A new bar in the trendy Wynwood neighborhood of Miami is letting its customers trade in vintage items in lieu of paying in cash.
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Barter, a 9K SF space at 255 NW 27th Terrace that opened Dec. 21, is decorated with old-fashioned birdcages and manual typewriters. And it wants more.
Co-owner Richard Barrenechea told SouthFlorida.com that Barter will accept anything “that isn’t really used in modern society anymore, but still functions” such as sports memorabilia, old watches or midcentury modern furniture. It can be traded for drinks, food or credit.
Bartering is seeing a resurgence among young people who are souring on consumer culture. The idea of swapping goods has gained traction at events like Burning Man, and numerous bartering websites have sprung up in recent years. Experts have said the trend is appealing to people trying to make a living in the so-called "gig economy."
“We’re a very millennial bar,” co-owner Matt Ohashi told SouthFlorida.com. “It’s not a common idea yet, to bring something to trade in a bar in order to get drunk. But if you look to the frontiersman days of America, people used to trade with gold. Now people are trading with bitcoin.”
Early reviews of the bar welcomed its "hipster meets old school vibe" and the mushroom ceviche.
