An internal email sent by TIAS to its store owners shows that the average price of over 18,000 items sold on eBay by TIAS store owners was down 39% this year compared to last year. The memo confirms the downward trend that AuctionBytes.com identified in a study released in early May. The AuctionBytes study concluded that prices of collectibles on eBay were down 25% compared to the previous year.

TIAS.com provides electronic storefronts for sellers of antiques and collectibles and provides an interface for their users to list their items on eBay. TIAS compared their members' eBay sales from January through May 2001 to the same period in 2000 and found that closing prices had dropped an average of 39% in 2001. The memo indicated that the study was done because a number of TIAS dealers who sell on eBay had complained that they were not realizing the same closing prices they had in previous years.

AuctionBytes got hold of the memo soon after it was transmitted. According to the memo, "The average auction sale by a TIAS dealer selling on eBay from Jan - May of 2000 was $83.52. The average auction sale by a TIAS dealer selling on eBay from Jan - May of 2001 was $50.49."

The memo went on to say, "the number of items loaded from TIAS to eBay increased by 63% over the same period of time. TIAS dealers are increasing their sales on eBay, but the average amount each item sells for is decreasing."

When contacted, eBay spokesperson Kevin Pursglove said, "eBay has an incredibly healthy collectibles marketplace."