Yahoo has decided the final day on which Yahoo Auctions will live, bringing to an end the eBay competitor that never really caught on. On June 16th, the site will be shut down permanently. While much speculation can be had and many reasons can be assumed, Yahoo has not had made official statements on the reasons behind the closing. They'll still be operating their auction site in some other countries in Asia.
This shutdown is part of many they have planned, with an overall consolidation of services provided. Yahoo Photos will also be coming down soon in favor of Flickr and the company has stated they are going to narrow their focus.