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The weekly newsletter for everyone interested in barter--the world's most versatile business tool!

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May 27, 2003

Written by Bob Meyer, Editor of BarterNews

eBay MovingToward Barter...Accepts Frequent-Flier Miles...To Push Use Of Its "Anything Points" Currency

A major move has been made by eBay, which will bring the acceptance of barter more mainstream. The company, looking to expand its huge online marketplace, is acknowledging the value of currencies other than the dollar.

Their announcement that customers can now use frequent-flier miles, and other loyalty-program points (Hilton Hotels, Sprint, etc.), in exchange for "Anything Points" means eBay recognizes the power of establishing its own currency.

Anything Points, worth one penny each, can be used to buy most of the roughly 16 million items offered on eBay. (Look for merchants to soon be accepting these points directly, as well.)

EBay doesn't yet have a points-exchange agreement with a major airline, but users can exchange frequent-flier miles earned from American Airlines, and others, through the web site Points.com.

At the recent ITEX national convention, Bob Meyer pointed out to the attendees that frequent-flier miles from the world's airlines are now valued at $200 billion (10 trillion miles at 2 cents each), and dwarfs the aggregate barter currencies of the global barter marketplace.


Every barter company in the world is listed on our web site, click through to our global list of barter companies.

PLEASE NOTE: The Global List and the U.S. List of Barter Companies have been recently updated. Check out the new companies added, as well as changes made to the existing listings.


International Monetary Systems First Quarter Revenues Up Due To Higher Trading Volume & Acquisitions

The company's gross revenue grew to $952,411, a 43% increase from $665,446, for the first quarter of 2002. Net revenue increased 42% to $810,818, compared with $571,303 in the first quarter of 2002.

Even though the barter business reported a profit of $51,573, versus $31,633 a years ago, the IMS printing and graphics divisions had losses totaling $54,148, and non-operating expenses fore investor relations and consulting work associated with the public trading of the company's stock created additional expenses of $118,244...resulting in a net loss of $90,614 for the quarter.

This is the final quarter in which the results from the printing and prepress divisions will be included in the company's income statements, as a majority interest in those operations was sold on April 1, 2003.


If you haven't read the current issue of BarterNews, get yourself a copy now! Orders are shipped the same day we receive them. (Click on Order Form.


Visitors To USA Likely To Drop As New Security Introduced

Beginning in 2004, foreign visitors traveling on visas to the USA will be fingerprinted and photographed upon entering airports and seaports. Designed to weed out terrorists, it could create an enormous tie-up for tourists and other business travelers, with lines snaking through airports as hundreds of tourists wait to use the few fingerprint-scanning machines.

The decision won't affect the citizens of 27 countries, many in Europe, who by law don't need visas for tourist or business travel, or from Canada, who don't need visas for most kinds of travel.

Still, the task will be enormous, as an estimated 23 million foreign visitors enter the U.S. a year and will need to undergo the fingerprinting and photographing.

If foreign travelers avoid the U.S. because of the anticipated time delays, the travel industry will feel the effects. This, in turn, may open up the door for the barter industry to move their domestic clients into the created void.


Answer To Underutilitzed Hotel Capacity?

What to do when one's hotel occupancy is declining and the debt burden becomes onerous? Follow Donald Trump's example, who in 1997 opened the condo-hotel Trump International Hotel & Tower in New York.

For developers it's a growing, popular way to address the huge amount of underutilized hotel portfolio's around the country. And buyers arewilling to pay a premium, typically 40% to 60% more, for a condo that has access to hotel amenities, in comparison to those that lack such services.

Buyers of the condos can put their units in the hotel-room rental pool while they're not using them, and get a portion of the proceeds.


Running a trade exchange is a 24/7 effort. At every national convention trade exchange owners always talk and nod in agreement about the importance of educating their clients and prospects, as well as making them aware of the many benefits of barter so they will be better traders.

Then they return home, and once again are inundated with simply not enough time in the day to get everything done...let along time to research and then write and layout an eye-appealing, interesting, educational and powerful marketing newsletter. One which points out and reinforces the benefits of your valuable services—each and every month...on a consistent and on-going basis.

As a trade exchange owner, you realize that having such a unique marketing tool to use for your existing members—as well as the hundreds of prospects in your marketplace—is really necessary to push the awareness of barter. Yet who has the available time and ability to generate such a newsletter?

What's the answer...? The highly effective Competitive Edge newsletter. For almost two decades now, unfailingly, each and every month C.E. has been published for your use only. It's the professionally written and designed, yet inexpensive answer for a busy, growing exchange like yours.

Check it out...click here to see a sample copy.

As a newsletter subscriber, your exchange will also be listed here.

If you move forward this week, as a bonus you will receive 15 copies of the highly acclaimed 16-page special report, "Why and How Savvy Restaurateurs Trade." This incredibly effective hand-out shows a restaurant owner the value of joining your exchange.


Get New Money-Making Ideas, and Valuable Contacts!

You can obtain these ideas and contacts in every every available back-issue of BarterNews.


Here And There. . .
  • The ITEX 21st Anniversary Convention was held May 18 - 23 at the Tradewinds Island Grand Resort in St. Pete's Beach. The theme, "Creating Our Future" saw a renewed focus on teamwork and cooperation, emphasizing greater growth. From the opening comments by CEO Spike Humer and new Chairman of the Board of Directors Steven White, the direction is clearly on growth and creating the predominant payment system in the barter industry.

    With a restructuring virtually completed after a 15 month effort the company's focus has moved to the reinvigorating growth policy with an emphasis on customer service and referrals. Various incentives were introduced that drive the goal forward, as well as enabling the brokers to earn more money.

    Attendees numbered 145 at the Florida venue, and many of the "ITEX family" were in attendance—those with 15 or more years with the company—including Chris Christensen, Mary Scherr, Graham Norris, Fred Hammer, and Hal Henry, who was recognized for his two decades with the organization.

  • Football great Dan Marino is "trading on his name" in another commercial venture. This time as the public face of Las Olas River House, a 42-story condominium in Fort Lauderdale. The Hall of Famer is getting a break on a three bedroom, 3-bath, $2 million condo in exchange for his services.

  • Have you signed up to receive a summary via e-mail of the Tuesday Report every week? If not, go to the top of this issue (right hand corner) to sign up!

  • Beijing's marketing efforts to launch the 2008 Olympics is right on schedule...with five years to spare. Sydney, which hosted the 2000 Summer Olympics, launched its marketing campaign four years ahead of the event.

    Eight companies so far have been accepted by the International Olympic Committee as leading sponsors for the Beijing Games. Sponsors historically have handled the $40 million price tag with a portion, if not all, of the payment being "in-kind" barter, i.e. providing their needed products/services to the Games, rather than cash.
We welcome your comments, questions, and observations.
? Copyright BarterNews 2003. Redistribution of BarterNews content expressly prohibited without the prior written permission of BarterNews.