Tiny, Cheap Essentials to Stockpile for Post-Collapse Goodwill Sharing or Barter

One of the most popular topics rehashed on preparedness blogs and websites is the ubiquitous lists of post-collapse barter items.  And because I’m usually marching to the beat of a different drummer, I find fault with many of the items on those lists for numerous reasons, mostly because those things cost too much, occupy too much space, or suggest that you have an excess of highly desirable stuff. 

Topping most of those lists is food.  Bartering basic canned goods and long-term storage foods simply cuts down on your supply and suggests to others that you have plenty to spare. 

Ammo makes some lists, always with the caveat to only be traded to people you completely trust.  I still consider it too expensive, bulky, and risky.

Tobacco, coffee, and alcohol are also a poor idea in my opinion, occupying too much space and costing too much money.  And won’t the addict/connoisseur be back the next day or week wanting more?  Sure, this might work out in a short-term disaster, but societal collapse? 

Here are some tiny, cheap essentials that can be stored in abundance and shared freely to generate goodwill with your community while at the same time not making you a perceived target for your supplies.  Their small size naturally makes them easy to share discreetly.

Hand sewing needles and thread, you could even make your own version of an emergency sewing kit with a piece of cardstock, safety pins, needle, buttons, and thread.

Medical supplies (exercise some caution with these perhaps, as the notion that you have excess medical supplies/medicine may cause people to think you have other nice items).  Most of these medications cost only 1-2 cents per dose now, when purchased in bulk.  That’s some very inexpensive goodwill.

• Band-Aids
• Aspirin and other pain relievers
• Cold medications.  We get our Sudafed from the company pharmacy for a penny per pill; I’m not sure how much it is in regular stores.
• Allergy medications are sometimes suggested; however, as they’re more of a maintenance med this may not be a good idea, with perhaps the exception of Benadryl.

Garden seeds actually do make most barter lists, but almost always with the caveat of being heirloom.  I’m not going into the heirloom/hybrid discussion here, but there is a link below to an article on that topic.  When our economy collapses, most people won’t care.  Beggars can’t be choosers.  I would like to add that their perceived value is increasing as I see that the “prepper garden seed packs” I acquired in a writing contest have a very poor germination rate.  And yes, I stored them properly.

Matches

Potassium iodide.  The tablets are expensive and cost prohibitive to provide for a small community in the event of a nuclear disaster.  The powder to make a solution to treat a small community is very cheap.

Sourdough starter.  Sharing wet or dry start costs you nothing and gets people making their own sourdough.

Yeast.  Bought in the 1-pound bricks, it’s pretty inexpensive and became nearly worth its weight in gold during COVID.

Yogurt starter.  If you’ve got a freeze-dryer, it’s easy and cheap to make a good batch of this.  Of course, sharing fresh yogurt for a starter works well for everyone.

Calcium hypochlorite may become worth its weight in gold when water sources are compromised.  One teaspoon of powder will purify 400 gallons of water.

Be sure to store small containers/Ziploc bags for these items.

What items would you add to this list?

References:

https://modernsurvivalblog.com/preps/valuable-items-for-barter-after-shtf/

https://secretsofsurvival.com/best-barter-items-to-stockpile/https://www.superprepper.com/shtf-bartering-items-to-stockpile/

https://www.survivalfrog.com/blogs/survival/trading-when-shtf-survival-bartering-tips-and-top-25-items-to-have

https://crisisequipped.com/items-to-barter-when-shtf/

https://www.tactical.com/bartering-guide/

Links to related posts:

Alternative Uses of Benadryl

Survival Gardening:  Heirloom v Hybrid Seeds  

DIY Potassium Iodide Pills for Preventing Radioactive Iodide Poisoning 

How to Dehydrate and Rehydrate Your Sourdough Starter  

How to Use Calcium Hypochlorite (Pool Shock) for Water Purification

Basic Food Storage:  Making Thick, Creamy Yogurt