Most business bartering schemes will see standard services and goods traded for each other, and that’s an ideal way for businesses to network, reduce their costs, and establish ongoing relationships. However, one of the great things about bartering is that you can use the process to exchange even the oddest items for almost anything else, and one man was able to make his way across the continental United States using nothing but bacon.
An actor and comedian named Josh Sankey stumbled across the idea that such a universally adored food would be able to get him anywhere he needed to go, so he decided to load up a trailer with a staggering 3,000 pounds of thick-cut Oscar Mayer Applewood Smoked bacon, then head from New York to Los Angeles without a dollar in his pocket.
Each ‘brick’ of bacon was able to earn Sankey something, and he turned out to be able to get much more than just food, accommodation, and fuel for his load of rashers. Throughout his journey, he ended up staying in plenty of living rooms, but he also snagged overnight stays in a number of suites and even a mansion.
He also got to step away from his own car for a couple of hours to drive a race car three times around the Mid-American Motorplex in Pacific Junction, meet Olympic gold medal winning skater Scott Hamilton, and stay with Penn Jillette (of famous magical duo Penn and Teller) in Las Vegas. When he passed through the town of Cedar City in Utah, they legally changed the name to Sizzle City for a whole day.
Some of his more interesting barters include:
- Jets tickets for six bricks of bacon
- A single bag of ice for one brick of bacon
- An invitation to an exclusive wedding in the Hamptons for one brick of bacon
All in all, it took Josh and his trailer of bacon just two weeks to get from New York City to Los Angeles, and he didn’t have to spend a single cent along the way. Not all bartering deals are quite as unique, or delicious, but it’s always fantastic to hear of fun ways that people find to trade for what they need.