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Press Releases Press Releases

You've come to the right source for a complete archive of company press releases. Feel free to peruse eBay's many announcements about new product features, business initiatives, on-site promotions, business partnerships, user services, and much more.


  • 08/03/99 - Carclub.com Teams Up with eBay to Provide Automotive Service for eBay Users
  • 08/09/99 - eBay Announces Maynard Webb as President of eBay Technologies
  • 08/09/99 - Batmobile from Original Batman TV Series Parks on eBay
  • 08/09/99 - eBay Announces Christie's Executive to Head Butterfield & Butterfield Marketing
  • 08/09/99 - Bids Help Kids Charity Auctions Debut at the Hollywood Film Festival
  • 08/10/99 - Forty Years of Barbie® Doll History! Now That's Something to Chat About
  • 08/16/99 - Wherever You Go, Take "eBay a-go-go"
  • 08/20/99 - eBay Drives Into Automotive Category
  • 08/31/99 - eBay and AOL Launch Co-Branded Site

 

Carclub.com Teams Up with eBay to Provide Automotive Service for eBay Users

SAN FRANCISCO, August 3, 1999 — Carclub.com (www.carclub.com), one of the most comprehensive automotive destinations on and off the Internet, today announced an agreement with eBay® (NASDAQ: EBAY; www.ebay.com), the world's leading person-to-person online trading community, under which carclub.com plans to develop an array of automotive-related service offerings for eBay community members.

Under the future program to be developed, eBay registered users would have direct access to carclub.com's vehicle inspection and warranty service. Registered users who want to buy or sell a car on eBay would be able to request a comprehensive vehicle inspection from one of carclub.com's nationwide certified technicians. Within one business day, carclub.com would dispatch an inspector to the customer's location of choice to perform a thorough examination of the vehicle's mechanical condition. Most vehicles that pass a carclub.com inspection will be eligible for a comprehensive used-car protection plan to be purchased via carclub.com to provide mechanical coverage intended to be comparable to a manufacturer's warranty on a new car.

"eBay is built on trust and we hope that carclub.com's inspection and breakdown protection programs will be able to give eBay users added assurance when buying a used car online," said Brian Swette, senior vice president of marketing for eBay. "Carclub.com's automobile services should provide an extra value in giving our users the confidence to buy, sell and trade automobiles on eBay."

"The opportunity for online auto trading, although very significant, has been largely untapped," said carclub.com CEO Michael London. "We expect that carclub.com's unique inspection process and other service offerings, combined with eBay's leadership in online person-to-person trading will give us the ability to create the number one auto trading destination on the Internet."

As part of the relationship, carclub.com is also expected to develop information pages on eBay which would provide access to carclub.com membership, comprehensive automotive information, additional products, and other resources to eBay members.

About eBay
eBay (www.ebay.com), the world's personal trading community™, pioneered person-to-person online trading. Founded in 1995, eBay has developed an efficient and entertaining trading site on the Web that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. eBay has more than 5.6 million registered users. Currently, there are more than 2.4 million items listed for sale. More than 300,000 items are added daily in more than 1,600 categories, including: antiques; books, movies and music; coins and stamps; collectibles; computers; dolls and figures; jewelry and gemstones; photo and electronics; pottery and glass; sports memorabilia; and toys.

About Carclub.com
Carclub.com is one of the most comprehensive and trusted sources of automotive information, products and services on or off the Internet. Unlike other automotive services that focus only on new car dealer referrals, carclub.com also assists consumers whether they are purchasing, financing, insuring, maintaining or selling their vehicles. Carclub.com is the only automotive destination to offer consumers the opportunity to use its full range of services both online and over the phone. Consumers can access carclub.com via its top-rated Web site (www.carclub.com) or by speaking with a customer service representative at 800-CARCLUB. Carclub.com's investors include First Union Corp (NYSE: FTU), Point West Capital Corp. (NASDAQ: PWCC), Signature Group and Advanta Corp (NASDAQ: ADVNA, ADVNB).

Statements in this press release that relate to future plans, objectives, expectations, performance, events and the like are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Future events, risks and uncertainties, individually or in the aggregate, could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Those factors include the parties' abilities to develop, implement and integrate the services described herein, and other factors discussed in the "forward-looking information" or "risk factors" sections included in the companies' prospectuses, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and annual reports on Form 10-K.

eBay Announces Maynard Webb as President of eBay Technologies

SAN JOSE, Calf. August 9, 1999 — eBay® (NASDAQ: EBAY; www.ebay.com) today announced the appointment of Maynard Webb as President of eBay Technologies to oversee all engineering and technical operations at eBay. Webb was Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President at Gateway, Inc. (NYSE: GTW), a Fortune 250 leader in computing technology, where in the past year he has contributed to Gateway's rapid expansion and internet-enabled business operations.

"Maynard's reputation in information technology is highly regarded throughout the industry," said Meg Whitman, eBay CEO. "We are confident that he possesses the vision and hands-on experience to help ensure eBay's site stability moving forward and to help scale eBay's system for the future. We are thrilled that he is joining the eBay team."

As President of eBay Technologies, Webb is responsible for eBay's overall technology strategies, engineering, architecture and site operations. He will lead the recently hired executive engineering staff, including Mark Ryan, CTO, formerly of IBM and Bob Quinn, CIO, formerly of Sun Microsystems. Together they are charged with taking eBay's system to the next level, enabling eBay's future growth of its core business, global expansion and integration of new businesses.

For over twenty years, Webb has been a leader at companies that are changing the world of technology, including Bay Networks, Quantum, Thomas-Conrad and IBM.

About eBay
eBay (www.ebay.com), the world's personal trading community™, pioneered person-to-person online trading. Founded in 1995, eBay has developed an efficient and entertaining trading site on the Web that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. eBay has more than 5.6 million registered users. Currently, there are more than 2.5 million items listed for sale. More than 300,000 items are added daily in more than 1,600 categories, including: antiques; books, movies and music; coins and stamps; collectibles; computers; dolls and figures; jewelry and gemstones; photo and electronics; pottery and glass; sports memorabilia; and toys. eBay is also engaged in the traditional auction business through its subsidiaries, Butterfield & Butterfield and Kruse International.

Batmobile from Original Batman TV Series Parks on eBay

eBay and Kruse International to Host Auburn Fall Car Collector Auction

SAN JOSE, Calf. August 9, 1999 — eBay® (NASDAQ: EBAY; www.ebay.com), the world's leading person-to-person online trading community, and Kruse International, one of the world's most respected and well established organizations in the collector automobile market, will host the 29th annual Auburn Fall Collector Car Auction. Known as the world's first and largest collector car show and auction, the event will feature approximately 5,000 collector cars and host approximately 150,000 car enthusiasts. One of the main event attractions, the "Batmobile" from the original 1960s Batman TV series, will be up for auction on eBay.

"The Auburn Fall Collector Car Auction is one of the most exciting events of the year for car collecting enthusiasts," said Brian Swette, vice president and general manager of eBay's U.S. business. "We're happy to bring this auction to those car collectors who can't make the trip to Auburn, so they too can participate in the action."

The Auburn Fall Collector Car Auction will take place September 1 - 7, 1999 at the Kruse Auction Park in Auburn, Ind. Special auction segments will feature celebrity cars, muscle cars, vintage racecars, sports cars, and the world's largest offering of classic cars. The show will also include a Mopar show, swap meet, motor coach display, and collectibles auction. ESPN2 will conduct a live, 90-minute broadcast of the celebrity car auction.

Following are a few of the vehicles that will be featured at the Auburn Fall Car Collector Auction:

  • Batmobile from "Batman Forever"
  • "KITT," Pontiac Trans Am from "Knight Rider" TV series
  • Presidential parade car used by Eisenhower and Nixon
  • Michael Jordan's limousine
  • 1992 Lola Conseco Indy Racer driven by four time Indy winner, Al Unser, Sr.
  • 40th anniversary edition 1980 Datsun 280 ZX, once owned by Jerry Lewis (auctioned in conjunction with the Jerry Lewis Telethon; a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association)

"The eBay community is made up of people who are passionate about something — whether it's sports memorabilia, toys or cars," said Dean Kruse, chief executive officer of Kruse International. "We're excited that people all over the world who love cars as much as we do can take part in the Auburn Auction by logging onto eBay."

More information about the Auburn Fall Car Collector Auction can be found on the Internet at www.kruseinternational.com or by contacting Kruse International directly at 800-968-4444.

eBay acquired Kruse International in May 1999 and has plans to launch a new automotive category in the fall of 1999. Due to the organic growth of car sales and the demand by the eBay community to buy and sell cars on the site, sellers are now listing vehicles on eBay at a current rate of approximately 1500 per week or 18,000 per quarter. This represents growth of 40 percent per month since the fourth quarter 1998.

About eBay
eBay (www.ebay.com), the world's personal trading community™, pioneered person-to-person online trading. Founded in 1995, eBay has developed an efficient and entertaining trading site on the Web that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. eBay has more than 5.6 million registered users. Currently, there are more than 2.4 million items listed for sale. More than 300,000 items are added daily in more than 1,600 categories, including: antiques; books, movies and music; coins and stamps; collectibles; computers; dolls and figures; jewelry and gemstones; photo and electronics; pottery and glass; sports memorabilia; and toys. eBay is also engaged in the traditional auction business through its subsidiaries, Butterfield & Butterfield and Kruse International.

eBay Announces Christie's Executive to Head Butterfield & Butterfield Marketing

SAN JOSE, Calf. August 9, 1999 — eBay® (NASDAQ: EBAY; www.ebay.com) today announced the appointment of Patrick Meade as Senior Vice President, Marketing and Business Development to oversee marketing and product acquisition at Butterfield & Butterfield, one of the world's oldest and largest auction houses.

Meade was formerly Senior Vice President at Christie's, Inc., the 232-year-old New York auction house. Meade was a member of the company's Internet strategy committee. His eight-year tenure at Christie's included a variety of positions, including President, Christie's East and head of the Decorative Arts Department.

"We are honored to have Patrick, one of the most respected auction house executives in the world, join the Butterfield & Butterfield-eBay team," said Steve Westly, eBay's vice president and general manager of eBay's premium business. "This announcement signals a shift within the traditional auction world. The Internet is clearly changing the shape of the auction industry and eBay will play a major role in making premium auctions more accessible to people around the world."

Among his new responsibilities at Butterfield & Butterfield, Meade will be instrumental in overseeing the launch of eBay's online premium trading business.

In April 1999, eBay acquired Butterfield & Butterfield. Together the companies will launch a new trading business on the eBay Web site that will feature premium auctions of antiques, fine art and collectibles from around the world. The premium category, supported by an international network of auction houses, is expected to be introduced in the Fall of 1999.

About eBay
eBay (www.ebay.com), the world's personal trading community™, pioneered person-to-person online trading. Founded in 1995, eBay has developed an efficient and entertaining trading site on the Web that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. eBay has more than 5.6 million registered users. Currently, there are more than 2.5 million items listed for sale. More than 300,000 items are added daily in more than 1,600 categories, including: antiques; books, movies and music; coins and stamps; collectibles; computers; dolls and figures; jewelry and gemstones; photo and electronics; pottery and glass; sports memorabilia; and toys. eBay is also engaged in the traditional auction business through its subsidiaries, Butterfield & Butterfield and Kruse International.

Bids Help Kids Charity Auctions Debut at the Hollywood Film Festival

— Jack Lemmon To Receive 1999 Hollywood Lifetime Achievement Award and Auction His Handprints on eBay —

Los Angeles, Calf. August 9, 1999 — eBay® (NASDAQ: EBAY; www.ebay.com), the world's leading person-to-person online trading community, and the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) have combined efforts to benefit children in Los Angeles and around the world. Thanks to Bids Help Kids™, a program launching today, auction proceeds from one-of-a-kind celebrity-donated items like movie memorabilia, autographed scripts, sports collectibles and other Hollywood treasures will be donated to children in need through EIF's children's charities, the American Red Cross and eBay.

Bids Help Kids will kick off today as part of the Hollywood Film Festival's gala celebration honoring Jack Lemmon at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. Lemmon, who will receive the Hollywood Lifetime Achievement Award at the event, once again made an imprint of his hands as he did in 1963 at Hollywood's Chinese Theatre. This time, his handprints and signature will be auctioned off on eBay as part of the Bids Help Kids campaign, making it possible for fans of the Oscar-winning actor to own a piece of Hollywood history while raising money for charity. Other 1999 Hollywood Film Festival Honorees include, among others: actor James Caan; director John Schlesinger; and the Mayor of Hollywood, Johnny Grant, who will be recognized for his community service.

For the next seven weeks through Sept. 26, Bids Help Kids charity auctions can be found on eBay at www.ebay.com/bidshelpkids. Just some of the more than 100 celebrity items to be auctioned for Bids Help Kids include: a two-hour behind-the-scenes tour of "The Young and The Restless;" diamond-studded Ray-Bans® worn by Sigourney Weaver to the 1998 Academy Awards®; a "Titanic" script signed by Leonardo DiCaprio; a suit worn by Annette Bening in "American President;" six signed ties worn by Jay Leno on "The Tonight Show;" a tennis racket signed by Andre Agassi; a pair of Gucci heels signed by Cindy Crawford; and Tom Jones autographed Tony Lama® boots.

"The Entertainment Industry Foundation is thrilled with this first partnership with eBay to help assist kids in crisis throughout the world," stated EIF President Lisa Paulsen. "With the help of over 100 entertainment stars, we hope to make this a very special and glamorous auction to support humanitarian efforts."

Carlos de Abreu, president and founder of the Hollywood Film Festival added, "EIF reflects the great charitable heart of Hollywood, and the Hollywood Film Festival is proud to be part of the organization's tradition of addressing humanitarian needs. Beginning this year we will start a new tradition for the Hollywood Film Festival by auctioning off items from our annual honorees for charity."

"eBay and EIF have united with the entertainment community through Bids Help Kids to help make a difference in the lives of children in need," said Reed Maltzman, director of eBay's regional business. "We're proud to be a part of this special night honoring Jack Lemmon, and couldn't think of a better place to launch our first regional service, eBay LA, than in the entertainment capital of the world at the Hollywood Film Festival."

Introduced in April 1999, eBay LA (www.ebay.com/la) makes it easy for local buyers and sellers to auction items that are too bulky, costly or delicate to ship. From surfboards, boats and cars to movie memorabilia, furniture and exercise equipment, Southern Californians can search and browse for items by geographic location and even arrange to "test drive" an item before purchasing. After winning an auction, eBay LA gives the community members the option of picking up the item, based on mutual buyer/seller agreement, to avoid shipping charges.

Since April, items sold on eBay by sellers from the Los Angeles area have increased from 4.6 percent to 5.8 percent as a percentage of total items listed. The average selling price of items sold in Los Angeles has increased 22 percent since the launch date.

About EIF
Samuel Goldwyn founded the Entertainment Industry Foundation in 1942. Then called the Motion Picture Charities Committee, Goldwyn's goal was to create an organization that would conduct a single unified campaign for all of the charitable giving within the industry. Fifty-seven years later, The Entertainment Industry Foundation is still the heart and soul of the industry. It has maintained its historical commitment to coordinate the philanthropy of the entertainment industry to achieve maximum social impact in the community thanks to the generosity of the people who work in the industry. Over the years, The Foundation has distributed more than $140 million raised by industry members to charitable organizations.

About the Hollywood Film Festival
The Hollywood Film Festival, in only its third year, has become one of the most successful celebrations of cinema, honoring leading artists and filmmakers and discovering new talents with its competition program.

About eBay
eBay (www.ebay.com), the world's personal trading community™, pioneered person-to-person online trading. Founded in 1995, eBay has developed an efficient and entertaining trading site on the Web that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. eBay has more than 5.6 million registered users. Currently, there are more than 2.5 million items listed for sale. More than 300,000 items are added daily in more than 1,600 categories, including: antiques; books, movies and music; coins and stamps; collectibles; computers; dolls and figures; jewelry and gemstones; photo and electronics; pottery and glass; sports memorabilia; and toys. eBay is also engaged in the traditional auction business through its subsidiaries, Butterfield & Butterfield and Kruse International.

Forty Years of Barbie® Doll History! Now That's Something to Chat About

eBay Introduces New Barbie™ Bulletin Board

SAN JOSE, Calf. August 10, 1999 — eBay® (NASDAQ: EBAY; www.ebay.com), the world's leading person-to-person online trading community, introduced a new Barbie™ Bulletin Board authorized by Mattel, Inc. Just in time for the 40th anniversary of Barbie, the bulletin board provides a place for Barbie® doll enthusiasts to come together and chat. The Barbie™ Bulletin Board is accessible from eBay's Doll category index page or at http://cgi1.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBoard&name=barbie.

"Collectors from around the world come to eBay to find all types of Barbie® memorabilia, from vintage Ken® dolls to the Millennium Princess™ Barbie. In fact, more than 12,000 Barbie® auctions are happening right now on eBay," said Jill Finlayson, marketing manager for the Dolls, Toys and Bean Bag Plush categories on eBay. "We introduced the Barbie™ Bulletin Board for Barbie® collectors to make pursuing their passion even easier and more fun."

A strong community of doll enthusiasts has flourished on eBay. The new Barbie™ Bulletin Board enables Barbie fans to have their own area for focused discussions on Barbie®. With a knowledgeable community of collectors, those just beginning their collections can now more easily find someone who can answer their questions about both vintage and contemporary Barbie® dolls. The bulletin board also provides Barbie® enthusiasts their own place to share stories about their latest finds, the value of their dolls and their favorite Barbie® collecting experiences.

As a major sponsor, eBay was present at the 1999 National Barbie™ Convention, that took place August 4 - 7, 1999 in Pittsburgh, Penn. Hosted by the Western Pennsylvania Doll Club, the convention attracted approximately 900 attendees (CONFIRM ATTENDANCE).

"We were excited to have eBay at the National Barbie™ Convention, as eBay has proven to be an extraordinary resource for Barbieâ collectors," said Nancy Parsons, chairperson of the National Barbie™ Convention. "eBay is an ideal place for the Barbie® collecting community to come together to not only trade, but meet others with similar interests, chat and see what's new in the world of Barbie®."

eBay user Janice Kadan of Woodbourne, New York has been collecting vintage Barbie® dolls for several years. After a few years of extensively searching garage sales and flea markets for some items missing from her collection, she came across eBay and was able to find exactly what she was searching for.

"My life became so much easier and my Barbie® collection so much larger since I began using eBay," said Janice. "eBay opened up a new world for me. What took me three years to collect, I could have found in one day on eBay. My transactions on eBay have been so successful that I now trade on the site full-time, and I recently bought a new house and car with the help of the profits I made on eBay."

About eBay
eBay (www.ebay.com), the world's personal trading community™, pioneered person-to-person online trading. Founded in 1995, eBay has developed an efficient and entertaining trading site on the Web that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. eBay has more than 5.6 million registered users. Currently, there are more than 2.5 million items listed for sale. More than 300,000 items are added daily in more than 1,600 categories, including: antiques; books, movies and music; coins and stamps; collectibles; computers; dolls and figures; jewelry and gemstones; photo and electronics; pottery and glass; sports memorabilia; and toys. eBay is also engaged in the traditional auction business through its subsidiaries, Butterfield & Butterfield and Kruse International.

BARBIE is a trademark owned by and used under license from Mattel, Inc. © 1999 Mattel, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Wherever You Go, Take "eBay a-go-go"

Now available, pagers that allow eBay users to check their auctions while on-the-go

SAN JOSE, Calif. and JACKSON, Miss., August 16, 1999 — eBay® (NASDAQ: EBAY; www.ebay.com), the world's leading person-to-person online trading community, and SkyTel Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: SKYT; www.skytel.com) announced today the availability of two new eBay-branded pagers from SkyTel featuring "eBay a-go-go™," a new service that allows users to receive updates on their eBay auctions via pagers. "eBay a-go-go" and the eBay pagers can be ordered online at www.skytel.com/ebay, which is also accessible from links and banners on www.ebay.com.

"'eBay a-go-go' allows our community members to receive information on their auctions wherever that person might be," said Brian Swette, senior vice president of marketing at eBay. "Users no longer need to be tied to their computers to find out if they have won that antique vase that would be the perfect addition to their 18th century vase collection."

One of the two new pagers, manufactured by Cirkisys, is offered in the vibrant eBay colors of red, yellow, and blue, features the eBay logo, and is available for $75. The second is a Wordline FLX by Motorola, a black pager that features the eBay logo. Both pagers function as regular SkyTel pagers, and include activation and six months of service (2,000 message units).

"eBay a-go-go" is a service available on the new pagers and can be added to any wireless device capable of receiving text messages and that has an Internet email address. The "eBay a-go-go" service sends alerts to eBay users when they have won an item, been outbid on an auction or sold an item on eBay. Users will also be able to receive broadcast messages from eBay about events and features.

"We are pleased to offer this revolutionary service to the eBay community," said Kerry McKelvey, SkyTel's vice president for marketing. "The eBay pager is the ultimate tool for users who want to stay updated on their auctions while going about their daily lives. eBay users now have the ability to be updated on the status of their auctions while grocery shopping, working or playing golf."

About SkyTel
SkyTel Communications, Inc. is a leader in wireless messaging, serving more than 1.7 million customers. Since 1989, SkyTel has led the industry toward true nationwide messaging through a series of innovations that culminated in SkyTel two-way interactive messaging service. This enables customers to exchange messages with the Internet and other pagers, receive messages via email and the Internet, and send messages to any telephone in the United States. SkyTel is headquartered in Jackson, Miss., and had 1998 revenue of $518 million. On May 28, 1999, SkyTel and MCI WorldCom announced that a definitive agreement to merge the two companies had been signed. The merger is currently awaiting regulatory and shareholder approval.

About eBay
eBay (www.ebay.com), the world's personal trading community™, pioneered person-to-person online trading. Founded in 1995, eBay has developed an efficient and entertaining trading site on the Web that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. eBay has more than 5.6 million registered users. Currently, there are more than 2.5 million items listed for sale. More than 300,000 items are added daily in more than 1,600 categories, including: antiques; books, movies and music; coins and stamps; collectibles; computers; dolls and figures; jewelry and gemstones; photo and electronics; pottery and glass; sports memorabilia; and toys.

eBay Drives Into Automotive Category

New General and Collector Automotive Areas Brought Online with Kruse International

SAN JOSE, Calif. August 20, 1999 — eBay® (NASDAQ: EBAY; www.ebay.com), the world's leading person-to-person online trading community, today announced the launch of a new Automotive category, in conjunction with subsidiary Kruse International, one of the world's most respected organizations in the collector automobile market. The new automotive area features sub-categories for cars, parts, RVs, trucks, motorcycles and introduces "The Showroom," an area dedicated to the collector car enthusiast.

The new automotive area debuts as eBay and Kruse host the 29th annual Auburn Fall Collector Car Auction, which takes place September 1 - 7, 1999 at the Kruse Auction Park in Auburn, Ind. The world's first and largest collector car show and auction, the event will feature more than 5,000 collector cars and motorcycles.

"Cars are bought and sold everyday on eBay and now we have a dedicated area for people who are passionate about collecting cars or are looking for an efficient way to buy or sell a vehicle," said Brian Swette, senior vice president of marketing at eBay. "Whether you're interested in a 1969 Jaguar XKE Roadster or a 1995 Ford Explorer, eBay is now the best place to go online."

eBay's automotive section provides information on how to buy and sell a car online and is designed to be quick, convenient and hassle-free.

The "eBay Showroom" provides an interactive experience for avid collectors who like to spend time browsing and admiring collectible vehicles and rare accessories. The showroom provides online tips on buying and selling collector cars. Special car chats enable users to get advice from experts at Kruse, and bulletin boards help car collectors meet and swap car stories with others. A feedback feature allows users to voice their opinions of the site, and information about upcoming events is available on the automotive calendar.

eBay's automotive area also offers the Gallery, a feature that enables users to browse items up for auction in a series of pictures rather than text; Personal Shopper, which provides customized searches of items up for auction and notifies users via email when items of interest become available; and Featured Auctions, which highlight specific auctions in each category.

Due to the demand by the eBay community to buy and sell automobiles on the site, sellers are now listing vehicles on eBay at a current rate of approximately 1,500 per week or 18,000 per quarter. This represents growth of 40 percent per month since the fourth quarter 1998.

Currently, there are more than 25,000 listings on eBay's automotive area, including:

  • President Lyndon Baines Johnson's personal 1964 Lincoln Continental Convertible, in immaculate condition with less than 2,000 miles on the clock
  • Rare Triumph TR3A with its original car invoice showing it was delivered new in Arlington, Virginia on April the 5th, 1962
  • 1988 Electric Ford EVcort, professionally converted for the U.S. Department of Energy by the SOLEQ Corporation, Chicago, IL
  • 1995 Geo Metro, in tropical green — a perfect commuter car;
  • 1991 Harley-Davidson special construction with 39mm front end, dual disc brakes, all braided line hoses, cherry condition and ready to race
  • New Audi TT Quattro, with only 600 miles and rare blue leather interior

eBay has brought the new automotive area online with the help of Kruse International, who has a passionate collector and dealer customer base of over 400,000.

"eBay and Kruse have created an outstanding Internet experience for anyone interested in buying or selling a vehicle," said Dean Kruse, chief executive officer of Kruse International. "At Kruse we're particularly happy that car enthusiasts now have a place on the Internet where they can experience the excitement of car collector auctions every day of the year."

About eBay
eBay (www.ebay.com), the world's personal trading community™, pioneered person-to-person online trading. Founded in 1995, eBay has developed an efficient and entertaining trading site on the Web that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. eBay has more than 5.6 million registered users. Currently, there are more than 2.6 million items listed for sale. More than 300,000 items are added daily in more than 1,600 categories, including: antiques; books, movies and music; coins and stamps; collectibles; computers; dolls and figures; jewelry and gemstones; photo and electronics; pottery and glass; sports memorabilia; and toys.

eBay and AOL Launch Co-Branded Site

DULLES, VA and SAN JOSE, CA August 31, 1999 — eBay® eBay, Inc. (NYSE: EBAY), the world's largest online person-to-person trading community and America Online, Inc. (NYSE: AOL), the world's leading interactive services community, today announced the launch of the eBay and America Online co-branded site. The new area is designed to provide AOL members unequaled access to eBay's popular commerce and community site presented in a familiar AOL format.

The co-branded eBay site, which will be available to AOL members beginning today, August 31, will be prominently promoted across several AOL Channels and make it easier than ever for AOL members to find their way to eBay. The co-branded site will welcome AOL members to eBay's dynamic marketplace, while maintaining AOL's familiar context and navigation. The launch marks the latest in a series of joint efforts between the two companies that dates back to December 1997.

"The co-branded site will make access to eBay much easier for AOL's more than 18 million members," said Steve Westly, eBay's vice president of marketing and business development. "Together, AOL and eBay will make it easier than ever for AOL members to experience first-hand the thrill and excitement of person-to-person trading, with the familiar look and feel of AOL."

"We're delighted to launch this new site with eBay," said Jonathan Sacks, AOL's Senior Vice President and General Manager. "The new co-branded AOL/eBay site will enhance the AOL member experience by offering easier access to the world's leading person-to-person online trading community and offering AOL members a great reason to join the fun and adventure that eBay offers."

About eBay
eBay (
www.ebay.com), the world's personal trading community™, pioneered person-to-person online trading. Founded in 1995, eBay has developed an efficient and entertaining trading site on the Web that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. eBay has more than 5.6 million registered users. Currently, there are more than 2.6 million items listed for sale. More than 300,000 items are added daily in more than 1,600 categories, including: antiques; books, movies and music; coins and stamps; collectibles; computers; dolls and figures; jewelry and gemstones; photo and electronics; pottery and glass; sports memorabilia; and toys.

About AOL
Founded in 1985, America Online, Inc., based in Dulles, Virginia, is the world's leader in interactive services, Web brands, Internet technologies, and e-commerce services. America Online, Inc. operates: two worldwide Internet services, America Online, with more than 18 million members, and CompuServe, with approximately 2 million members; several leading Internet brands including ICQ, AOL Instant Messenger and Digital City, Inc.; the Netscape Netcenter and AOL.COM portals; the Netscape Navigator and Communicator browsers; AOL MovieFone, the nation's # 1 movie listing guide and ticketing service; and Spinner Networks and NullSoft, Inc., leaders in Internet music. Through its strategic alliance with Sun Microsystems, the Company develops and offers easy-to-deploy, end-to-end e-commerce and enterprise solutions for companies operating in the Net Economy.


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