Second Rotation has been launched recently as a way for consumers to sell on their electronic items for cash. This is an interesting development in the drop-shop model which uses the fact that for some categories (mainly electronics) eBay is a liquid market with steady (ish) marketprices. Based on a number of criteria (condition, accessories etc) the site will give a value which it is willing to pay for an item. Presumably the items are then sold on eBay for a spread over the offer price.
I think that this model is perhaps the future for customer focused eBay consignment sellers, as it provides a good customer experiences (cash today) and allows the consignment company to only deal with items they know will sell.
The idea is not new with The Drop Spot offering to buy up iPods and gaming systems from their site Beyond the Pod. Similarly in the UK, services such as Mopay, envirofone and mazuma mobile offer to pay cash for mobile phones
