The Shop

Trade Tokens

trade tokens

In these difficult economic times, many of us are strapped for cash. What can be done at a time like this? One thing we can do is realize that many of the best things in life don't take much money anyway. I've created this series of wooden trade tokens to help spread thrifty and wonderful homegrown goods and services through our culture. Give them as gifts, pass them out at potlucks, leave them around town for other people to find and circulate. Let them take on a life of their own and remind us all what true value is.

Tokens say "homegrown goods & services - value from the ground up" around the edge.

Trade tokens have a long and interesting history. They were used during the fur trade in exchange for pelts. Factory and agricultural workers were paid with them (to lock them into shopping at the company store). They were handed out as advertisements for saloons with the lure of a free beer, and have taken the place of currency when it was scarce. "Hard times tokens" from the early 1800s were stamped with political satire. I grew up feeding tokens into skee-ball games at the arcade. Scroll down to see photos of the historical tokens that inspired the creation of these homegrown ones.

Tokens are 75 cents each.

Or buy the whole set of 16 for $10 at the bottom.

baked good token