[aredox]

Lots of countries have settled on a local marketplace before FB arrived. E.g. in New Zealand, https://www.trademe.co.nz/ is too big to be displaced.

First mover advantage, nimbleness, and filters appropriate to regional differences (e.g. in Switzerland, translating easily between the different langages and filtering by canton) make such website stay ahead of the FB juggernaut.

[pulsartwin]

There is certainly a lot to be said for first-mover advantage, but TradeMe specifically (while still popular) is currently fighting a losing battle. Between rising listing fees, selling fees as a percentage of the product's value, and the influx of drop-shippers that flood categories with "local" products, its days are likely numbered. Personally, while 10 years ago everyone I knew was using it, I no longer know anybody that goes to TradeMe to sell everyday items. I'm not a fan of FB, but the fact that it's monetarily free to use makes all the difference for the average user.