Hard times bring barter back into vogue

When it comes to being in vogue in Britain, barter is, as they say, the new black.

Rising inflation, a credit squeeze, crumbling stock markets and a slowing economy with job losses looming have prompted an explosion of cyber markets where consumers can get what they want without spending any of their precious and dwindling cash.

Swap shops for everything from clothes to books to toys and games are springing up all over the Internet, and some have developed their own virtual currencies.