We're in a recession, right? Gas prices are so high you've cut shopping trips back to save gas and are trying to save money to pay for gas. The value of your home is dropping. The credit crunch is upon us. So, what are you doing poking around eBay?!   Actually you might be onto something ... eBay can save you money ... and it can help save the environment at the same time.  There are three basic issues at play here:

• Issue #1: In a recession, people do not stop spending money, they merely redirect their spending to other types of goods and services
• Issue #2: In a recession, there are still goods and services people need and/or want to buy but price grows in its importance to the buying decision
• Issue #3: One of the things that will make this recession different is the fact that environmental factors are important to people today. However, being 'green' can be expensive.

Shopping on eBay addresses ALL three of these issues:

1. eBay, because of the diversity of goods and services available enables people to quickly redirect from what they might have purchased, to what they will purchase. eBay is one of the only places where consumers are able to find such a vast array of things available to purchase.
2. When price is a factor, eBay is the place to go. The diversity of pricing that is available on eBay ... often for the same item, is astounding. A recently released study by the University of Maryland business school demonstrated that eBay annually saves American consumers $19 Billion because of the bargains that are available on the site!(and this is nearly triple the savings enjoyed 5 years ago).
3. Going green might be expensive if you're buying new items. However, one of easiest and least expensive ways to go green is to buy USED merchandise! Used items aren't only the clothing that someone wore and then resold on eBay. Antiques and vintage items are also used items! There were no new tropical trees cut down to build that 100 year old mahogany table you saw on eBay. As a rule that 1920s table you saw on eBay is better quality and less expensive than a brand new table of similar design.

In fact, for the most part, unless a piece of furniture is a 150+ year old antique, an older piece of furniture is usually less expensive than its newly manufactured counterpart. But, equally as important, it's 'green' ... no newly cut down trees in the wood; no newly mined metal in the hardware or in the construction materials.

Buying vintage or antique items, especially on eBay, which has a vast array of reasonably priced goods, is an easy way and an inexpensive way to go Green!