When you find yourself in search of the best place to buy and sell absolutely anything you can think of (within reason!) eBay probably pops into your head first. What you may not know, however, is that there are thousands of other online marketplaces and auction sites offering a service that is a hundred times better than that of eBay, which could well end up costing you a small fortune in the long run.

There are literally thousands of other online marketplaces to choose from. Amongst the most popular are Amazon.co.uk, Play.com and newcomer adflyer.co.uk, all of which offer similar services to eBay, providing a place for buyers to surf through pages of listing or search for something specific in a variety of categories. They also all provide a place for sellers to advertise their own items, anything from brand new items to second hand items to services.

With its headquarters in Seattle, Washington, Amazon is America’s largest online retailer, providing an efficient, speedy and diverse service to customers and clients the world over. It is a multinational electronic commerce company and is renowned for its vast range of music and DVDs. A UK survey voted it the favourite retailer of music and videos and, quite impressively, was the third best retailer overall!

Selling anything from puppies and kittens to DVDs and games and even lingerie and makeup, adflyer has one of the most diverse and extensive ranges of items available at any online marketplace. adflyer offers sellers the opportunity to create their very own shop window within the site so they can start listing their items ASAP.

Play.com is a Jersey-based online retailer that sells DVDS, CDs, books, gadgets and video games and has even branched out into selling clothes and accessories, too. Ranked as the UK’s second favourite music and video retailer (only second to online marketplace giants Amazon.co.uk), Play are the second youngest of the three, next to adflyer.

You don’t always have to rely on eBay for all your consumer needs. Though there are plenty of good deals to be had on eBay, if you are interested in selling your items, there are literally hundreds of other avenues to explore. adflyer, Amazon and Play are just three of the best amongst the masses and can offer a service that is heads above that of eBay.

adflyer is an online marketplace that lets merchants and private listers to sell and build their own community. adflyer launched in September 2007 and is quickly becoming one of the fastest growing UK ebay alternatives. Many listers like that adflyer works on a results base only meaning they only pay a small commission if they sell their products.