I've been unfaithful to eBay before, but I consider my dalliance with Amazon's Marketplace to be a whole separate relationship. However, my new fling with Art Fire is a little more symbiotic.
Art Fire is a little start-up online marketplace that specializes in hand-crafted items -- a competitor with Etsy -- and also has room for vintage items, antiques and craft supplies. I started a store - they call it a Studio - there a couple of weeks ago. I've been incredibly crafty lately so may list some original items, but was really thinking of it as an outlet for the vintage craft supplies, pattern books and items I find that need a little creativity applied to them -- all are often overlooked on eBay.
So far the site doesn't have that many buyers on it, but the price is right -- $7 a month for life if you sign up now (you can list 10 things at a time for free), rising to $20 per month for those late to the party. But there are no other fees for your sales -- no listing fees, no final value fees. If it catches on it could be a very good thing.
As it is, I am just migrating over craft-oriented listings that have been sitting in my eBay store for a while. I think until the site gets more eyes on it, the plan will be to list it once on eBay and then send it over to Art Fire. I'm planning a bunch of back-issues of some terrific PieceWork craft magazines, etc. for this weekend.
Register on ArtFire.com. Check my Studio link in the sidebar.
