Now firms can barter online

Big Vine tests Denver/Boulder market

REDWOOD SHORES, Calif. — Like auctioneers, barter companies have taken to the Internet like ducks to water. The U.S. barter economy, now estimated at $16 billion, is projected to double by the middle of the decade. As a result, several companies currently are clamoring for online dominance in this dynamic arena.

One such company, the Redwood Shores, Calif.-based BigVine.com Inc., launched a live beta test in two markets — Denver-Boulder and Portland, Ore. — in February. Its business plan calls for national and international rollouts by the year end.

After selling his private network of ATMs to…