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eBay started by selling a broken laser pointer | Looking Back
Posted
September 3, 2025
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September 3, 2025
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1:43Now PlayingOn Sept. 3, 1995, Pierre Omidyar launched a website called AuctionWeb by selling a broken laser pointer for $14.83. What began as a hobby quickly evolved into a business, later formalized under the name Echo Bay Technology Group. Romaine Bostick explains how the company grew from that first quirky sale to more than $2 billion in gross merchandise volume, with today’s total nearing $80 billion.
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