"The Sacramento Bee"   September 16, 2006

Editor's note: Wheels and the Web periodically looks at automotive internet sites geared to a wide range of enthusiasts, from highly trained auto technicians to first-time vehicle buyers.

Yes, you can sell that pristine 1964 baseball card of Willie Mays on eBay ... dito the Mickey Mouse-emblazoned tea set you bought at Disneyland when Richard Nixon was president.

But how about a car?

Actually, millions of people have done just that via eBay Motors - www.motors.ebay.com - the car-selling arm of the San Jose-based online marketplace. The Web giant's automotive segment has been in business since 2000, and now claims a car transaction every minute and 10 million site visitors nationwide every month.

Officials of eBay Motors are understandably proud of the numbers, given the multiple layers of fierce competition from newspaper classifieds, gigantic online auto buying/selling sites and Web sites operated by automobile dealers from coast to coast.

From the beginning, eBay Motors has been tracking numbers for specific markets. The Sacramento metropolitan area is no exception.

Since 2000, for example, eBay Motors has determined:

• The top-selling model in the Sacramento area is the Ford Mustang.
• The top-selling make is Chevrolet.
• The top-selling exterior color is white, a deviation from the national trend of silver.

Also, just to drive home the fact that it has been paying attention, eBay Motors noted that 322 airplanes have been sold on the site in the Sacramento area since 2000.

"Actually, selling an airplane is not that much different from selling a car. The listing rules are very parallel," said Barbara Terry, whose job title is literally eBay Motors auto expert. "We strive for simplicity ... making the transaction process as easy as possible."

That process is similar to the main eBay site. On eBay Motors, the basic fees are $40 to list the vehicle and an additional $50 one the first bid is received on it. The respective fees are $30 and $40 for motorcycles.

And from there, there are numerous cost variables, ranging from listing type styles to selling a vehicle on "reserve" - where you specify a minimum price.

Terry explained that seller basics include listing the nuts-and-bolts facts about a vehicle, including the all-important vehicle identification number and submitting at least a half-dozen photos of the auto from various angles, inside and out.

Terry also had tips for prospective car buyers, including contacting the seller directly with a specific bid that just might close the deal.

"It can take as little as under five minutes for a transaction; it's very minimal," Terry said. "It's less time consuming than other sites."

While buting and selling can be minimal, the site itself has scores of layers to aid consumers, everything from financing options to vehicle history/inspection reports.

And while motor vehicles are among the site's big-ticket items, auto parts and accessories make up an enormous segment of eBay Motors transactions. Site operators brag that a part or accessory item sells every two seconds, on average.

"The parts sold cover everything, and it's much quicker than some of the old ways of searching for parts," Terry explained. "You can ask, 'Where can I find disc brakes for my '68 Camaro?' and get the answer right away."

Motor vehicles going through the eBay Motors site go beyond the mainstream. Terry said she has seen Bentley Arnage models listed in the past. That super-high-end luxury sedan can go for more than $200,000 for a used model.

The Bee's Mark Glover can be reached at (916) 321-1184 or mglover@sacbee.com

- By Mark Glover

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