Business Matters - Marketplaces - Not on the High Street

As I'm in England right now visiting family, I thought my marketplace for review this week should be based in England too - so I've chosen "Not on the High Street". I don't sell there - one reason being you need to live in England full time to even apply but I love it as a site. If someone reading this is a seller there, do please let us know your experience in the comment section.

It is not open to everyone to sell on and in fact, they say they accept only 5% of the people who apply. They launched in April 2006 and have received quite a few awards.

They have an application fee, an annual fee (which varies depending on how much you sell - from 49 - 249 pounds), a transaction fee of 2.9% and commission charges - which all seems to mount up!

Then they have clause that says you can't sell on any other marketplace that could be a competitor to Not on the High Street. They say it is OK to sell on your own website and ebay but no other marketplace.

Periodically I get an email with their specials or seasonal gifts, as shown below - which I like. They also produce printed catalogs for the different seasons that you can request in the mail.

(love the look of that personalized swing!)

They do seem to have some lovely items and great gift ideas. I'd love to hear how sellers are finding the site...... I guess if you are looking for an exclusive place to sell in addition to your own website, it may be good. Anyone have inside experiences?

Anyhow, I love it as a site to browse and shop - go take a look .