I also buy a lot on Ebay, but I like to see ALL listings, holiday included, so I can make decision if I want to wait 1 day/1week/whatever, and maybe save lots of $$ or if I want to pay more to get now.  Everybody is different and this should be the buyer's choice.

But what we were discussing, is the fact that if you put a store on holiday and choose the option to block buying now, and only let people add the item to their watch list, with a return date from holiday, the listings do not appear in Ebay seaches, or even just in the store - the store is left empty, even though you still have to pay for the store.

What I hate about the listings dissappearing, from a buyer's point of view, is a couple of times I have found something, and forgotten to watch it, then gone back and can't find it again - most annoying at the time, and time wasting for me searching in vain for a listing that is obviously on holiday and hidden, and I have no idea when to look for it again as I don't know when they will be back off holiday.

Surely Ebay has the technology, as you suggest, to put a tick box in to include/exclude holiday listings for those that don't choose to know everything that is for sale, like they have for worldwide/Australia only, that way all listings can appear in search results and stores, with appropriate holiday message chosen, as they say they do, and for those who don't want, can set default to filter out.  Then everyone would be happy.