As a note, every shop (or nearly every shop) is out of stock and untouched for weeks. I don't think barter is likely to cut it, and it's pretty obvious (due to the vast difference in shop interest compared to last time) that lack of currency is stifling trade.
Why have a bazaar when everyone more or less has everything they need, or can easily make it? The problem with modpacks like these is that you get alot of items fast and easy after you have a decent base with some machines running.
Not true at all... there will always be new players, shortages, materials easy to get from one mod but hard for another, and similar. The last Alice had a bustling bazaar and it was so broken many people were essentially resource unlimited... resources are more scarce now, yet trade is dead. This can be directly attributed to a lack of a stable currency (in my opinion).
I have a problem. At my shop in the Bazaar, I placed down a bunch of Trade-o-mats a few weeks ago. However, I want to move them and nothing can break them, not even my OmniWrench or Bedrock Pick. Apparently, I *somehow* lost ownership to them...
Common glitch, but seemingly there is no fix without editing IC2 itself (or being cheaty and having a mod fix it for you).