Trade Me to hit its billionth listing

Media Release

24 November 2015

Trade Me to hit its billionth listing

Trade Me will soon celebrate its billionth listing for sale, almost 17 years after the business was created.

Trade Me CEO Jon Macdonald said the milestone listing is anticipated to arrive in early December.

“We’ve seen our fair share of quirky, crazy and wonderful listings that have brought us this far, and we marvel every day at the eclectic range of things our members punt up for sale. The team here are pretty excited to reach a billion listings and we have a couple of things planned to help mark the occasion.”

Mr Macdonald said that Trade Me members can bid for the opportunity to be the seller of the billionth listing, with the funds raised being donated to charity. “We’re also running a competition to guess when people reckon the billionth listing will land. We’re currently around listing 987 million, so we’re anticipating the odometer will tick over in the next couple of weeks.”

Trade Me was founded in 1999 by Sam Morgan, who currently serves on Trade Me’s board of directors.

Fun Trade Me facts:

o Most-viewed listings:

1. Tana Umaga handbag and cellphone (2006, 1m+ views)

2. HP Possessed Printer (2013, 800k views)

3. Scary Washing Machine (2009, 800k views)

o Most-asked questions (popular listings)

1. Buy a tractor and get a 20 acre farm for free (2009, 2224 questions)

2. Scary washing machine (2009, 2101 questions)

3. Two captured ghosts (2010, 1707 questions)

o Firsts

First official live listing: Sam Morgan’s 21” AKAI-brand TV. Bidding started at $200.

First on Trade Me Motors: Subaru Impreza Sedan 1992 (2003)

First residential property on Trade Me Property: A house worth $250k in Mission Bay (2005)

First job on Trade Me Jobs: Earthmoving mechanic in East Tamaki (2006)o Millionth milestones

Millionth bid placed according to our records: 5 Feb 2005 on a replica Air Force jump smock

Millionth member: Sue from Napier (who hasn’t logged in since joining) on 19 April 2005

Millionth question placed according to our records: 25 April 2005 on a bed frame and trundler

o Our members

Top overall names

Male: John, David, and James

Female: Sarah, Lisa, and Michelle

The top three surnames are Smith, Williams, Brown

Most common birth year is 1980, there is a higher number of males than females

An average Trade Me user: a 35-year-old named John or Sarah Smith from Auckland that talks more about others than themselves (“You” used twice as much as “me” or “my” on the message boards).

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