Trading away the hassle of holiday shopping New England Trade Barter Expo brings together shoppers who agree that ‘barter is better

Malden-based New England Trade, the regions oldest and largest barter and trade exchange, will hold its 5th Annual Barter Expo on Wednesday, November 28, from 6-10 PM at the Diplomat on Route 1 in Saugus.

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Trading away the hassle of holiday shopping
New England Trade Barter Expo brings together shoppers who agree that ‘barter is better

DATELINE: MALDEN AND SAUGUS, MA, ISSUED OCTOBER 22, 2001…
Malden-based New England Trade, the regions oldest and largest barter and trade exchange, will hold its 5th Annual Barter Expo on Wednesday, November 28, from 6-10 PM at the Diplomat on Route 1 in Saugus.

New England Trade members who attend the event will be able to leave their wallets at home, using barter – and only barter -- to browse more than a quarter of a million dollars in gift ideas and needed services. Among the available items will be such holiday shopping essentials as jewelry, candies, gift baskets, cell phones, exercise equipment, clothing, candles, sunglasses, ski lift tickets, restaurant gift certificates, vacation lodging and much more.

An auction, where members can bid with their New England Trade barter credits, will put up on the block such sought-after items as televisions, sports memorabilia, Celtics luxury boxes, a bedroom furniture set, a digital camera, collectible animation cells and much more.

Tickets to the event are $10 (payable by trade). The Diplomat is located on Route 1 in Saugus. For additional information about the Barter Expo, call New England Trade at (781) 388-9200 or visit their Web site at www.newenglandtrade.com .

This Expo provides an excellent way for our members to learn more about the wide variety of goods and services available to them while they get a head start on their holiday shopping," said Ken Meharg, CEO of New England Trade.

Each year, this event has grown bigger and better," said Gary Oshry, president of New England Trade. Public acceptance of barter has grown enormously in recent years and this annual tradition is not only an enjoyable event for our members, it also offers a great opportunity for us to tout the cost savings and efficiencies that a trade organization can provide."

TAPPING THE POWER OF TRADE
Since 1980, New England Trade has helped thousands of businesses gain a competitive edge by using barter. Barter is a creative way to increase sales and decrease cash expenses. Using state-of-the-art computerized barter software, Tradeworks®, the companys trade brokers put together thousands of trades each month.

Restaurants, automobile services, travel, retail stores, and professional business services such as accounting, legal and advertising/marketing are some of the numerous clients who do business with New England Trade – and each other.

Worldwide, more than $600 billion is traded annually by small firms and giant companies alike. Nearly one-third of all U.S. businesses are involved in some kind of barter and more than 65 percent of the corporations listed on the New York Stock Exchange use barter to reduce surplus inventory and bolster sales.

New England Trade, located at 926 Eastern Avenue in Malden, MA, has more than 1,000 members throughout the region. In business for nearly 20 years, it is the largest barter organization in Massachusetts. The company is a founding member of the National Association of Trade Exchanges and a member of The International Reciprocal Trade Association (IRTA). New England Trade manages more than $5 million in sales annually and has a staff of 7 people. They are long-standing members of the Malden Chamber of Commerce. Ken Meharg is New England Trades CEO. Gary Oshry is president of the company.

For complimentary information about barter, or to explore employment opportunities in the profession, please contact New England Trade at (781) 388-9200 or www.newenglandtrade.com.