eBay is the world's largest personal online trading community. eBay created a new market: efficient one-to-one trading in an auction format on the Web.
Individuals—not big businesses—use eBay to buy and sell items in more than 1,600 categories, including collectables, antiques, sports memorabilia, computers, toys, beanie babies, dolls, figures, coins, stamps, books, magazines, music, pottery, glass, photography, electronics, jewellery, gemstones, and much more. Users can find the unique and the interesting on eBay—everything from chintz china to chairs, teddy bears to trains, and furniture to figurines.
As the leading person-to-person trading site, buyers are compelled to trade on eBay due to the large amount of content available. Similarly, sellers are attracted to eBay to conduct business where there are the most buyers. We provide over two million new auctions, and 250,000 new items every day from which users may choose.
Our Mission
We help people trade practically anything on earth.
eBay was founded with the belief that people are honest and trustworthy. We believe that each of our customers, whether a buyer or a seller, is an individual who deserves to be treated with respect.
We will continue to enhance the online trading experiences of all our constituents—collectors, hobbyists, small dealers, unique item seekers, bargain hunters, opportunistic sellers, and browsers. The growth of the eBay community comes from meeting and exceeding the expectations of these special people.
The History
eBay was conceived initially as a result of a conversation between Pierre Omidyar and his wife, an avid Pez™ collector (she currently covets a collection of more than 400 dispensers). She commented to Pierre how great it would be if she were able to collect Pez dispensers and interact with other collectors over the Internet.
As an early Internet enthusiast, Pierre knew that people needed a central location to buy and sell unique items and to meet other users with similar interests. He started eBay to fulfil this need.
Pierre launched eBay in September 1995.