Toronto's barter trend has led to some unusual offers for one resident including a liver
A Toronto artist is turning tattoos into trades, bartering body ink for everything from jewelry and language lessons to fly fishing tutorials and DJ classes.
Hana Ziran, a tattoo artist with a background in design, says the whole thing started pretty organically — both her career and the barter system itself.
"A tattooer friend taught me on a whim…and it's turned out to be a medium where I feel like I can express my creative energy in an authentic way and work with people one on one," she tells blogTO.
While tattoo artists have long traded ink among themselves, Ziran says expanding that system beyond the industry felt like a natural next step, noting that it was only a matter of time before she started trading with people from other professions.
Bartering has been a common business practice in the food industry as well, something we've reported about in the past.
Toronto Tattoo artist Hana Ziran.
The concept has seen renewed interest in Toronto, where alternative forms of exchange already have a long history. Ziran says she was already familiar with the city's barter culture through Bunz, a local trading platform where users could exchange goods and services.
"You could list your stuff or put out an 'ISO' post for things you were 'in search of.' It was pretty popular, and I could see that people appreciated getting to participate in fostering a circular economy," she says.
Still, Ziran confirms that she didn't expect the response to grow as much as it did. "I just wish I had more lifetimes to take everyone up on their offers," she admits, trading goods and services based on equal value and matching set rates with other professionals.
She believes the recent surge in bartering reflects growing frustration with the current economic climate. "A combination of the economy not being so great right now, and disillusionment with the current state of capitalism. Folks are looking for alternate ways of sharing and exchanging resources."
And while some trades have been practical, others have been a little more unexpected. She's been offered magic trick lessons, car wrapping services, and even Spanish lessons in exchange for tattoos. "Someone offered me their liver, which I think (hope) was a joke," she says.
Of all the trades she's made so far, her favourite remains a gold fish-shaped ring she received from a Palestinian-Danish jeweller.
Photo courtesy of Hana Ziran
So, what skills has Ziran picked up through this system, so far? "Most of the trades I've done have been in exchange for goods and services so far — massage therapy, acupuncture, jewelry, artwork — so no skills yet."
But some intriguing opportunities are on the horizon.
"I am arranging a trade with an urban farmer to learn about foraging, plant ID, and herbal preps," Ziran explains with enthusiasm.
Ziran will soon be taking her artistic abilities, along with her bartering mindset, on the road as she travels to Montreal to provide tattoo services across the city.
Hana Ziran
