Business owners big on bartering meet in Mesa

MESA, Ariz. -- The annual convention of the National Association of Trade Exchanges is being held in Mesa through Sunday.

It brings together business owners who barter to get goods and services without using cash.

Debbie Garrard and her husband, Bob, own Big John's Catering in Mesa and have been bartering for about six years.

Debbie Gerrard explains: "Bartering is where we have our service, which is catering. Someone has a need for catering, they will call us -- for a graduation party, for weddings, for birthday parties, anniversary parties, whatever type party they might need. They'll call us and say, `I need to do a party.' We'll do the party and, instead of exchanging actual dollars, we exchange what they call `barter bucks.'"

The Gerrards bank those barter bucks with the Arizona Trade Exchange and, when they want to buy something, "We just go in and, instead of having to use our cash, we just use the barter bucks that we've banked to purchase the other activities or things that we want in the club."

The Gerrards have bought vacations, carpeting, gifts for their 10 kids and more. While the Arizona Trade Exchange charges a 12 percent fee on transactions, bartering is still a bargain, they said.

Bob Garrard just bought $1,200 worth of eye glasses for $150.

"We go out to dinner a lot," Debbie said. "They have what they call script. That's probably our favorite because, after we cater all day long, we don't want to come home and cook, so we use different restaurants that we get to go to."

They have traded their catering services for cruises, even a flight in a fighter jet for Bob.

The Arizona Trade Exchange says more than 700 businesses barter to do business without using cash.