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This show always makes deals and trades

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Mondays at 10/9C on History The Pawn Stars haggle to make a profit. Shop Pawn Stars today! http://www.shophistorystore.com/ HISTORY®, now reaching more than 98 million homes, is the leading destination for award-winning original series and specials that connect viewers with history in an informative, immersive, and entertaining manner across all platforms. The network's all-original programming slate features a roster of hit series, epic miniseries, and scripted event programming.

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This is an example of bartering for the wrong reasons. Bartering for sexual reasons is illegal in most states.

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(LifeWire) -- While she was studying in Brazil during college, the one thing Stephanie Gerson longed to do before leaving was spend time in the thick of the Amazon rain forest. Unfortunately, she couldn't find a tour that would take her past the forest's edge.

So, when a college-aged busboy at a resort she was visiting began flirting with her, she asked him if he thought a tourist could survive alone in the jungle.

"He laughed and told me I was nuts," says Gerson, 27, who works part-time in online marketing for a chocolate company in San Francisco.

Then he told her that he'd grown up in the jungle in a nearby indigenous community. That was all Gerson needed to hear. Although she wasn't attracted to the guy, Gerson flirted right back in the hopes that he would be her jungle tour guide. It worked. The busboy wormed his way out of work, and the two headed into the rain forest.

"It was amazing," Gerson says of her adventure in 2000. "We built our homes out of palm leaves, I saw animals I'd never seen before, he taught me the medicinal properties of all the plants, we picked fruit off the trees, we swam with and ate piranhas. And, of course, we had sex ... for almost two weeks."

Body currency system

Gerson never felt sleazy or uncomfortable with her unspoken arrangement with the busboy.

"It was a good barter both ways," she says. "I got to stay in the jungle, and he got to have sex with a cute, young American girl."

Such trades aren't so unusual. Throughout history, humans have used their bodies to get what they want -- from ancient Egyptian ruler Cleopatra, who cemented her power through liaisons with Roman rulers Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, to the man and woman who were arrested at a Fort Wright, Kentucky, motel in late June for allegedly swapping sex for gasoline. Regardless of our motivation, scientists say we're hardwired to use our bodies as a bargaining chip.

A recent study of 475 University of Michigan undergraduates ages 17 to 26 found that 27 percent of the men and 14 percent of the women who weren't in a committed relationship had offered someone favors or gifts -- help prepping for a test, laundry washing, tickets to a college football game -- in exchange for sex. On the flip side, 5 percent of the men surveyed and 9 percent of the women said they'd attempted to trade sex for such freebies.

And although they weren't hard up for resources, the students surveyed "recognized the value of this socioeconomic currency system," says Daniel Kruger, research scientist at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, who published his findings in the April issue of "Evolutionary Psychology."

"It's more about getting what you want than getting what you need," he says. "Unless you think everyone needs a $200 Louis Vuitton bag."

The handyman hookup

But unattached coeds aren't the only ones who barter with their bodies. Some professionals will attest that their skills are, well, sexy.

"Women are turned on just by the simple idea of their guy getting off his ass and doing something for them," says Rocky Fino, author of "Will Cook for Sex: A Guy's Guide to Cooking."

It works both ways, he adds.

"Give it to me first thing in the morning, and I'll play [handyman] all day," says Fino, a 39-year-old father of two and part-time construction worker.

Ben Corbett, a 39-year-old contractor from Boulder, Colorado, credits his tool belt with prompting the barrage of come-ons he fields from female clients -- most of them married -- on a regular basis.

"It starts with the flirting, and it just progresses," says Corbett, who has run a construction and remodeling business for 20 years. "They'll touch my hand, and there's all this physical contact. Or they'll run around in their pajamas."

"Once," he says, "I was painting the hallway right outside a client's bedroom, and she was lying on her bed like a girl at a slumber party with her legs up and her arms crossed and her head resting on them, asking me if I had a girlfriend.

"It's all about the fantasy of being taken by the rough-hewn construction guy," muses Corbett, who, despite the temptation, has avoided getting sexually involved with his clientele for fear of jeopardizing his business.

It's the biology, stupid

Call it crass, sexist or gender stereotyping all you want, but there are thousands of years of biological programming at work here, says Dr. Chris Fariello, director of the Institute for Sex Therapy at the Council for Relationships, a nonprofit relationship-counseling group based in Philadelphia.

Plain and simple, a partner who provides more resources -- wealth, shelter, home repairs -- is seen as more attractive and stands to reap more sexual rewards.

Or, as Fariello puts it, "I don't get anybody in my office who says, 'My husband sits on the couch all day and eats bonbons, and I want to have sex with him all the time.'"

All About Relationships

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While she was studying in Brazil during college, the one thing Stephanie Gerson longed to do before leaving was spend time in the thick of the Amazon rain forest. Unfortunately, she couldn't find a tour that would take her past the forest's edge.

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This article states the bartering laws. Most of the time it is legal and as simple as trading something in your garage.

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What Is bartering?

Bartering is when two people trade or exchange one thing for another without using money. Bartering is probably the oldest form of economic activity and has been done even before the invention of money currency. It can involve the exchange of good or services, or both. Some common examples of bartering include:

Goods for goods: "I'll trade you this book for your hat"

Goods for services: "I'll trade you these tires in exchange for three hours of babysitting"

Services for services: "I'll mow your lawn if you clean my pool"

Usually, no money is exchanged between the parties. But sometimes one party may offer money if there is a significant difference in the value of the items exchanged. Goods or services obtained through bartering must be reported in tax statements. Sometimes the bartering agreement will function as a binding legal contract.

When Is Bartering Used?

Bartering tends to happen in an informal setting between persons who are already acquainted. However, some people choose to join professional bartering exchanges or networks to engage in high-level corporate bartering. These bartering exchanges often function like a small economy, complete with their own form of currency.

Also, bartering is common amongst parties resolving legal disputes. For example, in out-of-court settlements, the defendant may attempt to pay for damages by bartering their services or goods instead of money.

Are Barter Deals Contracts?

Most of the time a barter deal meets all the legal requirements of a binding contract, including offer and acceptance, consideration, etc. This is especially true if the agreement creates obligations or legal duties for both parties. In order to create a contract, usually each party is required to render something of value in exchange for another item of value.

Thus, suppose that the parties agree that one will trade a car for a boat. If one party delivers the car, but the other does not deliver the boat, then the other may be legally required through a lawsuit to keep their end of the agreement. Even if there is no writing, a court can still find that an oral contract existed if the parties made an oral agreement.

For this reason, it is very important to write down the agreement in the form of a contract if you suspect that there may be a dispute. A written contract is highly recommended if the value of the exchange exceeds $1,000. Also, since barter agreements must conform to contract laws, you should not engage in bartering if you suspect that the goods are stolen or the services are illegal.

What Are the Tax Implications for Goods or Services Obtained in Bartering?

Since bartering is considered trading, you must report the fair market value of the goods or services in your income tax return. Likewise, if it is a business that engaged in the bartering, they must make reports of profits from bartering in their federal and state tax return forms.

Barter exchange networks are also required to report the transactions of their members under the Tax Equity and Fair Responsibility Act of 1982. Trading costs may sometimes be deductible from taxes if the business qualifies.

Thus, be sure to include information regarding barter transactions in your income reports, even if the transaction was informal or involved an item of small economic value

Do I Need a Lawyer for Bartering?

Bartering can be as simple as trading items in a garage sale, or it can involve a complex transaction involving corporate assets. You should contact a lawyer if you will be bartering for important items or if you anticipate a future dispute over the goods. An experienced contract attorney can finalize the agreement in a contract so that the parties will have documented evidence of the transaction.

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Last Modified: 12-31-2014 10:20 AM PST
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Bartering is when two people trade or exchange one thing for another without using money. Bartering is probably the oldest form of economic activity and has been done even before the invention of money currency. It can involve the exchange of good or services, or both.

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This article talks about 7 ways on how to properly barter. It also mentions that bartering in taxable.