I will with friends, esp. since I'm a home-baker. For example, I'm doing 2 large cakes for a friend's party. I've figured out what the cost would be and in return I'm getting the same in music lessons.
I have done it twice. Once was a cake in exchange for amusement park tickets. However, when it came time for me to make the cake what she picked out was worth way more than the tickets. She is a good friend who honestly did not realize the value of the cake. I had to very nicely tell her that the $250 cake she wanted was NOT the equivalent to the $90 tickets. We were able to work out a cake design that worked in the end.
The other time I did a cake in exchange cash to cover my supplies and the rest in Creative Memories products (the girl is a CM rep and she gets the stuff at a discount).
If you are going to do this make sure you have everything in writing like a contract.
Not anymore - got burned too many times to count! I'll donate a cake to a function that I am attending or feel that is worthwhile, but bartering, no.
I recently bartered two dozen cupcakes for a tattered antique wedding dress for my daughter's costume. That's the only time I've bartered with a total stranger. She and I were both pretty pleased with the deal.
i do but only with friends or people i at least know and trust. I "sell" at my regular price and they "sell" at theirs so that way all is fair. I have a friend who cleans. she charges 20.00 and hour. She cleaned for two hours and i in turn gave her 40.00 worth of cake. now she ordered 50.00 worth of cake so i just had her pay me the 10 bucks in cash. she was happy, i was happy. all was well 
I am doing two dozen carrot cake cupcakes for a hair color and cut this weekend. I have bartered decorated halloween cookies for a hand painted pumpkin. These are all people that I have known for a while and know their work and trust them. It can be fun just be careful who you barter with.
I bartered a $500 cake for a photographer I met on Craigs List. She is now my friend on Facebook and the only reason I haven't gone down to take the pics (she tells me whenever she is in our towns' studio) is because I wanted to lose a bit of weight first. (HA!!) She did tell me that she would like for us to complete the 'transaction' this year.
She is very nice and even gave me the picture I have on my flyers but I realize it could have gone either way. I just charged her regular price (from my website) and when we go to her, she will do the same (from her site.)
I barter with my mother-in-law on occasion. Two dozen cupcakes or so, in exchange for a trip to Ross. :-p
Well isn't this the funniest subject tonight....meaning, I was just trying to barter with a friend of mine, LOL! I want to make a cake that she wants and I would like a cooler that she has! I have bartered with other friends as well, lets see, I got a 12' swimming pool and a carseat in the past! I would rather do a cake for them then spit out the cash!
Bartering is a great thing. This is what they did years ago when people couldn't afford things!!!
Oh, duh. I was thinking official bartering for business with strangers rather then friends. I have bartered car work, highlights, haircuts and more for cake.... I also would rather work it off via cake rather then money.
Yup, on a semi-regular basis.
I have many friends and acquaintances who are also small business owners and we barter equal value. I have never been burned, but I am always very clear when I outline the 'rules'.
Here are just a couple of examples:
Skin care clinic next to my store: the owner is just the nicest little gal and they have three kids and they sometimes just order a non-decorated cake for a family dinner. we add up the costs and I can choose whatever treatments add up ot that... a facial or a wax, something like that.
A woman from shul that I'm friendly with who owns a clothing store... three kids. Make the cakes and then get to choose whatever I want that equals the value of the cake.
The gal who cuts my hair has two kids... I make cakes and get haircuts for the value.
Massage therapist: also has two kids, make two cakes a year for her kidlets and get massages for equal value .
I have, but only with friends & acquaintances who want to order a cake. They pay for the cost of ingredients and materials though. So essentially they pay for the cake but barter for the hours I put into making & decorating the cake.
When we moved to this new posting, I didn't want to be running a business but still wanted to indulge my passion for cakes. This bartering system just evolved. Friends love having my cakes for special occasions but didn't want to impose on me because I used to offer to do it for free or just for the cost of ingredients. A friend offered to make me a necklace (she makes semi-precious & bead jewelry) in exchange for my making a cake for her daughter. Other friends found out about it and began making similar offers. I have friends who paint who give me paintings, one who works for Nestle who trades chocolates, another who works with Levi's jeans and gives me...yup, jeans!
I love this new system because I get beautiful or useful things while doing something I love. If I charged cash for my cakes I'm sure I'd encounter sticker shock.
Oooh! I'm so glad someone brought this up. I recently came upon an opportunity to barter a wedding and groom's cake package for some body repair on my car. I've been trying to decide whether or not to do this, but the wedding is in June and my car would be fixed now. I can't really see a downside since obviously there would be a contract in place.
I am encouraged to see that so many of you do this. 
I bartered part of a cake (she couldn't afford the whole design she wanted) for some haircuts for my 3 kids , worked out just fine. when I gave her the cake she actually gave me 3 free kids cuts coupons at the place she works. That way if she wasnt there it was still free.
I am just in the process of starting this as a business so what I did was getting the legal paperwork (articles of organization for my LLC etc) and the graphic design of my logo and business cards in exchange for future cakes.
I happen to have two friends that are lawyers and graphic designers so that worked out well. I figured those are really expensive things, and the cakes will give me a reason to practice and build my portfolio!
Actually the "lawyer" cake is for this weekend, i better do a good job on it!
A lot of places have bartering organizations that will keep track of the "points" that you build up, then you spend them for other things with other members. For example, say that I made a cake for a member, those points would go into my account. Then if I needed something from another member (not necessarily the one I made the cake for) it would come out of my points.
The value of bartered goods is considered income, though, so technically you're supposed to declare it as income on your income taxes. If you do it through the organizations they're set up to keep track of all that for you.
I've bartered a few times (one was for logo work). I've been offered the opportunity for professional photographs as well, but I'm not ready to go that route. I'm always open to bartering if it works for both parties. I think I would stick to small business owners and people I am friendly with before I would do it with a total stranger. Depends on the situation though.
Hey, why not? If you have something they want, and they have something you want, by all means.
I'm trading services this weekend with my DVD producer. He is getting married and I am shooting DVD's...win win
Jen
I bartered part cash/part gravel for a wedding cake with friends who have a gravel business. What was really nice was that they were so pleased they spread and rolled (compacted) the gravel for me too. That would have been a few hundred extra dollars but they had time so they did it free. Bartering can work out to be very beneficial!
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