Barter Trade for Upscale Items Creates a Playground for the Affluent

Experts agree — barter trade is quite popular in this economy. But what happens when the goods one wants to trade are not garage sale scrap, but high-stakes assets instead?

Two-time Indy 500 champion (and one of People magazine’s most beautiful people of 1991) Arie Luyendyk Sr. owns an extensive collection of professional racing memorabilia including autographed helmets, suits, gloves and historic trophies. But with many racing helmets stored away in a secret location, Luyendyk has decided his collection is more than complete. He’d prefer to start an art collection instead, but in the current economy, Luyendyk is hesitant to sell his valuable racing collectibles for cash. Instead, he’s turning to the tried-and-true practice of bartering.

This month, Luyendyk listed one of his own autographed racing helmets on AssetFair, a new online barter exchange. In return for the helmet (which he wore to win the Phoenix IndyCar race in 1991), Luyendyk is asking for an exchange in the form of art or vehicles worth $9,500. Trading allows him the opportunity to pursue his new interest in collecting art and obtain another high-end asset in a cash-free exchange.

Barter trade is quickly emerging as a better alternative to a cash transaction or sale for art, antiques, memorabilia, vehicles and even real estate. In a buyer’s market, selling high-ticket items for their full cash value is next to impossible – but trading them for their value is not. AssetFair.com, unlike most other online barter exchanges, caters to the international exchange of these high-end assets and allows for trading even encumbered properties.

Like Luyendyk, the site’s members can barter anything from racing memorabilia to houses, boats, fine antiques, jewelry, intellectual property, and other assets worth $3,000 or more for other high-end property or cash bids. One Arizona-based member is currently listing a 16th-century painting worth $35,000. Another member is listing his entire business - an $800,000 ice cream café in Hungary for exchange.

“It’s a simple and chic way to use an active trading platform to diversify your portfolio,” said co-founder Sarka Hulpach. “It can be hard to find a cash buyer for large assets like high-stakes collectibles, yachts, planes and property. We simplify the process by putting the owners of these upscale assets in touch. This format allows for the leverage of various assets, minimizes tax impact and can even lead to debt relief.”

Apart from pure asset trading, AssetFair deals in liabilities as well. AssetFair will allow for the unloading or restructuring of debt, as long as an asset of a higher value is pledged in order to achieve a positive Exchangeable Equity. The TradeYourDebt feature on AssetFair.com allows registered members to post their debts and find an interested party to acquire the encumbered or related asset and willing to pay off or assume the debt.

The site provides tools to execute the exchange of assets from escrow to shipping. Members who are not currently participating in trading can also use the site as an active forum for asset evaluation, lending opportunities and information on current exchange trends.

For more information on AssetFair please visit www.assetfair.com.

About AssetFair.com™

AssetFair.com was started with a mission to help people tackle economic hardships and diversify their asset portfolios at times of cash restraint. AssetFair's™ vision is to establish an internationally recognized web platform and database for exchange of assets and properties. In addition to its principal responsibility as a barter and trade business, AssetFair™ also helps members unload and restructure debt through their TradeYourDebt™ and 3-D Exchange™ programs.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6062899&lang=en