As a collector when you find you have duplications within your collection, use them to your advantage–as a trading vehicle.They are a form of currency. Barter them with other collectors to get other desired items you don’t have. Check with your local trade exchange, too. Collectors of all sorts are members and will often have displays at exchange functions. Spending trade dollars for desired items is another way to expand your collection.

You not only add value to (more…)

Did you give someone a gift card over the holidays, instead of just handling them cash? You’re certainly not alone. The use of gift cards is more complex than we think. Gift givers are looking to transmit an emotional value that is more than just the economic value of cash.

Research from the Tower Group, as noted in a recent issue of the Sunday New York Times magazine, illuminates the huge gift card economy where consumers purchased $97 billion worth of gift cards in 2007. And nearly (more…)

Contractors, subcontractors and workers must pay taxes on income received for all work which includes work done in exchange for goods & services in a barter exchange, even if a Form 1099 or W-2 is (more…)

It’s no secret, networking and face-to-face socializing is crucial to our success in life, i.e. it’s not what you know, but who you know. So having the right contacts can make all the difference when it comes to not only finding a better job, but also in finding the funding for a new business venture, or getting a JV partner or even to accomplish the more mundane chores in life.

So, it makes sense to get comfortable in your networking endeavors. You should make a point to (more…)

Is ITEX, a barter company, a hidden dynamo for value investors? As readers of our blog, you’ve seen the posts on the recent talk about a take over by Western Sizzlin. This Texan investor has more to say on his blog about this hidden dynamo. This Texas investor also (he says) co-founded one of America’s largest companies. For more (more…)

President Bush’s program to bail out subprime borrowers does not address the root causes of the current crisis, according to George Favvas, the CEO of www.SmartHippo.com said.

“Let’s face it. Some consumers took on loans they knew they couldn’t afford, but others lacked the knowledge or information to make wise decisions. This was exploited by certain lenders who put (more…)

What is your greeting this year? ‘Happy Holidays’ Or ‘Merry Christmas’?

In its fourth annual survey, GiftBasketsDeluxe.com finds that 60% of holiday gift baskets were sent using the term (more…)

You can barter and secure passage on a cruise, as the cruise lines have many needs. And these needs are often acquired through barter.

For a list of (more…)

It’s Healthful To Be Grateful All Year, Not Just On Thanksgiving, So Focus On The Good And You’ll Get More Of It!

JoAnna Brandi, author of the book 54 Ways to Stay Positive in a Changing, Challenging and Sometimes Negative World,says you can create positive changes in your life by developing an (more…)

Dr. Jeremy Siegel, a professor of finance at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania says over the last 90 years that 30-day T-bills have returned (more…)