Valve introduces the Mann Co. Store for Team Fortress 2

Valve has announced the Mann Co. Store for Team Fortress 2, which makes use of users' Steam Wallet.

The Mann Co. Store allows players to trade inventory items in Team Fortress 2 using their Steam Wallets, allowing folks to "buy, trade and customize the largest addition of inventory items in the game's history". Players will put money into their Wallet, which can then be spent either on in-game items such as those on offer in TF2’s Mann Co. Store, or games from Steam.

Users will put the exact amount needed into the Steam Wallet to buy the specific items they're interested in, and each time the wallet is funded the minimum amount you can put in is $5/£4/ 5€ to "keep transactions and payment service provider fees to a minimum".

You can also trade or craft items you've earned or found through TF2 gameplayand the store will sell both community and Valve-crafted items. Additionally, "community contributors will receive a percentage of sales on items they've created", with more information on this to be made available soon. Initially, only Polycount Pack community items will be sold, so Valve can "work out the kinks with a small number of contributors".

Once the contributor payments are "mastered", Valve will expand the store to include all community contributions "as soon as possible".

Sounds like a plan.

You can get more information on the announcement through the TF2 Mann Co. Store FAQ.