Back in the mid-1980s two popular trading commodities were art and gemstones. In this 132-page issue we took an in-depth look at the bartering of both items. (We’ve never seen this information available anywhere else in our 25 years of covering the commercial barter industry.)

The cover story and interview with artist Michael Whipple is a classic! His embracement of barter enabled him to move from obscurity onto fame and fortune, accomplishing some remarkable feats. You’ll see how this solo artist drew an attendance of 14,000 to his one-man art show.

Whipple, the oldest of 9 children, had originals in the private collections of Ernst Borgnine, Lucille Ball, John Brody, Ron Bolton and Stanley Clarke. As an original out-of-the-box thinker, he provided an abundance of stimulating new ideas in the 16-page interview.

In this remarkable issue the president of the National Gemstone Corporation offered tips on “How Not To Get Ripped Off In A Gem/Real Estate Barter Transaction.” And Paul Durand, a gemstone expert, authored a most informative article titled “Are Gems A Good Investment?” His advice was yes, if you buy them correctly. Sadly, he concluded, most people don’t. (If you’re interested in gemstones you’ll want this article for referring to again and again.)

A senior economist at the U.S. Department of Commerce took the time and effort to lay out the U.S. government’s view of countertrade arrangements. It’s a real eye-opener!

James Stout, author of the book A Barter Way of Life and Business, shared his thoughts on “How To Pay Your Cash Debts By Bartering.” And Trader Drew’s optimistic column was titled “Barter Offers Many Ways To Create Wealth!”

For a copy of this digital issue, or any other of all the back copies of BarterNews, see: DIGITAL

BarterNews has published a special report for the newcomer to barter: ENTREPRENEUR

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