The auction houses clearly make far too much money. What other business takes 50% of an object’s value (say 25% from the seller and 25% from the buyer) as commission as a mere intermediary (never using his own capital to become the owner of the object)? Presumably they get credit from their suppliers and demand immediate cash only payment from clients which can be used to pay creditors. So the cash flow must be highly positive. And the earnings are achieved in a fairly small period of time.
Unfortunately for auctioneers, online and etrade should push down commissions over time if only buyers can trust sellers.
I think logistics service companies are very opportunistic. They will charge as much as they can, even as there are severe price pressures in the industry at large due to competition. Again, when people can book transport online charges will come down. Some actors use blockchain for tracking etc.
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