Chicago Tops eBay Sports Sellers

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is known for more than just its hot beaches: It’s also one of the hottest locations for Americans selling goods on eBay . The fun-in-the-sun vacation destination is a top-10 selling market for the online retailer, with residents there generating over $630 million in gross merchandise volume (GMV) or sales last year, according to a study of eBay marketplace activity across the United States.

Busy eBay sellers in Los Angeles; New York; Chicago; Philadelphia; Dallas; Orange County, California; Washington, D.C.; Houston; Nassau–Suffolk, New York; and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, helped their markets become the top-10 eBay selling markets in the country, with Los Angeles leading the charge. In total, sellers in these 10 markets generated over $7 billion in GMV in 2007, accounting for 55 percent of all sales by U.S.-based eBay sellers.

“eBay is great for the economy because it gives sellers a platform for pursuing entrepreneurialism on a global scale, with nearly 1.2 million individuals selling on eBay in the top 10 markets alone last year,” says Marsha Collier, eBay selling expert and author of the book “eBay for Dummies.”

“Additionally, a recent eBay/Nielsen survey discovered that the average U.S. household has 52 unused items around the house originally worth $3,100, meaning almost everyone can find existing unused items they can sell to generate additional income.”

According to a survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of eBay, Americans are cutting back on spending in general, most notably in these categories: apparel (52 percent); consumer electronics and appliances (46 percent); automobiles and automotive care (45 percent); and furniture and home decor (38 percent), all of which map back to the best-selling categories for entrepreneurs in eBay’s top-10 selling markets. These results speak to the profound impact eBay sellers can have on Americans’ wallets during these challenging economic times. In fact 42 percent of U.S. adults are currently turning to sites like eBay to save money on purchases.

“Our research has shown that the local business climate is one key factor in fostering entrepreneurs,” says Todd Stottlemyer, president and CEO of the National Federation of Independent Business, America’s leading small-business association. “eBay clearly offers everyone additional opportunities to start, grow and maintain a business, whether they’re looking to market globally or simply to earn additional income in the current economic climate.”

Here is a snapshot of the top-10 eBay selling markets last year by rank:

1. Los Angeles–Long Beach, California – 196,089 Los Angeles residents sold 24,051,645 items for a total of $1,396,037,518. Best-selling categories for Los Angeles sellers were cell phones and their accessories as well as clothing and accessories. Los Angeles sellers were also the most charitable eBay sellers last year, donating the most of any city via eBay Giving Works, eBay's program that helps people buy and sell for a cause, turning e-commerce into a force for good.

2. New York – 158,859 New York City residents sold 12,621,651 items for a total of $1,045,503,913. Best-selling categories for New York sellers were jewelry, gems, watches and clothing and accessories.

3. Chicago – 172,972 Chicago residents sold 10,229,844 items for a total of $908,708,440. Best-selling categories for Chicago sellers included toys and sports memorabilia.

4. Philadelphia – 120,900 Philadelphia residents sold 7,069,212 items for a total of $584,383,915. Best-selling categories for Philadelphia sellers included collectibles and toys.

5. Dallas – 85,484 Dallas residents sold 5,003,292 items for a total of $754,493,210. Best-selling categories for Dallas sellers included jewelry, gems and watches, and clothing and accessories. Dallas sellers also made more money on sales of cars and trucks than did sellers in any other top-10 U.S. seller market.

6. Orange County, California – 75,486 Orange County residents sold 6,945,490 items for a total of $636,654,084. Best-selling categories for Orange County sellers were auto parts and cell phones and accessories.

7. Washington, D.C. – 112,462 D.C. residents sold 5,024,888 items for a total of $393,720,726. Best-selling categories for D.C. sellers included books and toys.

8. Houston – 76,450 Houston residents sold 4,297,389 items for a total of $528,872,858. Best-selling categories for Houston sellers included health and beauty and collectibles.

9. Nassau–Suffolk, New York – 70,714 Nassau–Suffolk residents sold 5,396,880 for a total of $400,253,200. Sports memorabilia and health and beauty were best-selling categories here.

10. Fort Lauderdale, Florida – 39,623 Fort Lauderdale residents sold 2,838,954 items for a total of $631,845,063. Best-selling categories for Fort Lauderdale sellers included home furnishings and auto parts.

The eBay survey by Harris Interactive also found that one in 10 U.S. adults (11 percent) is currently selling personal or household items to generate extra cash, with the majority (59 percent) doing so via online sales or auction sites like eBay. Additionally, 30 percent of all adults say they are likely to sell their personal or household items over the next three months to earn extra cash.

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