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You don't have to hang out a shingle to reap the benefits of barter.
The Web is opening up opportunities for individuals who wish to barter, and a Seminole company is helping to lead the way. AAA Barter, which oversees trade for business clients, recently launched two new barter Web sites that allow anyone to get in on the action.
"We found that there was a void in the barter market," said Alan Mink, president of AAA Barter. "There was no way for an individual to buy and sell on barter without joining an exchange, and some businesses really don't offer enough services to join a barter service."
In need of a shiatsu handheld massager? How about a dancing Florida Gator? Trying to get rid of that baby jogger clogging up the garage? BarterBoom.com, launched June 6, may be the place for you.
BarterBoom members post ads for items they want to sell or buy, and funds are transferred between accounts of buyers and sellers. Negative balances aren't allowed, so a member must sell something before he or she purchases through the system.
There are more than 700 items available on the site, with a listed value of about $1.4-million. There are no membership or periodic fees, but the buyer and the seller are charged between $5 and $25, based on the value of the item sold.
Another AAA venture, BarterAuction.biz, was launched June 13, allowing users to auction items and use the money to purchase other items on the site. Since both BarterAuction and BarterBoom are under the same umbrella, trade dollars earned on one site can be used on either. The seller is charged between 1 percent and 2.5 percent of the selling price. There is no charge to the buyer, but the buyer is responsible for shipping costs or pickup of the items.
Shirley Fuller, a five-year veteran of bartering through AAA, recently unloaded $2,000 worth of furniture, thanks in part to her presence on BarterBoom. Now she's thinking about listing on BarterAuction, after taking part in an auction there. Although she didn't win the laptop she bid on, she was excited about the opportunity to barter in a new venue.
"I can't believe some of the stuff that I sell," said Fuller, who works in massage therapy. "People come all the way across the state to get it. . . . People don't mind trading on barter dollars if it saves them on cash."