Important Tradables In the Post-Apocalyptic Wasteland

In the case of an apocalypse, it will be useful to have access to items for barter. Money is unlikely to have any real power, at least for a few years, thus making trade items a necessity (eventually, some group is going to start up coins and then bills, but that's unlikely to happen for at least a few years after the apocalypse); after all, everyone is likely to need various items but have a surplus of other items. This means that we will be back to dealing with a barter economy, where goods and services are traded for other goods and services. Fortunately, it's possible to stock up on some items ahead of time.

Money, Precious Metals and Fuel Will Not Be Important

Far too many people think that having a suitcase of money, some gold bars, and a tank of gasoline is going to help should the apocalypse happen. The reality is that neither will help all that much. Money is going to be virtually worthless with no government to enforce it; paper money is going to be great for kindling, sure, but that's about it. Coins will be more useful, but that's because they can be melted down for more useful items, you just can't eat shiny things. Fuel may seem to be more useful, but gasoline can go bad after even a few months; the longer it's around the more degraded it's going to be; it's eventually going to lose its bang.

For those expecting motorcycle gangs to roam the hills or huge Mad Max-style vehicle battles, it's just not going to happen. Within a year, anything that requires gasoline is going to be virtually useless. It's going to be better for those who converted to solar, wind, and even vegetable oil.

Starving Bad, Sober Worse

Food is definitely going to be a high-priority tradable, especially in the beginning months. Fruits and vegetables will also be in demand, but they'll be at the bottom of the pyramid. Grains will be up next, with vegetarian proteins (beans, nuts) above that. Simple processed foods (bread, rolls, muffins) will be next, with meats near the top. The only thing that will be more important will sweet breads (cakes and pies). Staples (salt, pepper, flour, tea, and sugar) will also be important (about the level of grains) while spices will rank with meat in importance.

Someone with a large full-service farm is going to be very popular.

Recreational drugs are also going to be popular: If someone can escape from their present, then they will do what they can to escape. Alcohol is thus going to be worth its weight in gold, with the higher the alcohol content the better, and the taste will definitely be a factor. Tobacco may see a resurgence and marijuana will of course be very popular, with the higher the THC content the better. However, most drugs, including coffee, will be unavailable. All of this means that beer and marijuana will probably be the most common intoxicants, with whiskey and other spirits of increased importance.

In short, someone who runs a large farm with an aggressively diverse range of products should have no problems finding what he needs,

Being Well Physically Is Just as Important as Being Well Mentally

Suffice it to say, medicines will be very important. There's going to be a brisk trade in natural cures Given most pharmacies will be stripped to their bones in short order, most drugs will be in high demand, especially things like insulin, antacids, and rarer drugs will be in high demand. Medical supplies will also be important; even bandages and other first aid supplies will be in high demand.

People will be looking for distractions as well as something to cover bare walls. Books and artwork will also be of interest, with some people interested in art supplies as well. There will be a resurgence in folk arts, such as mobiles, musical instruments, paintings, and carvings, and those can be traded as well, Jewelry will tend to be more metallic with the occasional gemstone pendant fetching the highest price.

From The Forge

If someone can work a forge, they will be in high demand. Given their dependence on cartridges, firearms are either going to increase in value as ammunition gets scarcer but will peter out or become more popular depending on if people can figure out how to manufacture gunpowder. However, expect to see a surge in interest in medieval weapons, especially swords and crossbows, as well as armors, to return.

By the same token, housewares will be popular as well, such as pots, pans, and utensils. Glassblowers will also become more popular for bowls, plates, glasses, and bottles, with even apprentices kept busy due to demand.

The more artistic these creations, the better; the more downright gorgeous something is, the better price it will fetch

Even the best blacksmith can't forge some parts. Thus, there is bound to be a pretty good market for a lot of manufactured items,.the rarer the better. This means that most scavenging parties will be keeping an eye out for those parts and know where to find them, or at least have an idea of where to find them. Some scavengers may even keep maps of where to find some parts, with those being valuable in their own right.

Nudity Is Usually a Bad Thing

Clothing is going to follow some interesting trends. Skinny dipping will likely become popular again, and younger kids (and some teens and older folks) will prefer to wear as little clothing as possible, especially during hot summers. However, clothing is still going to be important, with most clothes being made of linen, wool, and cotton. However, even basic shirts and pants will always sell, the better the quality the better. Dyed clothes are even better, and screen printing will always be around. Warm clothes will always be in demand.

Even shoes will be popular, and expect a wide variety of leather clothes.

Getting Things Done

Sweat equity will take on a whole new meaning in the post-apocalyptic world. Even those with immense holdings are going to need to work, at least for the first couple of years after things happen; you just won't be able to spend all of your time trading, and able-bodied individuals who don't do at least some labor are going to fall behind. There will be something for even the disabled and elderly (individual communities will need to determine what to do if someone is truly unable to work).

Almost everyone will be involved in farming, even if it's just helping out during the harvest. Farmers should have plenty of time to pursue other interests that help the community, while more specialized trades will be able to pursue those interests more fully. This labor can be traded for other things. Someone can also trade labor for other things; for example, helping someone farm can get the person food or chopping wood for a blacksmith could get a knife made. In essence, sweat is a valuable commodity.

While everyone should be involved in the militia (albeit responsible for their own arms and armor), some people will sell themselves as raiders and bodyguards in exchange for food and other goods. Sadly, some may be selling themselves in other ways, as sex is no doubt going to remain a commodity. In short, there will be many uses for bodies in the future, but not all of them are going to be all that savory.

It's even possible for slavery to return in the future, and not just for captured individuals: It may be seen as a punishment or a way to make sure that the person gets fed. His could even be used to keep teenagers busy, with unmarried unapprenticed adolescents being part of a general labor force, and being housed away from their families while they served out their indentured servitude. These slaves would also represent a commodity, even though they may have rights depending on the community and reason for servitude; for that matter, they could provide a labor force for large-scale projects needed by the community, such as rebuilding structures, mining, or clearing land.

Scavenging and the Art of Dog Robbing

Suffice it to say that there will be a lot of scavenging. For our purposes. This includes hunting, fishing, foraging, and exploring as well as scavenging the remains of the local lands. Odds are these people would all be seen as somewhat strange to the common folk as they would be spending a lot of time in dangerous areas, even if they were providing valuable materials. These guys are also likely to create maps of their favorite locations as well as where to find certain things.

Dog robbing is also likely to be a more common skill. While originally a Marine term that meant the ability to steal everything from an officer's house including the dogs, it has been generalized to mean the ability to see how favors could be traded for the benefit of everyone involved. For example, a tree that fell on someone's fence could be expanded into the person using the wood to rebuild a fence, then trading the remaining wood for use of a wagon, and then the wagon owner trades that wood to the blacksmith for wheel repair.

This is another ability that can be developed in a barter economy, and by brokering favors between others you can either charge them for the service or help your own endeavors. This means that not only would you be doing your own trade a favor but as freeing up time for [people to do things that they actually like doing. There are also applications beyond personal enrichment. If you can apply this with seasonal goods then you can help the community grow by helping people make the most efficient choices.

[It should be noted that there will be some wanderers in this mess. Caravans are an obvious one, as one community trades its surplus to a community lacking the commodity while trading its own surplus, although true wandering merchants aren't likely to be a thing. Raiders will definitely be an issue, both those attached to a community and those truly wandering. Traveling troupes of performers are possible, trading performances for food and goods at each stop, as well as information on other communities. Couriers are another option, allowing communities to maintain communications.]

The Return of The Pub

Eventually, coins are going to return to the economy; they are just too convenient and allow a certain independence. When that happens entire sections of towns will likely be set aside for marketplaces and you will see shops return In earnest. However, bartering prefers the lubrication of alcohol, so it's likely that we'll see the return of the pub as a meeting place, where people with something to sell will go to meet those looking for something. Given that this works better for personal security (you can meet there, arrange the deal, and then send the respective goods, all without having someone come to your place), this is likely to happen a lot in the post-apocalyptic world, with entertainment, food, and alcohol being made available for patrons, with some sort of deal set up.

The world of the future is therefore going to need social skills for better survival, making it a very interesting place. Combined with the right tradables, your post-apocalyptic life could be relatively easy.