The first item sold on eBay was a broken laser pointer in 1995, but the platform has grown into a vast bazaar, with sales growing by 17% year on year, the fastest rate since 2012.
eBay's comeback started with new management, led by Jamie Iannone, who focused on the platform's 'heritage' of used, refurbished, and out-of-season goods.
Improvements include authenticating valuable goods, offering warranties on refurbished items, and making buying and selling easier with international shipping services and AI-powered listing tools.
eBay has also trimmed costs, laying off 800 staff, and benefited from external factors such as the boom in the trading-card market and demand for second-hand clothing.
GameStop, a video-game retailer, is now said to be plotting a takeover, but such a deal would be difficult to pull off due to eBay's higher valuation and the need for piles of debt.
