Sellers made Ebay what they are today. For years it was a mutual business with much give and take (Ebay mostly taking while sellers gave). Still, thru all of that there was some respect for sellers - we weren't all just "noise". We're coming to a rude awakening now. Ebay is telling me in so many ways they aren't going to need me anymore. So I need to move on and build for my own future.
I go to Ebay less and less these days and mostly just to keep up with friendships formed with other sellers on their boards and in their groups though I still keep a few small listings up in order to drive some traffic to my website. Most of the ebay groups now seem to have a thread that focuses on other ways to market our items and other sites to sell them on. Its a perfect opportunity for sellers and they need to make the most out of it while they can - while the opportunity still exists. Auctionbytes.com too, has come out with a column on various "storefronts". I thank Ina Steiner. She seems to understand the plight of small sellers and wants to help.
Nothing stays the same and though last year was a banner year for me on Ebay - one in which I was able to pay some bills and put new windows in my home all on ebay earned money. Now, since January, the writing is on the wall loud and clear and so, in order to keep my business, my sanity and my self respect I am pulling away from Ebay. I hope to cut them off completely before its necessary for them to do it to me. ;-)
to all small sellers - you really must consider moving on. Sitting and waiting for things to change is simply spinning your wheels and making life more stressful than it needs to be. I wish you all great great good luck...go out and build more ebays - but not just one, build a bunch of them so that this kind of monopoly can never happen again!
Patricia013
www.ACEOart.net
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