Five people were able to participate in the first round of community content sales and Valve has sent them checks for the "first two weeks of sales, with royalties ranging from $39,000 to $47,000 per person." Yikes!

"At a time when content creators are struggling with changing markets and evolving technologies, the Steam community is sending a clear message with these checks," said Valve president Gabe Newell. "Platforms that enable this kind of peer-to-peer exchange of virtual goods and services are going to be enthusiastically received. They create an inherently greater efficiency in connecting creators and consumers."

The peer-to-peer marketplace is now a part of Steamworks, which will allow third-party developers that choose to use Valve's suite of tools and services access to run player stores directly through Steam. Additional Steamworks improvements are on the way from Valve through its recently announced Dota 2 project.

Information on how you can contribute to Team Fotress 2's Mann-Co store can be found here. Contributions are limited to the actual model, while the TF2 development team will handle incorporating and balancing any non-cosmetic items like weapons.