Facebook, Your Future Bank
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Fall behind in the game FarmVille and the poor crops inside your Facebook window wither. Remedies include biplanes or rejuvenating your "farm coins," but if you're out of those, there's another solution: Buy Facebook Credits with cold, hard cash.
Nongamers may have missed Facebook's clever foray into the world of "virtual currency," where Facebook Credits cost 10 cents each and can be exchanged for game points or cartoony gifts. Those dimes are adding up—the U.S. market for virtual goods will reach $2.1 billion in 2011, according to research firm Inside Network. Facebook's currency, while just part of that market, is getting real. You can now purchase gift cards for Facebook Credits at Wal-Mart (WMT), Target (TGT), and Best Buy (BBY).