How bartering works

Trade specimens instead of cash. Offer goods you already have for goods you want, valued on a single scale called RockToken. The platform never charges money and never holds your stock — you and the other party agree first, then arrange the swap.
Browse specimens Start a trade

The short version

1 Pick what you want
Add the specimens you want to your cart. A cart is always with one shop.
2 Offer your goods
Choose specimens from your own shop to give in return.
3 Negotiate
The other party accepts, declines, or counters with new RockToken values.
4 Agree & swap
Once you both agree, arrange shipping directly. No payment is taken here.

If you’re a customer

  1. Fill your cart with the specimens you’d like from one vendor.
  2. You’ll offer goods from your own shop, so you need a seller account. If you don’t have one yet, it’s a one-step, instantly approved upgrade.
  3. On the cart, click Propose a RockToken trade and choose which of your specimens to offer.
  4. Send it. You’ll get an email, and you can follow the back-and-forth under My trades.
  5. Nothing is charged, and no stock is held, until you and the vendor both agree.

If you’re a vendor

  1. Incoming offers appear under Trade offers in your dashboard.
  2. Open one to see exactly what the customer wants, what they’re offering, and the RockToken values on each side.
  3. Accept, decline, or send a counter-offer with your own RockToken values and a message.
  4. If they want more than they give (a negative balance), the trade only goes through when you approve — and they already have.
  5. After you both agree, you arrange the exchange of goods directly.

What is a RockToken?

Two different rocks are hard to compare. RockToken (RT) is a simple unit of value so both sides of a trade can be added up and negotiated on one scale. It is pegged to the US dollar at 1 RT = $1.00, so it is easy to reason about, but no money actually changes hands through the site.

SideSpecimenValue
You want Malachite Botryoidal × 1 56.00 RT
You offer Green Fluorite Cube × 1 35.00 RT
Balance You’re giving less than you get −21.00 RT
A negative balance simply means one side is giving less. You can fix it during negotiation — add another specimen, adjust a value, or agree that the difference is owed as RockToken credit between the two of you.
Both sides must agree
A trade can only be accepted when both parties approve. Any negative balance is a debt, and nobody can have a debt placed on them without their own agreement.
RockToken balances stay between the two traders
A balance that comes out of a trade is only good with that same party in a future trade. It is not a wallet you can spend with any other vendor.

Common questions

Yes. You need to be signed in, and to offer goods you need a seller shop. Opening one from the barter flow is instant and doesn’t wait for approval.

No. The platform never charges a card or moves money. An agreed trade is recorded and emailed to both parties and the platform; you settle the exchange of goods directly.

No. Like a normal cart, a trade is with one vendor at a time, so the two sides stay simple and unambiguous.

No. Nothing is held or charged until both parties accept the trade. Until then the specimen keeps selling normally.

Simply decline. No goods move, nothing is charged, and no balance is created.

You and the other party. Each offer starts with values based on the listed prices, and either side can propose new RockToken values as the trade is negotiated.
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