I was watching to see if anyone commented on having a store, but haven't seen any replies.
At one time, the stores were free (or nearly), and recently, a friend had said they are fairly costly now. Fees in layers, essentially, which is another similarity to taxes.
Store items initially weren't included in general search results. Then store items were included in search results, and the fees started stacking up.
I haven't been selling in several years, and I'm not inclined to start, although I would have been selling all along if there weren't so many regularly added restrictions, rules (oh, policies) and fees.
My most outrageously profitable sales were items bought on, and later resold on eBay. I'm talking hilariously wild profits with buyers that were happy to get such a good deal (not deceiving suckers into buying crap). Fairly common items, not rare art/coins etc, and not dumpster recovery. Looking up information for descriptions (if needed), good pictures and detailed descriptions were a bit tedious at times, but not hard work (mouse keyboard stuff, sitting in a chair at a desk). I wasn't out working hard to find stuff.
I wasn't loose with word meanings or stretch/embelish/bullshit/lie about the condition of stuff, like many sellers do. I wasn't following any sales program or particularly talented, and didn't know anything that wasn't more-or-less common sense. I presented enough honest information so the buyer could know what to expect when they opened the box, without any disappointment (and sometimes a bonus of a couple extra items, which goes a long way toward having a happy buyer - added value, who doesn't appreciate that?).
I've been tellin folks for many years that the US is the land of surplus (has been, since at least the post-WWII era). Connect that supply to the most overindulgent buyers on earth, and see if you can loose money.
I wonder if most folks get more than 5% interest on their savings accounts. The rational expectation of 100-1000% anywhere, by legal means may seem idiotic, until it's experienced. I know $2 can become $30, $40, $400 and $50, $2000 fairly easily and fairly quickly (not having it sit in an eBay store for 3 months to years, waiting for someone desperate enough to pay a stupid price for it).
Ebay was an avenue to great potential for opportunity at one time, maybe something more reasonable will start up. Yahoo tried it for a while, I don't know how long it lasted. There are many other places to sell stuff online, but the sheer numbers of drooling, itchy buyers of eBay probably won't be matched for quite a while.