Are Auctions and the second hand market dead?

[KarenInLondon]

I am curious to know what the general opinion is.
When I had my second baby nearly three years ago, I bought most of my baby stuff second hand on ebay. At the time I was buying and selling lots, clothes for all age groups too etc. We are hoping to move soon so am currently doing a lot of de-cluttering so have listed items on ebay, which just haven't moved, so have now started up with www.tazbar.com. The site is great, free to list, automatic relisting of items not sold etc, trully brilliant, but, and the big but, is that things are not selling very fast. I guess the site is fairly new, just wondering if people are no longer using auction sites, or if people are just buying new now.

Any feedback gratefully received, as I will give up wasting my time listing more items if it is no longer something anyone does. What is the feeling on here?
Regards

for some things i'd say yes. i have a really nice pushcair (travel system) that is 5 years old. it's quite depressing to see the amount they go for on ebay when it is still in really good nick and our second hand baby shop isn't taking anymore in they have so many to shift.

I agree that it depends on the things - nappies etc were selling really well still (until ebay madness), but things like pushchairs seem to be less so, or small toys - things are just so cheap now most people find it easier to buy new.

I think for second hand, people rely on things like freecycle

It's quite strange, some things seem to keep their value and others don't.

I've been rather put off selling ds's baby clothes on eBay by the absolute bargains I've had when I've bidded for a few bits the next size up (i.e brand new top for 10p). I really couldn't be bothered going to the post office for such little profit and would rather just give them away quite frankly.

However, I just bought a Bumbo chair from eBay and had to pay about 75% of full price (including postage) for it so they seem to keep their value much better.

I suppose it's because supermarket clothes are so cheap now.

It is interesting luavix, you mention freecycle. I have tried to give a couple of things away and cannot do so, even when people say yes they will have something, they just cannot be bothered to come and collect when they say they will.

Perhaps we are all now just too rich.

Yet charity shops are still struggling...

I never bother selling clothes on ebay, not worth it, but I take them to my NCT's nearly new sales. Costs nothing to take them and each sale includes a donation to my favourite charity, so that works for me.

Any left overs I give to my Save the Children shop.

I use Tazbar too for a number of things of value.

Yes, "some" supermarket clothes are cheap - for a reason - child labour and slave workers

Emma