1995 founded Standing
commerce · ebay.com
eBay
the moat is real
30 years 352 days and counting
Pierre Omidyar, 3 Sep 1995. AuctionWeb. Still where the odd thing finds a buyer.
Why it lasted
- Auctions plus used goods plus collectibles is a graph Facebook Marketplace still cannot fully price.
- Sellers with feedback from 2004 are a trust layer you cannot bootstrap with ads.
- It survived looking boring. Boring is a strategy.
Times it almost ended
- Amazon ate 'buy it new'. Craigslist ate local. eBay kept the weird and the used.
- The Skype acquisition was a near-death of attention. They spun it out and lived.
What would finish it
- Collectors moving to specialty apps (StockX, Whatnot, Discord groups) until the long tail is gone.
Questions
Is eBay still up?
Yes, with a Standing verdict: the moat is real. Founded 1995.
How long has eBay been around?
eBay has been up since 1995-09-03.
Why did eBay survive?
Auctions plus used goods plus collectibles is a graph Facebook Marketplace still cannot fully price.
Could eBay still die?
Collectors moving to specialty apps (StockX, Whatnot, Discord groups) until the long tail is gone.