Apparently, this may be start of eBay's switch to a new search platform and the manner in which select items are identified. It appears they are trying to appease the larger sellers. I hate to selectively quote from a source, but I have copied some of the key paragraphs from Barron's (a financial publication) regarding eBay's switch. Barrons' has had several articles on eBay recently, one of which dealt with the switch to a new "search" platform and another on the drive to focus on larger sellers and retailers.
Here is the link for thos so inclined to read the entire article:
http://online.barrons.com/article/SB...888930015.html
If you Google Barron's & eBay the results will bring up links to the other articles.
Here is a summary of the one regarding the new search platform:
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The company already faces a variety of headwinds: Many sellers are irritated about recent changes eBay (ticker: EBAY) made in its fee structures. The softening consumer economy is not helping matters. And with well over half of its revenue coming from outside the U.S., its financial results will be hurt by the recent strengthening of the U.S. dollar......
....Blair and Hunter also say eBay is close to rolling out a new search platform that it has been testing for some time. They see risks if it isn't successful: "The ability to search and find an item with accuracy is a key factor in eBay's success and any changes that negatively impact the effectiveness of search would create a significant problem for the company." EBay shares are down approximately 30% this year, trading near their lowest level in five years.