EBay : Authentication for Handbags

Last week we launched Authentication for handbags $500+, showing continued momentum in categories that drive engaged buyers. Bags from prominent brands like Gucci, Chanel and Louis Vuitton will be vetted and verified by a team of professionally trained authenticators. This news comes on the heels of Authenticity Guarantee for luxury watches and collectible sneakers; all part of our journey to continuously improve the buying - and selling - experience, category by category.

When Authenticity Guarantee was introduced, it was with the goal of tackling a marketplace buyer and seller essential: trust. In less than a year, hundreds of thousands of sought-out sneakers have been authenticated, and buyer satisfaction in this space - as well as in luxury watches - has soared. Customers are telling us that they love the new experience and we're seeing the satisfaction feedback and sales growth to back that up.

Why another category, why now - and why handbags?

• This is about us transforming the luxury experience on eBay by spotlighting enthusiast collectible categories; by adding luxury handbags to the $100+ sneakers and $2,000+ watches authentication 'club,' eBay now offers item verification in three of its highest-performing categories.
• The move further solidifies our marketplace as a top destination for buying and selling high-passion, high-value and hard-to-find items. Already we've seen a significant increase in sales compared to last year, and on average a handbag is bought on eBay every 12 seconds.
• We're proving our strategy of a scalable tech platform: In the last nine months we've added three categories (watches, sneakers, handbags) AND expanded Authenticity Guarantee to three countries (U.S., UK and Canada). This is an average of one category or country expansion every six week - truly amazing.

Seriously, this would have been unthinkable a year ago, but here we are. You can read the announcement detailshere. And from business to fashion press we're getting noticed, withElle,WWD,Luxury Dailyand more covering the launch news - even a mention onGood Morning America. Consumers and industry influencers alike are praising how we're establishing eBay as a place where shoppers can find and sell coveted items, and feel confident about every transaction.

As of right now, there are more than 1.7B items listed on eBay. With that volume there's little doubt that we hold something that everyone is passionate about. This is still the beginning of our journey - I'm grateful for your trust in these exciting times.

As always, thank you for selling on eBay.

Jordan Sweetnam