eBay at 30: From AuctionWeb to AI, Nostalgia to Next-Gen Commerce
Top TV in 1995: ER, Seinfeld, Friends, and Caroline in the City
Thirty years ago today, in September 1995, a quirky little site called AuctionWeb went live from a San Jose living room. Its very first sale? A broken laser pointer. Its vision? Honestly, nobody knew at the time. But what began as a curious experiment quickly became eBay, the online auction house that changed how the world shopped, collected, and connected.
The Original “Community Commerce”
Before social media and influencer unboxings, eBay made strangers feel like part of a club. Buyers and sellers built reputations with feedback scores, essentially inventing peer-to-peer trust long before Uber, Airbnb, or Depop borrowed the model. It was scrappy, imperfect, and sometimes weird (shoutout to the person who once sold a Dorito shaped like the Pope), but it made online shopping feel human.
The Evolution of eBay
1995–2000: The Wild West era. Auctions reigned supreme, and bidding wars were half the fun.
2000s: PowerSellers emerged, turning side hustles into six-figure businesses.
2010s: Competition from Amazon pushed eBay to emphasize “Buy It Now,” making the experience less about bidding and more about convenience.
2020s: Today, eBay doubles down on authenticity with programs for sneakers, luxury watches, and handbags, plus a renewed focus on sustainability through resale.
Why eBay Still Matters in 2025
In an era of fast fashion and one-click checkouts, eBay is positioned as the OG circular economy platform. Long before “secondhand” was rebranded as “sustainable chic,” eBay was normalizing the idea that pre-owned could be desirable. And in a year where thrifting, vintage, and “shopping your values” dominate cultural trends (hi Gen Z), eBay looks more relevant than ever.
Ringing the Nasdaq Bell & Opening the ’95 Shop
To kick off eBay’s 30th Anniversary celebrations, CEO Jamie Iannone rang the Nasdaq Opening Bell in New York City, a fitting way to shout “we’re still here” from the crossroads of global commerce.
Next comes the centerpiece: The ’95 Shop, a one-day-only immersive pop-up at 45 Grand St. in NYC (with an online twin for the rest of us). Curated by none other than Sarah Michelle Gellar (yes, Buffy herself), the shop brings together icons of the 1990s that still captivate today: Air Jordan XI sneakers, Pokémon cards, vintage Gucci, a 1997 Land Rover Defender, and even Buffy memorabilia.
In-person: The shop runs Sept. 4, 2025 from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. ET in SoHo.
Online auction: Items start at just 95¢, with proceeds going to Make-A-Wish. The auction runs until Sept. 9 at 9 a.m. ET.
eBay Live marathon: On Sept. 3–4, shoppers can stream and bid in real time, with drops from streetwear legend Jeff Staple and vintage powerhouse What Goes Around Comes Around.
I love that ebay is paying homage to its roots, it’s a reminder that eBay always turns cultural moments into marketplace magic.
Nothing Stronger Than a 90’s Trend
Holy Grail find: Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel belt 1995
Data from eBay shows the staying power of the ’90s:
Pokémon remains the top-searched collectible on eBay every single month of 2025.
A 1999 Charizard Holo 1st Edition card is still a grail item.
The Michael Jordan autographed Bulls jersey (1994–95) keeps MJ the most-searched athlete.
Omega Seamaster Diver 300M watches rank as top-searched in luxury timepieces.
A Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel belt (1995) still racks up 2,600+ searches an hour.
The ’97 Land Rover Defender has held onto cult-classic status with more than 2,200 searches an hour.
Concert T-Shirts from the 1990’s (like Red Hot Chili Peppers) can sell for around $1000
Take note: Nostalgia drives serious traffic.
From Auctions to AI: eBay’s Reinvention
While eBay honors its past, the real story is how it’s reinventing for the future:
AI at scale: More than 10 million sellers now use eBay’s AI tools to create 200 million+ listings. AI is powering descriptions, pricing, and discoverability—making it easier than ever for sellers to compete.
Live commerce: With eBay Live, shopping is interactive, social, and scalable. Think QVC for Gen Z, only faster and more fun.
Global reach: In 2024 alone, eBay facilitated $75 billion in gross merchandise volume (GMV) across 190+ markets worldwide.
Economic empowerment: eBay’s mission has always been to create opportunity for all, from side-hustlers to PowerSellers to global brands.
The Marketing Lesson
For brands, eBay’s 30th is a masterclass:
Lean into nostalgia. What’s old is new again, and storytelling around heritage builds trust and emotion.
Invest in tech. AI and live commerce aren’t optional anymore—they’re how audiences expect to engage.
Build for community. Feedback systems, resale, and cause-driven campaigns remind us that commerce works best when people feel connected.
Make it meaningful. By tying its pop-up to Make-A-Wish, eBay elevates transactions into impact.
Stay on trend. While fast fashion is celebrated on other platforms like Amazon, eBay is the king of circular consumerism. Since it’s inception hundreds of other reseller type platforms have popped up, but none have had the staying power of eBay.
eBay by the Numbers
eBay dwarfs its niche peers with hundreds of millions of monthly visits, making it unbeatable for mass-market visibility.
Niche relevance: Vestiaire Collective (luxury fashion) and Chairish (vintage home décor) deliver focused, quality audiences—perfect for lifestyle, curated brand storytelling.
Strategic mix: For impact, you don’t need to choose—use eBay for broad reach, and the others for targeted brand lift in resale, sustainability, and heritage narratives.
eBay vs. Vestiaire Collective vs. Chairish
eBay
Monthly Visits: ~648 million (Similarweb, July 2025)
Other sources suggest over 700 million monthly visits in early 2025—solidifying its status as a global powerhouse
Daily Visits: Around 18–21 million per day (July 2025 average) Red Stag Fulfillment
Engagement: 6.8 pages per visit, average session lasts about 6 minutes 13 seconds
Vestiaire Collective
Monthly Visits: ~9 million per month (Similarweb, July 2025)
Exploding Topics confirms similar scale at ~8.4 million visits in June 2025
Search Traffic: Estimated at ~2 million visits in August 2025
Chairish
Monthly Visits: ~2.53 million (Similarweb, February 2025)
July 2025 stats reinforce this with approx. 2.9 million total visits
30 Years Young
From a broken laser pointer to a global powerhouse, from Beanie Babies to AI-powered live auctions, eBay has proven that reinvention is the secret to relevance.
Happy 30th, eBay. Thanks for teaching us that one person’s junk really can become another’s jackpot—and that legacy brands don’t have to fade, they can evolve.
FAQs
Q1: When was eBay founded?
eBay was founded in September 1995 by Pierre Omidyar as AuctionWeb.
Q2: What is the ’95 Shop?
The ’95 Shop is a one-day pop-up (and online auction) celebrating eBay’s 30th anniversary, featuring curated ’90s icons like sneakers, Pokémon, and vintage fashion.
Q3: How is eBay using AI in 2025?
Over 10 million sellers have used eBay’s AI tools to create 200 million+ listings, making it easier to scale and optimize sales.
Q4: What’s eBay Live?
eBay Live is an interactive livestream shopping experience where buyers can engage in real-time auctions and exclusive drops.
Q5: How much business does eBay do annually?
In 2024, eBay facilitated over $75 billion in gross merchandise volume across 190+ markets worldwide.
