history
In 1995 eBay's founder sold one odd item for $14.83 and even emailed the buyer to make sure they realized it didn't work.
The very first item ever sold on eBay, back in 1995, was a broken laser pointer, which sold for $14.83. The platform's founder was reportedly so surprised anyone would buy a laser pointer listed as broken that he contacted the winning bidder directly to make sure they understood the item did not work.
A used car or a comic book might seem like more plausible early sale items given how common both later became on the platform, but neither was the actual first item sold, that distinction belongs to the broken laser pointer, an odd, unglamorous piece of internet history.
The buyer's reply has become a small piece of internet folklore in its own right, they reportedly told the founder that they collected broken laser pointers specifically, turning what looked like an absurd sale into an early, charming glimpse of just how varied and niche online marketplace interests could become.
history
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