Press Releases 2002
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NFL And PLAYERS INC Team With eBay To Conduct First Live Online Auction At Super Bowl--January 31, 2002

New York and San Jose, Calif. - Jan. 31, 2002 -The National Football League and PLAYERS INC are teaming with eBay, the world's online marketplace, to conduct the league's first live auction both on-site and online at the Super Bowl in New Orleans on Saturday, Feb. 2, at 2:00 p.m. CT. Super Bowl XXXVI will be played on Sunday, Feb. 3.

Fans may participate in the auction on-site as Coca-Cola and America Online present the NFL Experience, held in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Using eBay's Live Auctions technology, others will be able to place bids on the same items via the Internet at www.eBay.com or www.SUPERBOWL.com. Fans may also make absentee bids on items now at either Web site.

More than 50 NFL items will be up for bid, including the pre-sale of the Super Bowl XXXVI Kickoff Ball. The actual ball used to begin Super Bowl XXXVI will be secured and delivered to the winning bidder. All proceeds from the Super Bowl XXXVI Kickoff Ball will support "Rebuilding Together," the nation's largest volunteer home rehabilitation initiative. "Rebuilding Together" and the NFL work side-by-side at every Super Bowl to rehabilitate the homes of low-income homeowners in the game's host city.

Secured by the NFL with help from PLAYERS INC, the charity auction items will include game jerseys worn by NFL stars such as 2002 NFC Pro Bowler DAVID BOSTON, CRIS CARTER, EDDIE GEORGE, BRIAN GRIESE, 2002 AFC Pro Bowler JEVON KEARSE and JASON SEHORN. In addition, a Super Bowl XXXV game ball and endzone pylon along with jerseys worn by Miami Dolphins JAY FIEDLER and ZACH THOMAS in this season's AFC Playoffs will be available.

Aside from the Super Bowl XXXVI Kickoff Ball, proceeds raised from the other items will directly benefit the Sept. 11 relief efforts. Throughout the 2001 season, NFL players and teams have raised more than $250,000 for charity through NFL.com Auctions.

Adjacent to the trading card area and autograph stage within NFL Experience, fans with NFL Experience tickets are welcome to watch and feel live auction intensity as one-a-of-kind NFL collectibles move from one potential owner to another. Bidders must pre-register in-person or online at www.eBay.com or www.SUPERBOWL.com by Saturday, Feb. 2. In-person pre-registering will begin Saturday when doors open at 10 a.m. CT. The auction will last approximately 90 minutes.

On Friday, Feb. 1, from 3-5 p.m. CT, the charity auction items will be on display at NFL Experience for media and fans to view.

The Bonnette Auction Company, LLC of Alexandria, La., will serve as auctioneer. Bonnette handles a wide range of auctions, including those relating to the sale of heavy equipment, vehicles, property and antiques.

"We're extremely pleased to be working with the NFL in this endeavor. Our live auction technology will act as a great complement to what the NFL is doing at this charitable event," said Jon Fitch, senior category manager, eBay.

"The NFL is pleased to share live auction energy with fans online, thanks to eBay's technological capabilities," said Seth Rabinowitz, NFL director of strategic planning and business development. "Fans will be pleased to learn that these Super Bowl-caliber items are being auctioned for charitable causes."

"NFL players are pleased to be a part of this event by donating merchandise in order to help people in need," said Clay Walker, PLAYERS INC senior vice president. "Sharing resources and building partnerships are long-standing and instrumental means of how NFL players give back to their fans."

eBay Live Auctions is a powerful tool that complements the online eBay platform. It allows real-time online bidding in 'offline' traditional auctions. Online bidders enjoy the excitement of participating in an auction, without having to travel to the physical location of where it is taking place. Individuals must register to participate in the auction, and can place an absentee bid or come back to bid live during the event. For more information or to register, go to www.eBayliveauctions.com.

About eBay
eBay is The World's Online MarketplaceTM. Founded in 1995, eBay created a powerful platform for the sale of goods and services by a passionate community of individuals and businesses. On any given day, there are millions of items across thousands of categories for sale on eBay, as well as on Half.com, eBay's site dedicated to fixed price trading. eBay enables trade on a local, national and international basis with customized sites in markets around the world.

Sotheby's And eBay Forge Strategic Online Alliance--January 31, 2002

January 31, 2002, New York and San Jose, CA - Sotheby's (NYSE: BID; www.sothebys.com ), the world's oldest fine arts auctioneer, and eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY; www.ebay.com ), the world's online marketplace, today announced a strategic online alliance. This alliance includes three major components:

1.) The companies will introduce Sothebys.com online auctions into the eBay marketplace. Expected to open early this summer, the site will feature the same collecting categories of fine and decorative art, antiques, rare books, jewelry and collectibles currently offered on Sothebys.com. All items offered will continue to be guaranteed by sellers for authenticity and condition. The new Sothebys.com site on eBay will be built and hosted by eBay.

2.) Sotheby's will adopt eBay's Live Auctions technology to enable real-time online bidding for a significant number of Sotheby's traditional auctions held in New York and London. This technology will allow eBay users to participate in the excitement of a Sotheby's traditional auction by bidding online from their home or office.

3.) The companies will market Sothebys.com across both online and traditional media. Once launched, the new site will replace online auctions on Sothebys.com as well as eBay Premier, and will be accessible from both the eBay and Sotheby's websites. Until the new destination launches, both Sothebys.com and the eBay Premier sites will continue to operate as usual.

"Sotheby's and eBay have complementary strengths," said Meg Whitman, president and CEO of eBay Inc. "eBay has a vibrant global marketplace and a proven technology platform. Sotheby's offers outstanding art expertise and a network of worldwide dealers and auction houses with a track record of selling the world's finest art, antiques and collectibles. We believe that together we will achieve great success."

"We are very excited about our new relationship with eBay," commented Bill Ruprecht, Sotheby's CEO. "This alliance with the most successful online marketplace in the world combines eBay's powerful technology platform and global following of 42 million registered users with Sotheby's unmatched auction expertise and experience. It represents the next phase in Sotheby's online auction business, and we believe it will positively position Sothebys.com for future growth."

Property posted on the new online destination will come from Sotheby's and its network of dealers and regional auction houses around the world. In addition, selected eBay Premier dealers and Butterfields Auctioneers, a subsidiary of eBay Inc., will become sellers of arts, antiques and collectibles on the new site. Sothebys.com's Dealer Associates are recognized experts in their respective fields. They adhere to strict standards for quality and integrity, offering a vast selection of fine and decorative art, antiques, rare books, jewelry and collectibles online. Every item offered on Sothebys.com is guaranteed by the seller for both authenticity and condition, so collectors can feel at ease buying rare and valuable items online.

A History in Online Sales of High-End Arts, Antiques and Collectibles Online auctions are a complementary part of Sotheby's business. In its first two years online, Sothebys.com has sold nearly $100 million of property. The top selling lots on the site include: the record-setting first printing of the Declaration of Independence, which sold for $8.14 million; a rediscovered 19th century portrait by Frederic Lord Leighton, which brought $550,750; an important Tiffany & Co. silver and carved ivory tankard from the year 1900 that sold for $220,750; and Louis Armstrong's boyhood cornet, which brought $108,000. In addition to these top selling lots, Sothebys.com has sold thousands of lots in the $1,000 price range.

According to Sothebys.com Dealer Associate, Ken Farmer of Radford Virginia, "As a small auction business in Virginia, I could not be more pleased with the results I've achieved on Sothebys.com. As a perfect example, last fall I chose to offer online a rare and newly discovered portrait by Frederic, Lord Leighton. The auction attracted several bidders from around the world, resulting in a record price of $550,750, well above my estimate of $200/300,000."

eBay has continued its commitment to the sale of high-end arts, antiques and collectibles through its specialty site, eBay Premier. The launch of eBay Premier in January 2001 expanded and improved the company's offering to high-end art buyers. In addition, eBay's acquisition of Butterfields Auctioneers in 1999 has broadened the offering of higher-end items on the eBay site.

eBay has also enabled the sale of high-end art, antiques and collectibles through its Live Auctions technology. This powerful tool allows real-time online bidding in traditional auctions. Online bidders enjoy the excitement of participating in an auction, without having to travel to the auction's actual physical location. Individuals must register to participate in the auction, and can place an absentee bid or come back to bid online during the event.

About eBay
eBay is The World's Online MarketplaceTM. Founded in 1995, eBay created a powerful platform for the sale of goods and services by a passionate community of individuals and businesses. On any given day, there are millions of items across thousands of categories for sale on eBay, as well as on Half.com, eBay's site dedicated to fixed price trading. eBay enables trade on a local, national and international basis with customized sites in markets around the world.

About Sotheby's Holdings, Inc.
Sotheby's Holdings, Inc. is the parent company of Sotheby's worldwide live and online auctions, art-related financing and real estate activities. Sotheby's operates in 36 countries, with principal salesrooms located in New York and London. Sotheby's also regularly conducts auctions in 12 other salesrooms around the world, including Australia, Hong Kong, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Singapore. Sotheby's Holdings, Inc. is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange.

Sotheby's Holdings, Inc. Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains certain "forward-looking statements" (as such term is defined in the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) relating to future events and the financial performance of the Company. Such statements are only predictions and involve risks and uncertainties, resulting in the possibility that the actual events or performances will differ materially from such predictions. Major factors which the Company believes could cause the actual results to differ materially from the predicted results in the "forward-looking statements" include the overall strength of the international economy and financial markets, competition with other auctioneers and art dealers (including Internet auction sites), the volume of consigned property and the marketability at auction of such property, the Company's success in developing and implementing its Internet auction strategy, the resolution of the European Commission investigation regarding commissions charged by the Company for auction services and the successful implementation of the Company's restructuring plan.

eBay Inc.'s Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those discussed. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, consumer acceptance of the Internet as a means to transact in high-end art, antiques and collectibles, consumer acceptance of the Internet auction format for goods that have historically traded offline in the traditional auction business, acceptance of the new website by existing and potential sellers of the two predecessor websites and the laws and related regulations that may limit or restrict the activities of the new website. More information about potential factors which could affect eBay's business and financial results is included in eBay's Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2001 under the headings "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and results of Operations". All forward-looking statements are based on information available to eBay on the date hereof, and eBay assumes no obligation to update such statements.

eBay Assurance Program Available on eBay Motors--January 30, 2002

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Jan. 30, 2002– eBay Motors today announced the launch of the eBay Assurance Program for Vehicles, making it safer and more convenient for people to buy and sell cars online. Providing coverage to buyers and sellers alike, the program consists of four main features: Limited Warranty, Purchase Insurance, Payment Protection and Mobile Vehicle Inspection. According to Jupiter Media Metrix, eBay Motors logged a record 4.78 million unique visitors to its site in December 2001, making it the most highly-trafficked automotive site on the Web.

“We want eBay Motors to be the safest place – online or offline – to buy or sell a used car,” said Simon Rothman, vice president and general manager, eBay Motors. “We developed the four components of this program in direct response to our users’ requests and input. Our goal is to ensure that eBay Motors is the first place people think of when they want to buy or sell a used car at a great price.”

The eBay Assurance Program was created in order to build further protection into each step of the vehicle buying and selling process. It covers cars bought or sold on eBay Motors only. The four main features of the program are:

• Limited Warranty, administered by 1SourceAutoWarranty.com, offers sight-unseen coverage for free to buyers of eligible passenger vehicles, protecting against failure of major mechanical components of the powertrain for one month or 1000 miles – whichever comes first. 1SourceAutoWarranty.com has sold and administered more than one million consumer warranties, with one of the highest customer satisfaction ratings in the industry.



• Purchase Insurance, available at no cost, protects buyers, through a third-party provider, against fraud or material misrepresentation on any passenger vehicle listed on eBay Motors. The coverage maximum is $20,000 with a $500 deductible.



• Payment Protection benefits both buyers and sellers as they arrange for the exchange of funds and the vehicle after the auction closes. Available as an option to eBay Motors’ customers, Payment Protection consists of Fast Deposit and Secure Pay.



• Fast Deposit, provided by eBay Payments, will allow a seller to collect a $200 deposit from the winning bidder using Checkout and eBay Payments, solidifying the commitment between the buyer and the seller.



• Provided by Escrow.com, Secure Pay offers secure, flexible and fast funds transfer via escrow for $22. This service allows the seller to know that the buyer’s payment has been secured and collected in full, and it enables the buyer to know that the vehicle has been shipped. Sellers who accept Secure Pay receive a special icon that highlights their listing. Affiliated with the world’s largest escrow company, Escrow.com offers a comprehensive suite of online transaction management services that provide consumers with one of the most secure ways to buy or sell vehicles online.



• Mobile Vehicle Inspection offers a bumper-to-bumper vehicle assessment by a professional inspector at the seller’s home or place of business within 48 hours of scheduling. The inspection report is posted online the same day the examination is completed by the third-party provider. Mobile Vehicle Inspection can be initiated by either buyer or seller and costs $99.95. The seller can elect to attach the completed inspection report to his listing where a special icon will highlight it to potential buyers.

eBay Announces Fourth Quarter and Year End 2001 Financial Results-- January 15, 2002

San Jose, CA, January 15, 2002 - eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY; www.ebay.com), the world's online marketplace, reported financial results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 31, 2001.

Consolidated net revenues for the quarter ended December 31, 2001, totaled a record $219.4 million, representing a 64% increase over the $134.0 million generated in the same period last year. Consolidated net income for the quarter was $25.9 million, or $0.09 per diluted share. eBay's pro forma consolidated net income, excluding certain charges, was a record $38.5 million, or $0.14 per diluted share.

For the full year, eBay generated consolidated net revenues of $748.8 million, representing 74% annual growth. Consolidated net income for the year was $90.4 million, or $0.32 per diluted share. On a pro forma basis, excluding certain charges, eBay reported consolidated net income of $137.5 million, or $0.49 per diluted share. This represents 135% year-over-year growth in pro forma net income as compared to the $58.6 million reported in 2000, and 133% growth in pro forma earnings per share as compared to $0.21 in 2000.

"Our fourth quarter results capped off an outstanding year," said Meg Whitman, President and CEO of eBay. "We have excellent momentum going into 2002 and feel confident with our long-term strategy, ongoing execution and the inherent strength of our business model."

Based on the momentum in the business, eBay now believes that revenues for the first half of 2002 could be approximately $490 to $510 million. The company also continues to believe that pro forma earnings per share over the same period could range between $0.32 to $0.33 per diluted share.

Key Financial and Operating Metrics
Online Net Revenues - eBay reported record online net revenues of $211.6 million, representing 72% year-over-year growth from the $123.1 million reported in Q4-00.

Gross Profit - eBay reported record gross profit totaling $179.4 million or 82% of net revenues during the quarter, which is consistent with the 82% gross profit reported in Q4-00.

Pro Forma Operating Income - eBay reported record pro forma operating income, which excludes certain charges, totaling $55.4 million, or 25% of net revenues. This represents a 95% increase over Q4-00 pro forma operating income of $28.4 million, or 21% of Q4-00 net revenues.

Pro Forma Net Income - eBay reported record pro forma net income, which excludes certain charges, totaling $38.5 million, or $0.14 per diluted share. This earnings level represents a 54% increase over Q4-00 pro forma net income of $25.0 million.

Operating and Free Cash Flows - For the quarter, eBay reported $83.7 million in operating cash flows, 143% higher than the $34.5 million reported in Q4-00. Free cash flows for Q4-01 were $69.9 million, 234% higher than the $20.9 million reported in Q4-00. For the full year 2001, eBay generated a record $252.1 million in operating cash flows, representing 152% growth versus operating cash flows of $100.1 million in 2000. For the full year 2001, free cash flows grew to $194.7 million, 286% higher than the $50.4 million reported in 2000.

Gross Merchandise Sales - eBay users transacted a record $2.735 billion in gross merchandise sales during the fourth quarter, representing a 69% year-over-year increase from the $1.616 billion reported in Q4-00.

Listings - eBay hosted a record 126.5 million listings during the quarter, representing 59% year-over-year growth.

Registered Users - eBay added a record 4.8 million users, to end Q4-01 with 42.4 million confirmed registered users. This level represents an 88% increase over the 22.5 million users reported at the end of Q4-00.

Key Execution Highlights

Holiday Highlights
According to Jupiter Media Metrix, eBay was the #1 online holiday shopping destination, with nearly 5 million unique daily visitors during the peak December shopping season.

Average auction duration on eBay.com decreased almost 10% versus December 2000, as a result of increased adoption of eBay's Buy It Now feature, which was offered as an option on 45% of eBay.com listings during the month of December.

Geographic Expansion
On a fully allocated basis, eBay's international business achieved operating profitability for the first time in Q4-01, ahead of expectations.

Net revenues from international operations contributed 18% of Q4-01 consolidated net revenues, up from 16% in Q3-01, highlighted by 51% sequential net revenue growth in Germany, 26% sequential net revenue growth in Canada, and 25% sequential net revenue growth in the U.K.

In the U.S. business, online revenues excluding advertising grew 10% sequentially, representing an acceleration from the quarter-over-quarter growth rate in Q3-01. Including advertising, online revenues in the U.S. were up 11% sequentially, which also represents an acceleration versus the quarter-over-quarter growth rate in Q3-01.

The company successfully integrated the former iBazar Spain site into eBay's global technology platform on January 8, 2002, following the integrations of the French, Italian and Dutch sites. With the changeover of the Belgian site, eBay expects to complete the iBazar integration process by the end of Q1-02.

Category and Pricing Format Development
The company achieved strong quarter-over-quarter growth in gross merchandise sales across virtually all meta-level categories. The largest categories in Q4-01 were eBay Motors, computers, consumer electronics, collectibles, books/movies/music, sports and toys.

eBay's fixed price initiatives, Buy It Now, Half.com and eBay Stores, contributed more than 19% of total gross merchandise sales in Q4-01, up sequentially from 16% in Q3-01.

Gross merchandise sales processed using eBay Payments by Billpoint increased 14% sequentially and 263% year-over-year.

Revenues from third party advertisers represented approximately 13% of net revenues, roughly the same percentage as in Q3-01.

Technology Infrastructure
eBay achieved 99.9% site availability for the second consecutive quarter. At the same time, eBay supported 300 million page views per day, 20% more than in Q3, and sent out more than 1.5 giga-bits of data per second, a 25% sequential increase.

The company successfully implemented the first components of V3, eBay's next generation technology platform.

Community Development
eBay's "Auction for America" successfully raised $10 million to help the victims, their families and the communities affected by the terrorist attacks of September 11. The fundraising tool created for "Auction for America" will become a permanent feature for charities using eBay.

Financial and Operating Summary
For the fourth quarter, the company reported net revenues of $219.4 million, representing a 64% year-over-year increase. The sequential increase was driven largely by better-than-expected holiday sales in the U.S. online business, strong international growth, solid contributions from eBay Motors and eBay Payments by Billpoint, and continued success in the development of third party advertising revenues. Net revenues from eBay's offline segment contributed $7.8 million in Q4-01 net revenues, as compared to the $10.9 million reported in Q4-00.

Gross profit as a percentage of net revenues held steady with the prior quarter at 82%.

Sales and marketing expenses totaled $71.6 million, or 33% of net revenues, which compares favorably to the 34% of net revenues reported in Q3-01 and the 37% reported in Q4-00. The sequential dollar increase of approximately $5.3 million resulted primarily from increases in online and offline marketing campaigns, iBazar integration and staff additions to our category and business development teams.

Product development costs totaled $21.7 million, or approximately 10% of net revenues in Q4-01, consistent with Q3-01, and down from 11% of net revenues in Q4-00. The sequential dollar increase of approximately $1.5 million resulted primarily from site feature and functionality improvements, iBazar integration and V3 architecture development.

General and administrative costs totaled $31.2 million, or about 14% of net revenues, compared with 14% in Q3-01 and 14% in Q4-00. The sequential dollar increase of approximately $3.6 million resulted principally from costs associated with international expansion, legal expenses and general infrastructure growth.

Net interest and other income totaled $6.5 million in Q4-01, down from the $11.6 million reported in Q4-00, reflecting the lower interest rate environment.

eBay recorded a consolidated tax provision of $24.0 million, representing a 48% effective tax rate on Q4-01 consolidated pre-tax income. The effective rate includes the impact of non-deductible goodwill amortization and losses in certain international jurisdictions. On a pro forma basis, excluding certain charges, the consolidated effective tax rate remained consistent with the prior quarter at 40%.

eBay's balance sheet remains very strong as the company ended the quarter with consolidated assets approaching $1.7 billion, including $1.1 billion in aggregate cash and investments.

For the quarter, eBay reported $83.7 million in operating cash flows, 143% higher than the $34.5 million reported in Q4-00. $27.9 million of this amount is attributable to tax benefits on certain stock option exercises. Free cash flows for Q4-01 were $69.9 million, 234% higher than the $20.9 million reported in Q4-00. For the full year 2001, eBay generated a record $252.1 million in operating cash flows, representing 152% growth versus operating cash flows of $100.1 million in 2000. Of the $252.1 million in operating cash flows, $81.7 million is attributable to tax benefits on certain stock option exercises. For the full year 2001, free cash flows grew to $194.7 million, 286% higher than the $50.4 million reported in 2000.

Business Outlook
Based on the momentum in the business, eBay now believes that revenues for the first half of 2002 could be approximately $490 to $510 million. Further, eBay expects that Q1-02 net revenue growth will be driven primarily by transactions, both in the U.S. and in international markets. Given the difficult environment for online advertising, the company believes that advertising revenues as a percentage of net revenues will be down in Q1-02.

eBay continues to execute on a strategy that balances increasing bottom-line returns with investments in future growth. Near-term investments include international development and selective expansion, broadening and deepening category offerings, development of fixed price formats and other merchandising options, improving the user experience, ongoing development of eBay's next generation architecture, and attracting new buyers and sellers to the eBay platform while building loyalty with eBay's existing community of users.

As a result of its higher net revenue outlook, eBay believes that these incremental investments can be made while delivering improved sequential bottom line profitability. Accordingly, eBay continues to believe pro forma earnings per share for the first half of 2002 could range between $0.32 and $0.33 per diluted share.

About eBay
eBay is The World's Online Marketplace(TM). Founded in 1995, eBay created a powerful platform for the sale of goods and services by a passionate community of individuals and businesses. On any given day, there are millions of items across thousands of categories for sale on eBay, as well as on Half.com, eBay's site dedicated to fixed price trading. eBay enables trade on a local, national and international basis with customized sites in markets around the world.

Forward Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including those relating to the company's ability to grow its business and user base. Actual results could differ materially from those discussed. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, the company's need to manage both an increasingly broad range of businesses and significant growth, to deal with the increasingly competitive environment for online trading, to manage regulatory and litigation risks, to maintain site stability and continue to expand its model to new types of merchandise and sellers and to continue to expand outside of the U.S., as well as the timing and commercial success of new features and functions added to the company's sites, the price and demand for advertising offered by the company, the success of the company's commercial partners, and the costs of announced and prospective joint ventures, acquisitions and other commercial transactions. More information about potential factors which could affect the company's business and financial results is included in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2000, and the company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the periods ended March 31, 2001, June 30, 2001 and September 30, 2001. All forward-looking statements are based on information available to the company on the date hereof, and the company assumes no obligation to update such statements.

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eBay's "Auction for America" Comes to an End -- January 4, 2002

San Jose, CA, January 4, 2002 - "Auction for America," eBay's online charity effort designed to help the victims and families of those affected by the events of September 11, reached its 100th and final day on December 25. More than 100,000 users, ranging from individuals, political leaders and celebrities to small businesses, manufacturers and retailers, have raised $10 million. The final few transactions are expected to close in the next few weeks.

"I'm extremely proud of everyone who participated in 'Auction for America' and honored to have been part of the team," said Meg Whitman, President and CEO of eBay. "We had hoped to raise more, but given the massive outpouring of support that occurred following September 11, I'm pleased with what we achieved. Our user community and employees have again demonstrated how special they are. eBay is a wonderful platform for doing good."

To help streamline the process for "Auction for America," eBay created a secure direct payment feature that allowed sellers to list items for charity and buyers to send the purchase price directly to the designated organizations. An enhanced version of this tool will be rolled out this spring as a permanent site feature, permitting a wide range of charities to more efficiently extend their online fundraising efforts to eBay's community of 38 million users.

"Although charity groups have a long history of using eBay, 'Auction for America' drove home just how powerful our community can be for organizations hoping to raise funds," said Whitman. "By sharing the fundraising tool developed for 'Auction for America,' we hope to make eBay useful to even more groups."

Launched on September 17, "Auction for America" allowed people around the world to buy and sell goods online to raise money for the victims, their families and communities affected by the terrorist attacks of September 11. Billpoint, eBay's online payment solution, along with Visa, MasterCard, Wells Fargo Bank, and Discover Financial Services Inc., waived their customary fees for "Auction for America." One hundred percent of all proceeds benefited one of seven charitable organizations selected by the seller, including: September 11th Children's Fund; The Robin Hood Relief Fund; The September 11th Fund; New York State World Trade Center Relief Fund; Twin Towers Fund; American Red Cross; and, Families of Freedom Scholarship Fund.

More than 230,000 items were listed as part of "Auction for America." Individuals across the country listed a wide variety of items, parting with prized collectibles or creating original art, often with a patriotic theme. Children, too, did their part by creating group projects at school or making their own crayon drawings to sell for the cause. New York Governor George E. Pataki and New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who helped kick off "Auction for America," donated a photo of Joe DiMaggio and a baseball signed by Yogi Berra respectively. Thirty-eight of the nation's governors sold items from their home states, from a West Virginia quilt to a week in Hawaii. Members of Congress donated a wide range of memorabilia, including a flag that Rep. Kay Granger (R-12th TX) had signed by every sitting member of the House and Senate, believed to be a first since the Declaration of Independence.

In addition, the entertainment industry contributed a variety of items, including walk-on roles on popular Fox Entertainment TV series, Jay Leno's celebrity-signed Harley Davidson, unique props from "Star Wars," and the framed flag from the "Good Morning America" set. Sports stars -- from tennis and golf to football and baseball -- donated autographed racquets, clubs, balls and jerseys. Companies in almost every industry also donated products or services, including Palm handhelds, Club Med getaway packages, Starbucks coffee, Hasbro toys, Taco Bell quesadillas, Microsoft software, and Levi's jeans, to name only a few.

About eBay
eBay is The World's Online MarketplaceTM. Founded in 1995, eBay created a powerful platform for the sale of goods and services by a passionate community of individuals and businesses. On any given day, there are millions of items across thousands of categories for sale on eBay, as well as on Half.com, eBay's site dedicated to fixed price trading. eBay enables trade on a local, national and international basis with customized sites in markets around the world.