21 for ‘21: The eBay Listings That Went Viral This Year

As the year comes to a close, I look forward to our tradition of sharing a retrospective of the most interesting sales across our marketplace. 2021 was a year in which shoppers got creative amidst scarcity and shipping challenges, and there were certainly no shortages when it came to a list of interesting items. eBay reflects the cultural zeitgeist, and what's trending out in the world almost always translates to activity on our site.

This year's list is nothing short of remarkable. We saw a collectible crochet congressman raise $40,000 for Meals on Wheels, the Queen of England's gaming console fetch $300,000 and a pair of Michael Jordan autographed kicks listed for $250,000. These "best of" listings provide a moment-in-time snapshot of eBay's extraordinary inventory - from retro to right now, from analog to innovative.

We've added a twist on the format, plotting the noteworthy purchase into a matrix. As you can imagine, narrowing it down was quite the challenge - but it's so much fun, and exactly what makes eBay so incredibly unique.

It's not about just the most expensive items or the latest and greatest gadgets; instead, we highlighted rare, vintage, collectible, eccentric and always incredible items. Our selection for enthusiasts in every category is what makes the marketplace truly special for shoppers and sellers. It also reiterates, time and again, that eBay is the home to the hard-to-find and one-of-a-kind.

Happy holidays,

Jordan Sweetnam