The first year or so of ebay was just amazing. I was buying lps that I hadn't seen at collector shows for decades. And for $10 or less! I couldn't believe what was turning up. The guitar parts were amazing. I had a cob job Jazz, and had it back to snuff for a couple of hundred bucks. I can't even imagine what that would cost now, with 800 sniper bids in the last 5 seconds. I also preferred paying with postal money orders. It was initially a nice way to stop postal fraud, and buying them cash in hand at the post office sure kept your budget front and center.
Selling for me is a real tough call now. They have made it a pain in the neck. The limits on shipping charges was tough. It basically requires you to either pack and weigh before listing, or over-estimate weight for larger items to account for packing material. And the scammers are getting to be crazy, as they are trying to always out-wit ebay/paypal protection. I had a really nice old Dual turntable last year that sold twice, and both times they were trying to scam me. It is a toss up as I make more money there, but I have way more hassle compared to CL. Which is also no prize, as everyone there wants something for nothing, or you get some weirdo showing up at your house. I know why some guys like to do parking lot deals - nice and public.
But I guess it all boils down to people who suck.