I love the messages from buyers, the little inside jokes in the names ect... and am glad that I have a way to buy things my sim might not want to make. It makes getting some items unlocked possible too if you don't want to cheat, you just have to be willing to look every few days.
I can see going back to selling directly more often but it's another option for challenges and playing things out more realistically or differently and I'm all for that option for me or other simmers. It just adds more game play possibilities and that's great.