View our archived report here: 2020 Recommerce Report
Recommerce
eBay pioneered recommerce, the buying and selling of pre‑owned goods.
Recommerce enables pathways for people to maintain their livelihoods and pursue entrepreneurship; allows products to take on a new life by keeping them out of landfills; and inspires passions and fuels hobbies.
Key Report Findings
eBay’s Recommerce Report surveyed nearly 4,500 people in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Germany, France, Italy and Australia.
The 2021 study showed sellers and buyers are embracing recommerce worldwide — with Generation Z driving the demand.
of eBay buyers cited the circular economy as their top reason for buying pre-owned
in collectibles were sold on eBay in the first half of 2021 alone
of sellers who started in the past year identified as Gen Z — the largest of any generation
of sellers named sustainability as a major reason for engaging in recommerce
of survey respondents have sold authenticated products on eBay
of sellers surveyed believe buying pre-owned has become more common in the past year
Economic and Environmental Benefits
Recommerce can be a potential source of income, with the added benefit of contributing to a healthier planet.
I deep clean them and restore them to their original form, making sure each shoe is in the best condition and looking as new as possible. [Aiming to please customers while making a profit] has always been my mission.
Seller Spotlight Pre-loved Sneaker Sales Make a Profit
Tamara Baker’s lifelong journey toward entrepreneurship began with her first pair of sneakers when she was just three years old. “It was about the smell of them, the feel of them, the culture and just everything,” Tamara said, who is now a successful seller based out of Greenville, South Carolina.
I deep clean them and restore them to their original form, making sure each shoe is in the best condition and looking as new as possible. [Aiming to please customers while making a profit] has always been my mission.
Growing up, her mom promised Tamara a new pair of sneakers as an incentive for good grades. “By the time I was in the fourth grade, I had more sneakers than anyone in my family, I had sneakers in every room of the house,” she said with a laugh. Then in 2013, looking for ways to make money during college she had an idea. Scanning her vast collection, she carefully selected 10 pairs, snapped photos and uploaded them to her brand new eBay store, Sneaker Solecial.
Her first sale was the next day and now sells 80 to 100 pairs a week. Since 80 percent of her sneakers are pre-owned, she carefully spruces up each pair, scraping pebbles out of soles, cleaning laces, using what she calls her “sole sauce” to brighten up colors and surfaces.
Tamara has since returned to school, earning an associate degree and bachelor’s degree in business, an MBA, and is currently working on a Ph.D. in higher education with a concentration in leadership. Read more about Tamara.
There’s an endless cycle of buying new because people aren’t making clothes that last anymore. But I’m not scared of wearing and washing my vintage finds because they’re high quality, and I value the benefits of reusing something rather than letting it go to waste.
Buyer Spotlight Collecting Vintage Shirts Has an Added Environmental Benefit
Matt West’s passion for collecting started in 2016 when a friend took him thrifting and showed him a vintage wrestling shirt. He’s been hooked ever since.
There’s an endless cycle of buying new because people aren’t making clothes that last anymore. But I’m not scared of wearing and washing my vintage finds because they’re high quality, and I value the benefits of reusing something rather than letting it go to waste.
The U.K. photographer and guitarist for the band Neck Deep has gone on to buy over 170 vintage shirts.
Initially, Matt wanted to buy a different shirt to wear everyday on the Warped Tour in 2017. Now he specializes in collecting vintage wrestling shirts from 1999 to 2001. But he wasn’t always such a niche collector. Some of his favorite shirts are bowling bowlarama from a team called Two Cool. And his favorite find to date is a Steve Austin shirt. He also collects sneakers, posters, prints, camera lenses and tripods.
Every day, Matt searches eBay for new purchases and considers collecting a long-term hobby. He particularly enjoys the marketplace’s fair pricing, great customer service and the protection provided for his purchases. He says the added benefit of buying secondhand is keeping unused items out of landfills and it offsets the negative impact of fast fashion.
A Look at Who is Buying Pre-Owned Goods
New younger generations of sellers and buyers are embracing recommerce. Led by Gen Z, they are increasing demand for pre-loved products faster than new.
Feel Good Purchases
Consumers from around the world are more carefully considering the implications of what they buy, where they buy and who they buy from.
Recommerce is a way to be part of something bigger than ourselves. We feel that teaching other resellers how to improve their approach will ultimately improve the platform for everyone, and it creates a stronger community.
Seller Spotlight Selling Secondhand is a Way to be Part of Something Bigger
Katy Zilverberg (left) and Vikki Eagan met and fell in love through the magic of eBay but their paths to entrepreneurship were very different.
Recommerce is a way to be part of something bigger than ourselves. We feel that teaching other resellers how to improve their approach will ultimately improve the platform for everyone, and it creates a stronger community.
Vikki was an eBay pioneer in 1998 when she started selling antiques and collectibles in New England. She was motivated to sell old items such as love letters from World War II that others might have thrown away. When she moved to Las Vegas, where there are less available antiques, she pivoted to selling pre-owned, vintage clothing and shoes for men and women. Vikki has sold over 50,000 items to date and appreciates the quality older clothing provides. She also appreciates the extra benefit of saving those pieces from going to the landfill.
Katy, on the other hand, didn’t start selling men’s vintage clothing full-time on eBay until 2016 after pivoting from a career in movie sales. The move came naturally to Katy, who grew up thrifting in the Pacific Northwest, and learned the importance of sustainability early on. It’s why she takes special care of each item she sells, enjoying each step of the process, from finding unique pieces then taking photographs of them for her store so that buyers get a good sense of what they’re purchasing.
While Katy and Vikki are motivated to participate in recommerce for different reasons, one thing remains the same – they both highly value the community that comes with being an eBay seller. Both feel strongly about giving back, and give advice and recommendations to other eBay sellers, believing paying it forward is the way to succeed.
