Bartering, basically known as the exchange of various goods and services, has always been part of our consumerist life. And recently, it has been making a grandiose comeback to our daily shopping routine, although it may seem to be a relic from ancient times.
Back in earlier days, the need of bartering depended mainly on the scarcity of currency use, as people could only acquire goods and services though the barter trade. Nowadays, many dynamically developing places offer the revitalization of bartering. And one of the main spots for this is Dubai, the city which takes care of the environmental impact amidst the glitz and glamor of hilarious skyscrapers and luxury lifestyle.
As we all know, bartering fosters connections, empowers individuals to take control over their finances and encourages communities to become more conscious of the surrounding world and economy. The hands-on approach of bartering cultivates a sense of appreciation for the value of things.
Not a single initiative in this world comes without any challenges, and bartering is not an exception. In this article, we will try to find out the main advantages and disadvantages of bartering, as well as explore the best practices and platforms to carry out barter services in Dubai.
Pros and Cons of Bartering
Before you jump in and start your bartering journey, we recommend you look through all the pros and cons that this interesting experience can offer you.
Here are some advantages that will make you say yes to bartering.
- Simplicity: in the era of unlimited complicated monetary systems, the possible difficulty in foreign exchanges or currency conversions, bartering is just a simple system of exchange, bypassing all these complexities.
- Sustainability: Bartering encourages environmental sustainability. The exchange of pre-owned goods can reduce the demand of new production and lower the negative impact on our surrounding world, making bartering a perfect alternative to buying new items.
- Flexibility: Simple negotiation processes, specific approach for every individual and more tailored preferences can lead to creative arrangements which are mostly mutually beneficial.
- Community building: By joining bartering community platforms, like SwAppIt, participants build relationships based on trust and mutual benefit, creating a strong network of people sharing interests and ideology alike.
Bartering, however, is not just about good stuff, but there are also several disadvantages.
- Limited availability: Finding suitable trading or bartering partners for certain items can be a huge struggle sometimes, as easy bartering is not always relevant for every item out there.
- Time investment: Unlike traditional consumerism and money transactions, bartering may require more time and resources, as you should build your decision around negotiable terms, fair partners and easy exchange arrangements.
- Absence of standardization: Bartering brings with itself the difficulty of establishing fair exchange rates, sometimes resulting in disagreements, as well as time-consuming.
Where to go to exchange items you no longer use
Fortunately, the innovative advancements of digital technologies in Dubai have made it possible to come up with a variety of platforms and communities where item exchange or service exchange is neatly organized. Smart algorithms and user-friendly interfaces of online bartering sites streamline the overall exchange experience. Here are some of our favorites.
- SwAppIt – The Dubai-based bartering mobile application that operates through the process of “swap”, offers a convenient platform to trade goods and services. On SwAppIt, users can list the items they are willing to trade and start browsing through the listing of other users’ items that are suggested based on their interests and preferences. SwAppIt makes the whole process simple, provides longer life for your items and allows an intuitive bartering experience by just “swapping around” diverse categories to find a match made in heaven, as they say.
- Dubizzle – Dubizzle is also a popular marketplace in Dubai, offering bartering experiences. On Dubizzle, users simply list their items and try to find potential goods trading deals with the available options on the marketplace.
- Social media and community groups: Bartering has long been part of social media platforms already. Thousands of Facebook, Instagram, Reddit or other communities or groups are used for bartering purposes. The local groups offer their members a more organized and personal bartering approach and it is easier to find them by using Dubai-specific hashtags.
So what we learned from this article is that bartering comes with a package of pros and cons. So if you are in Dubai, and are looking to save some money, get rid of unnecessary stuff or just try out bartering, platforms like SwAppIt have got you covered. It’s time to give it a try and start trading!
