Mercantilism and eBay
eBay operates just like a modern day flee market and in many ways eBay operates similar to the old Mercantilism style of economic system. Merchants gather together to buy and sell their products, but unlike the old market places these merchants now gather on-line. With eBay itself, being the chief merchant the owner of the village market so to speak.
"Mercantilism allowed the market to operate, but it kept the market under its control. The market was not allowed to respond freely to the laws of supply and demand" (Colander 50.) eBay does exactly that. …