There was once a time, long before the world plunged into recession, when money held little to no authority, when goods and services were bought by simply trading other goods and services.
While those days have long since gone and it could be legitimately argued that money does in fact make the modern world go round, it turns out that there is still a place for bartering.
CNN Money recently ran an article entitled 'Barter boom: Swapping sex toys for plumbing: At a barter network's annual holiday show and trade expo, business owners gather to grow their sales by swapping'.
As it suggests, the piece focuses on the events of a bartering show and how they can increase sales without a direct monetary investment.
By appearing on the reputed pages of CNN Money Barter Business Limited, which runs the show, will have generated a significant amount of online PR most likely gained from an increase in the number of click-throughs on their linked site.
Barter Business Limited, which helps companies come to bartered agreements, runs an Annual Business & Holiday Barter Show, aimed at getting businesses together to trade inventory.
At the latest event more than 1,000 people affiliated with 100 companies congregated for the trade-off. The businesses on show included everything from bicycles to sex toys.
Debbie Lombardi insists that there is "no recession in barter" and the evidence at the show suggests she is right. Attendees happily peruse the aisles, without so much as a cent, only their barter cards.
These cards are linked to accounts of "trade dollars" which users can spend on goods offered by other account holders.
In her 25 years in the bartering business Ms Lombardi says she has seen it all, even a Doctor who traded delivering twins and vasectomies.
Funerals and facelifts have been bartered too.
While she insists the recession has not affected bartering, it has - for the good. Indeed, Ms Lombardi admits that people are "just looking for business right now."
Although she may have not had to trade for it, the exposure that Barter Business Unlimited will have received from the CNN Money article could prove to be a very lucrative deal indeed.
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