Bartering has become big business with organisations like BarterCard building large communities and generating revenues by facilitating transactions.
On a smaller scale, a New York based project is helping people barter their knowledge and expertise in return for, well, whatever they want. Trade School is a pop-up storefront from OurGoods, an organisation which facilities the bartering of ’skills, space, labor and art objects’ in artistic communities.
The Trade School project runs from January 25th until the first of March, and provides a venue for bartering, co-working and classes.
The classes are of particular interest; subject matter experts agree to teach a class on their chosen subject in return for bartered items and services. Would-be students can bag a place by providing one of the items or services on the teacher’s wishlist (see image below).
Classes include topics like ‘writing a stage play’, ‘feltmaking for nomads’ and salsa dancing.
For the artistic types amongst you, there clear potential to replicate this kind of model just about anywhere in the world. For the more business minded, there’s always value to be found in bringing communities together.
And if you can get yourself to Manhattan, why not drop in and take a class.
Site: tradeschool.ourgoods.org
Check out images from the first classes on Flickr
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