It was only a matter of time before somebody started a concept like Flip4new. The German e-commerce site focuses on electronics and digital products. That’s not new of course. But there payment method is. Instead of paying with cash, credit cards and so on, customers can pay with other goods. If you need a new iPod, you might pay with your old Nintendo Wii console. The business concept of this e-commerce platform is different from others due to the broad offering they have. Other ‘swap’ platforms are focused on one product or one niche only. For instance, give your old mobile in return for a new one. 
In this case, you send in your product and the discount you get can only be used on the same platform. Soon we might see concepts were you can exchange your discount-credits (if that’s a good name) with other platforms as well. A ‘Pay with facebook‘ concept will soon arise. Secondly, people will elaborate on the idea of paying with products. Now only ‘old’ products are being used, but what about products that are being ‘modded’ or ‘hacked’ to become better products then before. A whole D.I.Y. generation is entering the e-commerce scene and they will definitely leave a stamp on the way we look at (online) trading.
e-shop: Swap products for products
Reputation auction: Pay to work
What is a good reputation worth to you? In a professional context, a lot seems like a good answer. CharityBuzz illustrates the power of a good reputation selling platform. In return for some valuable company names on a CV, people participate in auctions for jobs. They pay to work. Companies that have a few spots available for interns, can put their positions on the Charity buzz auction platform. And with success! It seems that interns pay thousands of dollars. The winner will work for ‘free’ in return for a kick-start of his or her career. The companies that participate don’t receive the money themselves. The collected money will be donated to charity. 
Charity for buzz is not the first platform that sells reputation, but it is remarkable due to the high prices that get payed for it. In the end this action is not different from buying virtual gold with real dollars to get a better equipped avatar in an online game. It’s all about earning respect from your peers. Although the context (gaming vs professional) differs, the transactions stays the same. More and more variations on this concept arise. Therefore we can conclude that the business of reputation and respect selling will probably flourish in the coming years. Something to keep an eye on!
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