Ebay competitors

No one can deny the power of eBay: Since 1995, eBay has held it's place as the largest marketplace in the world. It has turned thousands of hobbyists into PowerSellers and allowed thousands more to run profitable, at home businesses. However, the eBay marketplace has transformed dramatically in recent years and various policy changes have prompted an exodus from eBay to other online marketplaces. Luckily there are other options to sell your items and build a business aside from eBay!

So what other options are available out there? And which will actually help you make money? Check out our list of the top eBay alternatives... 

What started as the world's largest online book store has exploded into one of the world's mot visited websites which offers millions of products across a range of product categories, not just books! Amazon gets good traffic but the main advantage is a much higher profit margins.Amazon shoppers tend to pay a lot more for their items than eBayers. On the other hand, there are reports that Amazon's returns policy can be ruthless. If a buyer complains – even if they have no proof of the claim – Amazon has been known to insist the seller refund the money. Another count against Amazon is the fact Amazon's fees are high. Still, if you can put up with these difficulties, Amazon is a good place to sell, particularly items such as electronics where the margins are practically non-existent on eBay.

eBid is emerging as a true contender to eBay. It has local sites in over 20 countries including USA, Australia, New Zealand the UK, Canada and Ireland. eBid sellers have reported that customer service and ease of use are great on eBid, but that profitability is not it's strongest point. Listing auctions on eBid is free, just pay for listing upgrades and success fees when you actually make a sale. This fees format makes it a low risk market to test out. 

ArtFire is a rising star in the eCommerce world. Back in 2011, ArtFire was the winner of the Seller's Choice Marketplace awards and this was when ArtFire really started to make a name for itself as a strong alternative to selling on eBay. However, ArtFire isn't going to work for you if you sell generic items like DVDs and branded clothing. Instead, ArtFire is where buyers go to find vintage, antique or handmade items. Selling items on ArtFire is free, but you can upgrade to a paid account for US$9.95 per month. This pro accounts, among other benefits, get your listings more exposure. You can get a free trial to ArtFire's pro accounts for 14 days to determine whether it is right for you. 

Selling on your very own website is the ultimate option if you want to increase your profits and build a business that will become a long-term asset. Selling on your own website used to be expensive and complicated, but eCommerce store builders such as SaleHoo Storesmake it easy. With SaleHoo Stores, there's no need for technical experience or knowledge; you can have your own store up and running in minutes and with just a few simple clicks of a mouse. Best of all, you can try SaleHoo Stores for free for 30 days so there is no risk to you. Find out just how easy it is to open your own store and start making profitable sales. Get your free trial now. 

No one can question the almighty power of Google. Their product arm – Google Product Search (formerly known as Froogle and Google Products) - gets a lot of attention from avid Google users and it's free to list there if you have your own website. You can also incorporateGoogle Adwords ads to drive more traffic to your Google Merchant listings. 

Craigslist is the world's largest online classified website. It's a great way to sell locally if you are willing to organize pickups. There are no listing fees or selling fees, but Craiglist is a fairly no-frills establishment and there is less automation of the selling process compared to other eBay alternatives. However, Craigslist is used by a lot of people, particularly in the US, so it can be a very lucrative way of selling.