By JACKIE MAJERUS
STAFF WRITER
BRISTOL – Offering everything from wine to windows, gourmet cheese to handmade soaps, and jewelry to dentistry, a Business and Holiday Barter Show Thursday at the Clarion Hotel drew lots of vendors and even more shoppers.
But not very much money changed hands – it was all done through trade.
Debbie Lombardi, founder and president of Barter Business Unlimited which put on the show, said it included more than 100 vendors.
“I lost count,” said Lombardi. “They just kept showing up.
Deborah Collins of Norwalk, who owns American Angus Beef, explained how the bartering system works.
Goods are traded for barter money, not cash, said Collins. She said buyers pay cash for the sales tax, but use barter for the rest of the purchase.
Everyone who takes part sells something – a professional service or a product.
They all pay the barter company a percentage – Collins said it’s typically 10 to 15 percent – of what they sell and what they buy.
Collins said about 35 percent of her business comes through bartering. She said they could do more, but need to make regular cash as well.
The benefit of barter, said Collins and others, is that it offers businesses a chance to meet new people and get customers they wouldn’t otherwise reach.
Ted Rahaim, owner of DBK Family Jewelers in Plainville, said he does about 20 percent of his business through barter.
“I live by it, 100 percent,” said Rahaim. He said he gets new customers when friends or family members of people who bought his jewelry through barter pass his name along.
“It opens up new doors,” said Rahaim.
Mike Wolf, owner of Bloomfield Bike Shop, said he’s been bartering bikes, repairs and service for 20 years.
“I use it for all kinds of advertising,” said Wolf, who said he also used barter when he wanted to do some remodeling at his business. He hired carpenters, bought new carpet and had electrical work done, all through barter.
“It’s retail to retail,” said Wolf.
Ed Silverstein, owner of Shear Success salon in Newington, said he loves barter and uses it to buy coffee and water for his business, to hire people to clean the floors and recover furniture.
It’s good for business, too, he said.
“It opens up a whole new group of potential customers that wouldn’t have gotten any other way,” said Silverstein.
Pam Ball, owner of Kettlepot Soap in Ledyard, is new to bartering and it was her first show.
“It’s kind of unusual,” said Ball. But she said she found the concept fascinating and wanted to try it.
“While I don’t make cash, I make contacts,” said Ball.
While people could buy her homemade soaps and lip balm with cash, most used the barter system.
“They trade everything,” said Ball. “It’s pretty interesting.”
Collins said she was Christmas shopping at the show and finding things she’d never search out on her own.
“I wouldn’t purchase this,” said Collins, holding up a bolo tie with a scrimshaw of a sailing ship she’d purchased for someone who might become a son-in-law.
“But because I’m here and we have over $10,000 worth of barter money, I’m going to do some Christmas shopping.”
Lombardi estimated as many as 1,500 people attended the show.
“I’m hearing nothing but great feedback,” said Lombardi, adding that a night of bartering offered a healthy environment for businesses in this economy.
Though based at 328 West St., Bristol, Lombardi said her customers come from around the region. Vendors on Thursday came mostly from Connecticut, she said, but also Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York and Maine.
Natalie Ladd, who runs The Trade Exchange, a barter network in Portland, Maine, was shopping at the show. She said barter networks work together, too.
With barter, said Ladd, “You free up your cash for other things.”
Some people even use barter to give to charity.
Wendy Girl, a volunteer for Foodshare, took contributions through barter at the show.
“We’ve gotten a lot of donations,” said Girl.
Girl, who has her own marketing business, said she uses it on the job, too.
“There’s no recession in barter,” said Girl, who said people don’t hesitate to spend through barter. “It feels like free money.”
Sam Jenkins of Canton, who runs Corporate Connections, an office furniture dealership, said he does $70,000 to $100,000 in barter business each year.
Jenkins, who said he can spend the barter money freely because most of the time, all it costs is his own labor, stopped at a booth for Dalice Elizabeth Winery in Preston and was excited to learn that he could have his own label of wine.
“It’s for all the fun stuff in life,” said Jenkins. “It makes it so you can be a big shot.”
Barter Trade Show Extravaganza
11/12/2009
Bristol, Ct
Debbie Lombardi
877-228-2765
info@bbu.com
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