eBay

The Family First site has been around, in one form or another, since 1995. One of the first sites we featured has been around almost as long. That site has gone on to redefine the way that business is conducted on the Internet, and has become a buzz word for any sort of online sales activity. I have personally used that site since 1996 (when Pierre would still answer his own emails), just after it started, and I still use it today.

The site is called eBay. It is the premier online web-based auction site, which is what it first was when it was created. It had growing pains, but it adapted, improvised, and overcame all of them to be an icon in the Internet industry. eBay got it’s start when someone wanted to help his wife with her Pez dispenser collection. He felt that the Internet would be a great place for a flea market-type of business where everyone could buy and sell, and one’s reputation was based on the feedback they received from others they bought from and sold to. It is, to a certain extent, still that way. But with growth, they have become such a huge business that it is more than an online flea market. You can buy cars, land, houses, just about anything you want, and in just about any color.
eBay is a one of the true success stories in the dot com business world. From small beginnings to the success it has had, it is truly an American success story. One bit of trivia that not many people know about is the origin of the name. The name eBay stands for East Bay, a subdivision of San Francisco. It is one of the little known facts about this most interesting company.

http://www.ebay.com/