OK - As a Y2K community and an individual please tell me what you would accept for trade if you are in the bartering mood come the year 2000? I vote black jelly beans, gold and silver. This page could serve to be valuable. What is the popular chose for Y3K currency?

-- Duane (Duane24062@aol.com), December 18, 1998

Answers

Being the season of good will, I'll go for vestal virgins, can't remember how many though :)

Yes, - them and Kalashnikovs.

Err, and Mars Bars.

Erm, got any Guinness back there perchance???

"Oh, alright, OK OK, take these 2 VV's off me hands, they do nothing but rabbit on and on and on and moan and groan, AND they're not *that* vestal anyway, if you get my drift, that's the last time I deal with ACEFAKE over the hill, I knew I was getting ripped off for those bic lighters (grumble, grumble...)"

Did I mention vestal virgins, not fakes, real ones???

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), December 18, 1998.

If you guys can't be serious the word police will root you out and inform you that you are an idiot. Consider yourself forewarned

Seriously though does anyone know if it would be moral for fat guys to sell thier legs for food. How much per pound would be a fair price? It would probably be wrong to do it just for the money but how about if the fat guy needed to feed his family. Would it be ok to sell your leg for a bag of rice and some Chianti and farva beans?

Who should pay for the anesthesia? Would it be an option to even have anesthesia. Like there could be a rule that if there's no anesthesia you can't sell your leg.

So many worries So little time

-- Jimmy Bagga Doughnuts (jim1bets@worldnet.att.net), December 18, 1998.

Rolls of toilet paper.

-- Bill (bill@microsoft.com), December 18, 1998.

Whatever you have for whatever they need that is barter period. What you will need to live every day maybe gold or silver or peanutbutter.

-- Bubba (Badhabbit@water.com), December 18, 1998.

Yo Jimmy, fava, anaesthesia = as in your brain.

Has there been a bloke asking you over for dinner to have you with some fava beans and a nice bottle of chianti? I think we should be told.

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), December 18, 1998.

Cigarettes and Alcohol. Guns and Ammo. Beans, Canned goods. Rice, wheat, corn. Doubt many people will barter for "services" though. (Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe as things get better, services will be back in vogue.)

(Since I don't drink (much) or smoke cigs and alc would be perfect.)

Glen Austin

-- Glen Austin (gdaustin@aol.com), December 18, 1998.

Sunglasses! -- they're functional, portable, and they look good!

In fact, the only thing civilization ever really needed was sunglasses. All the rest of this junk is just a waste of time and space. Imagine cavemen without sunglasses. Now imagine them with sunglasses. See my point?

And why is it that every picture of space-aliens is of creatures with large, dark bug eyes? Those aren't bug eyes. They're built in sunglasses -- built into their re-engineered DNA!

Nathan B^)

-- Nathan (nospam@all.com), December 19, 1998.

How about lighters and matches? How many people know how to start a fire without them?

(I think the clear lighters would be best, so you'd know you weren't getting an almost empty one)

Jeanne

-- Jeanne (kenj2@aol.com), December 19, 1998.

Toilet paper, blue tip matches, flashlights, batteries, BIC lighters.

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), December 19, 1998.

I will accept junk silver coins by weight.

-- Codo (1codo@river-valley.net), December 20, 1998.

This is obviously assuming TEOTWAWKI, if this is the case, food, food and food. Followed by TP, fire makers and more food.

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), December 21, 1998.

There's a difference between barter and currency. Currency is something nonconsumable, like silver or cash. For a while barter will be king. When a real ecoonomy gets going again, and people are out of bare survival mode, cash and coin will kick in.

BTW, with a bit of knowledge and practice it ain't that tough to make fire with a bow drill. I've done it.

-- Shimrod (shimrod@lycosmail.com), December 23, 1998.

At first, basic food, especially canned goods, guns, ammunition. Later, seeds and commodity foods and tools, plus the earlier things. Later, spices, salt, materials, services plus those prior items. Anyone stockpiling cloth like my daughter is?

As an economy redevelops, gold, silver, jewelery as well as practical items.

Books "how to" will be valuable as folks try to despecialize

-- Jon Williamson (pssomerville@sprintmail.com), December 23, 1998.