I don’t watch much television, not these days at least. Growing up I had one in my room and I think that proved to be too much. I went without one for a few years and often long for those days. There are enough other distractions (electronic and otherwise) to fill my time. However, while at the gym recently, I saw an episode of Barter Kings on A&E.
Being someone who doesn’t watch much TV, I really have no time (or patience for that matter) for reality television. Documentaries, fine. Reality TV, not so much. I have to say, though, that Barter Kings hooked me. In era where Storage Wars has multiple spin offs (for some reason), I found this show to be worthwhile. To me, it was emblematic of a sustainable economy. While there are overtones of consumerism, the premise is that the show follows two men who trade items on Craigslist for a living. Occasionally they sell one for income, but bartering is their trade, so to speak.
Although I only watched one full episode, and caught the tail end of the preceding one, I got the sense that they provided a service as well. For people who need to get rid of old junk or collectibles, the Barter Kings – Steve and Antonio – help them find what they want. In every transaction on the show Steve and Antonio “trade up” though rarely does the monetary value of the item really explain its worth. In some respects it supports the old adage, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.
Aside from the reality TV aspect, trading what one no longer needs or uses for something that is more useful demonstrates a sustainable pathway. Occasionally new products were introduced, but by in large older items that had fallen into disrepair or out of favor with the owners were traded for something that was more useable, if not always more valuable from a monetary or sentimental perspective. Instead of throwing away an item, exchanging it for something else keeps it out of the landfill, saves money, and allows people to move goods without having to buy new products. It’s a win-win situation, the gold standard in a sustainable economy.
I guess the show also hit a bit closer to home. A while back I worked not too far from where Barter Kings takes place, in the high desert northwest of Los Angeles. It’s a beautiful place in many ways, evocative of the west and the big skies. However, the High Desert is also a hardscrabble place. Bartering seems like a natural fit there, but ought to be a model for the rest of the country too.
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