Patent ID: 7774250

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving, by a server, from a workstation in use by a requesting participant a request for quote for a bid on an item, wherein the server and the workstation are communicatively coupled via a communications network; receiving, by the server, from a workstation in use by a responding participant a bid on the item, wherein the bid is in response to the request for quote, wherein the bid comprises a first price, and wherein the server and the workstation in use by the responding participant are communicatively coupled via the communications network; receiving, by the server, from the workstation in use by the requesting participant a hit of the bid received from the responding participant, the requesting participant thereby accepting to sell the item to the responding participant; posting in an electronic marketplace by the server, in response to the requesting participant accepting to sell the item to the responding participant, an offer to sell the item at a second price that is higher than the first price, wherein the offer to sell is posted in the electronic marketplace on behalf of the requesting participant; determining, by the server, that the posted offer is accepted in the electronic marketplace by a third-party at the second price; executing, by the server, in response to determining that the posted offer is accepted in the electronic marketplace by the third-party at the second price, at least one transaction to trade the item between the requesting participant and the third-party at the second price; and providing, by the server, in response to determining that the posted offer is accepted in the electronic marketplace by the third-party at the second price, a commission to the responding participant.