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Skills as currency: trading time, not things
Music lessons for garden work. Web design for haircuts. The oldest economy, redux.
Objects are the loudest part of barter, but skills are the deepest. An hour of your time is a real thing you own, and it costs nothing to give twice.
The trick with skill trades is to be specific. "Guitar lessons" is a wish. "Four 45-minute beginner guitar lessons over the next month, in person, in Brooklyn" is a listing.
Set the scope up front and both sides feel taken care of. That's when a trade stops feeling like a deal and starts feeling like a favor between friends.