Systems and methods for allocating units to users in an online environment

A computer system, comprising:

• a microprocessor configured to:
• (a) provide an interface that receives of two distinct forms offers from users, being:
• (i) direct offers, which have a value defined by a current purchase price value;
• and (ii) speculative offers which have a value defined by the user of less than the current purchase price value;
• (b) provide a downwardly incrementing purchase price for the web-based auction, thereby periodically to reduce the purchase price to below the value of one or more speculative offers;
• (c) each time the purchase price downwardly increments to a new current purchase price value, identify users who have pending speculative offers having values greater than or equal to the new current purchase price value, and allocate units to those users;
• and
• (d) following (c), enable users to make direct offers at the new current purchase price value, and allocate units to users which make offers at the new value.

A tangible non-transient computer readable medium carrying executable code that when executed on one or more microprocessors of a computer system cause the computer system to:

• (a) provide an interface that receives of two distinct forms offers from users, being:
• (i) direct offers, which have a value defined by a current purchase price value;
• and (ii) speculative offers which have a value defined by the user of less than the current purchase price value;
• (b) provide a downwardly incrementing purchase price for the web-based auction, thereby periodically to reduce the purchase price to below the value of one or more speculative offers;
• (c) each time the purchase price downwardly increments to a new current purchase price value, identify users who have pending speculative offers having values greater than or equal to the new current purchase price value, and allocate units to those users;
• and
• (d) following (c), enable users to make direct offers at the new current purchase price value, and allocate units to users which make offers at the new value.