Of course it does.
Part of the problem is that many Americans only speak English, and one fault of English is with the word "free". When the founders of the internet said "The Internet should be FREE." I'm pretty sure they meant free as in the French word ''libre" - not a slave or subject to close supervision.
But many people (selfishly) think it meant "gratuit" without charge.
And so the problems faced by musicians, whose music is all over YouTube with miniscule payment, journalists whose research and writing is reprinted without authorization or payment, and here on eBay sellers whose pictures and descriptions are copies without attribution.
It's basically what the current writer's strike is about.
But if the choice is a $20 item found online with $5 shipping and no tax
or a $20 item found online with free/no shipping and $2 tax
or a local item at $20 with $2 tax, no shipping, and immediate possession,
which way will the shopper go?
On the other hand, if we are selling something hard to find, even unique, sales tax and shipping costs will be of much less importance.
So I can see that new cell phones, new car parts , recently published books, anything mass produced really would be harder to sell.
But refurbished or "for parts" phones, vintage car parts, out of print books, or any vintage to antique item would still find a market.
