BCT gives you an easy and efficient way to advertise the products and services you offer, and to find what you want. Our members are registered and peer-rated. Connecting with new customers or finding trading partners costs just pennies a day.

Boulder County Trader is membership-based online goods and services exchange. By pooling local resources in a secure and organized environment, BCT makes it easy and inexpensive for members to advertise, find customers and make new connections.

BCT is locally owned and a member of the Louisville Chamber of Commerce.

No. BCT is a membership-only communtiy where you can advertise your business, find other locals with goods and services to sell or trade and share current news. Unlike a barter exchange, we don't oversee transactions, track your trades or ask you to use barter currency. Likewise, we don't charge brokerage fees, submit reports or keep transaction records. How you use BCT is up to you.

We welcome members who live or do business in the Boulder County and metro Denver area. We’ll ask you for valid contact and billing information during the registration process. You must be at least 18 years old.

Your account may be used by an authorized user in your business or organization, or another adult in your household. Your security is important to us, so please keep your account Username and Password private.

Yes. Our website uses 256-bit encryption software. The SSL (Secure Socket Layer) system automatically encrypts billing and other sensitive information you enter on various forms before it's transmitted over the network. Once you're into the site, the "http" becomes "https," which shows you're on a secure server.

We don't share your personal information, as per BCT's Privacy Policy.

When creating a listing, you can choose to keep all or part of your contact information private. Your contact information is included when you make or accept a barter offer using the Click Here to Trade feature. Otherwise, you can send and receive messages through your Username Account if you don't want to share your contact information.

Members’ contact information is never visible to unregistered visitors.    

Our contact form is the best way to reach us.

No. We won't charge you for membership renewal without your permission. We'll give you plenty of notice so you can renew your membership without interruption.

Go to your Account and click on Member Profile under My Account, on the left. Below your contact information is a field for an email address. Clear the field and carefully input the new email address. Then click Save Profile.

Go to your Account and click on Member Profile under My Account, on the left. You'll be asked for your current password and your new password. Then click Update Password.

Please check the Member Pricing and Details page for membership and listing rates. Special offers may be available; check the left of the home page under What's Up.

Join by submitting our Membership Registration form. We'll then send you an email with a link to confirm your registration.

A standard listing is an advertisement that includes a title, optional subtitle, your written description, your contact information (if you choose to include it), and up to five free photos or images. A listing remains active for 60 days, unless you remove it sooner.

We also offer a very limited number of featured listings that always display on the Search page. Please contact us for pricing.

At BCT, you can trade with cash or just about any material object, skill, service or asset. You'll find an overview of products, goods and services by browsing the Directory. BCT's Terms of Service prohibits listings for anything illegal. Also prohibited are firearms, alcohol, tobacco, medical marijuana, pornography and any sexually oriented product or service.

It depends on the trade. According to the IRS Bartering Tax Center, barter income is treated the same as cash income. Contact your tax professional for advice, and always establish a dollar value for your trade with your trading partner before the transaction's conclusion. Create and maintain records of your trades, as BCT is not a barter exchange and does not keep track of your trades, nor do we provide tax records, forms, advice or information.

We take the privacy of our members' information seriously. Any information that identifies you personally is for internal purposes only, and we'll disclose it only under very limited circumstances. Refer to the section Disclosure of Personal Information in our Privacy Policy for more information.

Although we may share general information about who uses BCT (for example, number of unique visitors, number of members, most visited pageviews, and so on), you remain anonymous and your personal information remains private and confidential.

(Watch a quick video tutorial.)

It’s easy. Click the Post a Listing link on the dark blue bar along the top of any page, and choose the Create Listing option on the left. Follow the three-step process* then preview, edit or post your listing. Remember to provide any contact information you wish to be visible in the designated fields, not in the description of your listing.

If you need help at any time, click the question mark next to each field, or contact us for assistance. You may edit your listing at any time.

*The first three words of your headline will be used as the title for your listing when it appears under New Listings on the home page and in our Twitter feed @TraderBonnie.

Certainly, as long as all the items belong to the same categories; putting an item in an irrelevant category makes it harder for other members to find in a search.

An effective listing is one that other members can easily find, so select the categories for your trade item carefully. To make your listing as accessible as possible, use its most common name and use keywords in your headline and description. The first three words of your headline will be used as the title for your listing when it appears under New Listings on the home page and in our Twitter feed @TraderBonnie.

Start with a strong opening statement, and include factual information in your description. Be accurate in explaining the condition of your offering; provide all pertinent details and terms. Photos make your listing stand out. You can upload up to five. Be sure to proofread your copy and edit as necessary.

When creating your listing, if you leave the phone number and email fields blank, you'll be using BCT’s messaging system to receive and answer questions. (To access your inbox, sign in to your Account and click Visit Message Inbox, on the upper right.) Your contact information is made available only to the other member when you make or accept a barter offer using the Click Here to Trade feature.

Yes. We hope you'll edit carefully before posting your listing, but it is easy to make changes or corrections later. You can change your primary photo, switch or add more images or a link. You may also change the categories you previously chose for your listing, and edit the headline.

Edit your listing at any time by going to My Listings in your Account, then and selecting the Edit button next to the listing's title.   

If your listing has expired, you will find it in Inactive Listings, on the left in your Account.

Contact us. If we can’t help you find a category that fits, we'll create one.

Very important! Without an image, your listing won't appear on BCT's home page as a Latest Listing, and other members are less likely to notice the listing when browsing or searching.

Your listing includes uploading up to five photos or images. (Additional images can be uploaded for a nominal fee.) If your listing item doesn't easily lend itself to a photo, you can find a free stock theme photo or a piece of clipart. Be sure the image isn't copyrighted, or receive persission to use it before posting it.

Get Together Announcements include one photo.

Partially completed  listings and Get Together announcements will be saved at any point after you have started Step 2. You'll find your saved listing or announcement when you return to the Create Listing or Create Your Announcement page.

You will lose your partially completed listing if you start another listing before completing the saved one.

The Try Me! option lets others know you'll consider bartering for selected goods and services. Your Try Me! preference can be changed using the listing editing process.

Put your freebie in your Account for use now or later. Go to your Account and click on Use Coupon Code under My Account, on the left. Enter your code in the field and submit. Your freebie will be credited when you post your listing. You can check what freebies you have in your Account by clicking on Use Coupon Code.

Any free listings that came with your membership are automatically credited.

There's no need to sign in regularly. Boulder County Trader will send a notification email to the email address in your profile when there's an action involving you or your listing. You should then sign in to check your message/s.

Clicking the Directory button on the blue bar along the top of any page shows you the number of listings in each category. Clicking on the category name will pull up all its listings. To perform a simple search of words in listings' headlines, enter keywords into the search box and click the Search button. You can refine your search by location and category by clicking the Advanced Search link. In Advanced Search, you can not only search Members' Listings, but also Members' Wants.

When you see something you want, familiarize yourself with the terms and details of the offering, including the item’s location and what the member is willing to accept in exchange. Check the member's rating, understanding that new members will have no rating or trading history.

Respond promptly. Click the Accept button below the offer in My Listings in your Account. Follow through with a message to the other member that includes details for firming up and completing the deal.

Often an offer that isn’t acceptable at first can be negotiated into one that is. If it's a barter offer, you can initiate a conversation with the other member by selecting the Let's Talk button on the offer form. The difference can be met with cash, credit on future services or anything else to balance the deal. (In barter lingo that's called boot.)

As a matter of courtesy, respond promptly to all offers. If the offer is totally unacceptable, check the Decline box to notify the other member. If you’re willing to consider the offer with more information or by changing the terms or the tender, click the Let's Talk button to start a conversation.    

To make sure that your transaction is fair, do your research. Weigh the value of the item you want against what you're offering. Ask for references -- and check them. Put your agreements in writing, even if they’re in email form. You may wish to create a contract. Follow your instincts, and above all, don't agree to anything that makes you uncomfortable. For substantial trades we recommend contacting your attorney and tax professional before you firm up your trade.    

Contact the member using the contact information located on the right side of the listing, or click Ask Member a Question to use the BCT messaging system.

To make a barter offer on a listing with Try Me!, click the listing's Click Here to Trade button and submit your proposal. The member will receive an alert including your contact information, and may choose Accept, Decline or Let's Talk. When the listing member replies, you'll receive an email to check the messages in your Account. Barter offers made and received can be found in your Account under My Listings, Offers Sent or Listings, to the right of the listing's title. Click to view.

Offers received can be found in your Account under My Listings. Click Listings, and you'll find View Offers to the right of the listing's title. Click to view.

Offers you've made can be found in your Account under My Listings. Click Offers Sent, and you'll see Status and View Offers to the right of the listing's title. Click to view.

In Colorado, generally, a verbal agreement is not binding until consideration (something of value, such as a cash deposit or your trade item) has been accepted, or until the parties have entered into a valid contract. For advice and information, please contact your attorney or legal representative.   

Contact your attorney, or see an example of a sample contract here.

You may wish to draw up a contract. Mutually agree to a dollar value for tax purposes, and make arrangements for delivery and completion. Rate your experience with the other member, using the stars found below the subject listing offer in your Account under My Listings (Listings or Offers Sent). Delete your listing, if appropriate. Keep records of your transactions. 

To help you and other members find reliable trading partners, BCT uses a 5-star rating system, with averaging. Be honest and fair in your assessment, knowing that your input contributes to a system that’s helpful to others. Because accurate ratings lead to a better community and experience, please make sure to rate your experience with your trading partner after completing your trade.   

At this time ratings can only be left for members who have done a transaction through the site, i.e., listings with Try Me! offers made through the system. To leave feedback after a cash transaction the listing member can edit the listing to include Try Me!, then the other member makes an "offer" via the Click Here To Trade button on the listing, then the listing member accepts the offer. The system then knows a transaction has taken place and asks you to leave feedback.

Locate the rating system by returning to the subject listing in your Account under My Listings (either Listings or Offers Sent). To the right of the listing, click View Offers. Below the completed transaction's offer will be either the rating code or a question asking if the offer resulted in a trade. If the latter, clicking Yes will bring up the rating code. 

You may remove your listing at any time by going to My Account, My Listings and selecting the Delete button to the right of the listing. Keep in mind there is no undo.     

We'll send you email alerts before your listing expires. Find your listing in your Account and click the number of days left on the listing; the Renew Listing form will pop up. (It's a one-click process if you have billing information saved to your Payment Profile.) You may renew or extend your listing for an additional 60 days at any time.

You may want to seek legal advice. While Boulder County Trader has no control over the transactions that take place between members, we want to remain informed so that we can make appropriate changes to our membership. Please let us know if you have a bad experience with another member.

We value your membership and want to hear from you. Contact us and we'll be happy to answer your questions or make suggestions.

The Get Together section is a bulletin board for the BCT community. Advertise your garage sale, announce an event, find volunteer opportunities, a ride ... even a lost pet. Get Together announcements are free with membership. You’ll find them at the bottom of the page with the other categories by clicking Directory on the blue bar along the top of any page.

BCT members can post Get Together announcements at no charge. Local non-profit service organizations may qualify for a $1 annual membership. Please contact us for details.

Click Post a Listing on the blue bar along the top of any page then choose the Create Your Announcement button, on the right. Follow the prompts for posting the information. Remember to provide any contact information you wish to include in designated fields, not in the description of your listing.

Your announcement will remain active for 60 days. Should it become outdated before it expires, please remove it. To keep that area tidy, we reserve the right to delete outdated announcements.

We look forward to hearing from you through our contact form.

We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and PayPal.

We don't save your credit card information. If you check Save in my Payment Profile when registering, or add it later to your Payment Profile in your Account, your credit card information is encrypted and stored in a safe environment off our site. You can then automatically charge transactions to the saved card rather than having to re-enter your payment information each time you generate listing or membership charges.