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Ina Steiner on EmailIna Steiner on LinkedinIna Steiner on Twitter
Ina Steiner
Ina Steiner
Ina Steiner is co-founder and Editor of EcommerceBytes and has been reporting on ecommerce since 1999. She's a widely cited authority on marketplace selling and is author of "Turn eBay Data Into Dollars" (McGraw-Hill 2006). Her blog was featured in the book, "Blogging Heroes" (Wiley 2008). She is a member of the Online News Association (Sep 2005 - present) and Investigative Reporters and Editors (Mar 2006 - present). Follow her on Twitter at @ecommercebytes and send news tips to ina@ecommercebytes.com. See disclosure at EcommerceBytes.com/disclosure/.

4 thoughts on “eBay to Close Half.com, Its Book and Media Marketplace”

  2. The writing has been on the wall for awhile. When they raised fees to 25% last year it was clear they were trying to scare the remaining users away from the site. No remaining users = no complaints when it gets shut down, I guess.

  3. I’ve had sold on Half.com since 2011. Until around 2013 I sold about $25-50 a month on the site, which accounted for only a small fraction of my sales elsewhere. Sales went down after 2013, and I have sold less than $100 there over the last two years.

    E-Bay initially acquired Half.com with the intention of shutting it down. Apparently they put off shutting it down until keeping it open, even without any maintenance, became unprofitable. Probably the most surprising aspect of this story is how long it took for eBay to finally pull the plug.

    So, RIP Half.com. It’s demise will make no difference to sellers. It has not been a viable selling option since eBay acquired it.

    I believe this same process is underway to a degree at Amazon and ABEbooks.com. I used to do most of my book buying at ABE, but it is a shadow of its past self now under Amazon ownership. If the crazy rumors of eBay buying Etsy every comes true (which I doubt) we’ll see this same scenario play out.

  4. To Review:

    Amazon today purchased Whole Foods.

    Ebay shuttered half.com.

    Amazon stock is up $23+ a share.

    Ebay stock is down.

    Just another day at the office.

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