Resales of the Century

By Cory Schneider

Ah, eBay.Where else can even the most casual of shoppers find obscure childhood toys of yore, first editions of Dickens classics and acid-washed–denim throwbacks all in one place?

To some, the prospect of such a vast emporium is daunting, but for the initiated, eBay trumps any mall or outlet center out there. When it began 10 years ago as AuctionWeb, the soon-to-be phenomenon was simply a forum for trading Pez dispensers over the Internet. Now, more than $1,300 worth of goods is traded every second and more than 16 million bids are placed each day. So how is St. Louis contributing?

WE FOUND:
-8,707 items with “St. Louis” in their descriptions
-3,485 items with “St. Louis Cardinals” in their descriptions
-36 items with “Gateway Arch” in their descriptions
-690 sellers in a St. Louis–area member group

And that’s only what’s being done from home. Rick Holton, president of the Selling Block, a local eBay-consignment store, sold more than 7,000 items for St. Louisans last year. He has sold items for as much as $15,000, but most enjoys spinning treasure from trash; he once took an antique vase a client bought for $5 and sold it for $6,500. And then there are those interesting sales requests: He’s been approached by individuals looking to sell a riverboat, some property in Florida and a goldmine in Wyoming. You won’t find those in any outlet mall.

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