I’m curious to see how something like this works out. TheSmarterBarter.com is launching a new Web-based bartering system that pledges to help people who want to trade things find other like-minded people.

The company is in its beta stages now, offering its service in 10 states. Missouri is not one of them, but Illinois is.

Obviously, this isn’t the first site offering to help barterers connect. Craigslist, for example, has a bartering section. Someone there now wants to trade a couch. Another poster wants a tree branch cut down. And there’s a laptop computer up for grabs.

What makes TheSmarterBarter different is its plan to ship all that out via email. From the company’s Web site:

Once registered you will then receive emails from “TheSmarterBarter” with various items and services that people want to barter with. This list will be broken down by state and a national list. During the BETA trial we will only be in 10 states. The emails you will receive will be labeled “TheSmarterBarter”. If you see a service that you need or an item that you want, email that person immediately.

It’s a little unclear how the company plans to make money with this service, which is free for now. Though, I guess in the odd world of Internet, that often seems to be a lesser consideration, at least in the early going.