register and wait tables. We've been going to this place for at least two years and recently the daughter asked me who made my glasses, shown here:
That gave me the chance to tell her that the frame is just a regular stock frame but the man person customized the glasses with vintage plaques from the 40's.
Here's a closeup of one of the plaques, the ribbon looking thing with some dull rhinestones in it:
I love the frame and plaques and get questions and compliments on them often.
I'm considering reworking this plaque to put better rhinestones in it but I looooove these glasses! And there isn't another pair just like 'em on the planet. They're one of a kind, just like me. 
Anyway, the young woman got very excited and showed up at our office a couple of days later, ready to get some glasses.
She doesn't need prescription glasses but she picked out vintage plaques for three frames, one for sunglasses and the remaining two for regular glasses. He got non-prescription lenses for them and she came today to pick up her frames. They haggled a little and she ordered another set to be made so when the smoke clears we'll have 27 Chinese meals we didn't pay cash for!
Now that's bartering in action, folks! Do you barter? If so, how often and for what? I'd love to know more about your experiences with bartering.
If you haven't tried it, you might want to. You can get some great stuff/services for little to no money and it's a wonderful way to help one another.
Do you barter?
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However, the man person is going to take a few of the people who send him business out to eat lunch there. They'll all have a good time! I just asked him to make sure he takes me there some, too.
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Bartering - not in particular. The problem for me is that there is a lot of legal liability, etc., so I don't do financial/tax work outside the umbrella of my employer.
We had an "unofficial barter" though. Dh did a deeply discounted wedding video for a friend, and a few years later she gave us a substantial discount on our wills and trusts. Ended up just about an even trade. I see more video trades in our future, indeed.
I do have an artistic friend who I call the "Queen of Barter." It just amazes me the deals she comes up with too - I am not quite that creative!
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