At present this is just an idea for a paper. If you would like collaborate as a co-author in writing it, please let me know!

My initial ideas are along these lines …

• survey the general approaches to offers / requests or needs / wants matching, for example
  • second hand markets generally
  • specialist areas such as used cars, antiques (and their own problems)
  • charity shops in the UK and their limitations
  • second-hand web site markets, with and without payments
  • other non-traditional markets, such as local food
• note the similarities and differences between markets for things and markets for people (recruitment, dating, etc.)
• document how knowledge intensive all these markets are, with detailed examples from some of the above sectors
  • giving evidence to the effect that most of them are not suitable for the average person
  • document how ineffective they are when offered simply as a general platform for any user
• propose a viable and effective future approach
  • specialising across a local community for different kinds of physical things
  • integrating with local currencies
  • how this could potentially radically improve
    • reuse,
    • recycling,
    • avoidance of waste,
    • circular economics
  • look at the economic and social implications
  • how to set up and maintain such a system, including the aspect of training and education
  • how this integrates with community knowledge commons and information systems
• look again at what differences between this and people “markets”, pointing to RegenCHOICE
• consider whether or not this approach could be applied to local trades and services
• propose first practical steps to take
• suggest how this approach can be naturally integrated with ecovillages