Henrietta

Is eBay's Real Threat Amazon or Classifieds, or Both?

PastTense: $5 shipping? It had better be real light, shipping just went up again.

Of course Scot is right. Commodities sellers particularly the larger ones, Channel Advisor type sellers are doing OK, not as well perhaps as before but surviving and if I know Scot Wingo he will have them on diversified channels anyway. Every listing that goes to Amazon from those sellers is one that 6 years ago would have been solely on eBay.

The question of selection on eBay particularly in collectibles and antiques is an excellent one. I find in my research that things I used to find are gone. If you want to see where they are do a Google product search. A surprising number are on Bonanzle, Ruby Lane is booming, Etsy has lots of vintage kitsch and there are a gazillion websites, ning sites etc.

I have found two disadvantages to Craigslist, as a seller you are limited in reach. As a buyer it can be a bit scary, there are a lot of wierdos out there.

Option Spreads With Large Upside and Limited Downside

Large upside and limited downside huh? I thought you were talking about the inverse ratio between eBay CEO John Donohoe's ongoing attempt to find his rear end with both hands and a flashlight and the continuing exodus of eBay's customers, the sellers who pay the marketplace fees.

Your strategy sounds like a very small car spinning its wheels and making lotsa dust.