I remember Bob Mera's Gaming Emporium on the A.C. Boardwalk used to credit some of his customers with inflated "Bob's Bucks". He would buy material for his shop from customers bringing in "stuff" for him to sell, but instead of buying it from the customers with cash, he would issued "Bob's Bucks" that were good only in trade for his inflated store merchandise. It was similar to the "owe my soul to the company store" theme where workers would be paid in company script that could only be used for purchases in the owner's store. Like a double-whammy. Cheap labor, but high prices.