15 Oct eBay To Authenticate Sneakers $100+ In U.S.
eBay announced the expansion of its Authenticity Guarantee service for sneaker sales on its platform. Through this program, all new and pre-owned collectible sneakers sold on eBay for over $100 in the U.S. will be fully vetted and verified by an independent team of industry experts.
The service launches this month with authentication of the most popular sneakers and brands and will ramp up to include $100 or more sneaker sales by early 2021. eBay has partnered with SneakerCon to open the authentication center that will be staffed with “an independent team of experts,” according to a press release issued by eBay.
This marks the company’s second authentication announcement. In September, eBay first launched Authenticity Guarantee for every watch sold over $2,000 in the U.S. The announcement also builds on eBay’s canceling selling fees on any sneaker purchase of $100 or more, which has attracted more top sneaker sellers and has brought some of the most coveted inventory to the marketplace at competitive prices.
“Authentication has become an expectation for today’s consumers in categories of high passion and high value, and this program makes eBay the most attractive platform for enthusiasts in these categories,” said Jordan Sweetnam, SVP and GM, eBay NA. “eBay operates the world’s most diverse sneaker marketplace – with the widest selection and best prices – and by removing any uncertainty with the buying process, our community can buy and sell with total confidence.”
eBay Sneakers By The Numbers
- On average, there are more than half a million sneaker listings on eBay each day;
- Sneakers are surging in popularity worldwide and a top enthusiast category in the marketplace;
- In 2019, eBay sold nearly six million sneakers in North America; and
- eBay sells millions of sneakers a year, making the marketplace one of the largest channels to buy and sell sneakers.