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Learning the trade: Bartering is on the rise


Matt Galimi (center) of Best Tek Support works on attorney Hal Berger's (left) computers as part of a bartering agreement. John Kucera (right), owner of the Carolina Trade Exchange, brokered the bartering agreement. The Carolina Trade Exchange has been in business for less than a year and has more than 50 members. Nancy Thomason - Special to South Charlotte News.

Charlotte Observer
by: Nancy Thomason

Last December, Hal Berger took his wife, Gayle, and 5-year-old daughter, Sydney, to see the Christmas lights in McAdenville. Sydney brought along a group of her closest 5-year-old friends to enjoy the holiday fun.
 
Everyone enjoyed the evening that might have been mired in stress from tangled traffic headaches except for one thing: they went in a stretch limousine.
 
"I would have never hired a limousine for that," said Berger, who owns the Berger Law Group in SouthPark.
 
But as a member of the Carolina Trade Exchange, a year-old bartering business, Berger was able to pay for the evening with trade dollars he accumulated by providing legal services to other CTE members.
 

In addition to the limousine ride, Berger, 48, has bartered for wine, massages for his wife and computer services for his office. He's given trade dollars to friends and clients. Since he began bartering last year, he has seen his own business grow and has met folks from all walks of life. And judging by the broad smile on his face, he's having fun doing it.

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Matthews Living: Carolina Trade Exchange; Where Trade Makes Sense

by: Nance Moore

Remember in grade school (and maybe even middle school) when you would bring your lunch and eagerly anticipate seeing what your friends had packed?  You had chunky peanut butter and jelly while your friend had bologna.  You really wanted bologna, but your friend didn’t want the chunky peanut butter.  No trade.  Another friend had chicken salad, which sounded good to you and that friend liked chunky peanut butter.  Score!  You traded sandwiches and everyone was happy. You were effectively bartering, establishing value, and providing a service.

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