How Catch27 works
Before officially joining the site, a new member must create a ''card," which contains a photograph and a list of personal preferences.
Catch27 staff then rate the new member on the basis of overall attractiveness. This rating is eventually converted into a monetary value. The most coveted cards on the site are worth upward of $30.
Once online, members begin to make ''packs" of friends. This is achieved by trading cards, contacting people on the site who a member knows in the ''real world," buying individual cards, or buying a ''Wax Pack," a randomly selected set of cards sold for a discounted price.
After an initial pack is built, members can compete to rise in the overall ranking of the site or to simply network with other members and continue to noncompetitively fill out their pack.
If a member chooses to compete, he or she is attempting to climb the overarching sliding scale used to rate the desirability of individual members. A member's place on the scale is determined by the quality and number of his or her friends, the popularity of his or her blog, or the member's ability to rise quickly in the rankings.
Prizes are awarded in periodic contests. Categories include Best Pack and Most People Added to Your Pack Before March 15. 