Okay, so I've posted before about how bitcoin would really take off if used in a localized economy. The current economy is too disjointed to produce synergy and growth which feeds upon itself. Sure you can convert bitcoins to Amazon.com with
spendbitcoins.com, or buy web related services, or other gadgets and gizmos but these are likely one-off purchases which lack continuity.
I finally got around to looking in on SilkRoad. Now
that's an actual small bitcoin economy. Regardless of my feelings toward drugs it was impressive to see walls of products listed with
BTC. Not a $ in sight.
So this post is a bit of a rant, and tossing the idea out, along with a request for service possibly added in. [rant]
I just bought some chocolate chip cookies from the supermarket, chewy chip's ahoy. This is probably my 5th bag in a few weeks. Aside from being addicted to such cookies I have problems with this purchase. First, the price $3.29
with club member saving is ridiculous. But that's no worse than the $1.20 7-eleven charges me for a
regular size snickers candy bar. Inflation is pretty apparent nowadays regardless what the govt. says. Second is all the crap I'm sure that's added in with the cookies so that they stay
perfect for weeks during transit and then on a store shelf.
The same thing goes for bread. Pricing is not so bad (yet) but I'm not happy eating additives I can hardly pronounce. Bread and cookies are a recurring purchase for me and I would
love to buy them homemade locally for bitcoins. (bread is a staple for many people)
Another thing: the other (hot!) day I was squeegy-ing my car windows at the gas station. They were really dirty and afterward I said "phew!" Quite a little job. I would love to have paid some labor seeking person instead for the job. I could just use my phone to
SMS coinapult them over the payment to an email address.
These are
low tech goods and services I would happily pay for not to support bitcoins, but because I need/want them! Almost anyone could become "employed" in bitcoins by serving enough local clients. Add in the ability to pay with bitcoins at direct to farm vendors such as at
localharvest.org and suddenly a person could actually begin supporting themselves
without the dollar based economy.
So the idea I'm sort of tossing out is a website focused on identifying local bitcoin goods and services, things like baked goods, car washes, haircuts etc. The cash exchange site localbitcoins.com shows there are definitely bitcoiners around me, even if sporadically. I think any major metropolitan area would have a shot at the beginnings of an economy coalescing. [/rant]
![](https://ip.bitcointalk.org/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fp.twimg.com%2FAv3oYszCMAA4BcD.jpg&t=665&c=qUQAFOo6wmTP7A)
(
vendors accepted bitcoins at PorcFest)