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	Press Releases for October 2004

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eBay.ca has Holiday Shopping in "The Bags" - October 20, 2004

As Canada's official shopaholics, consumer shopping experts, and hosts of the television series The Shopping Bags on the W Network, Kristina Matisic and Anna Wallner spend their days researching products, and offering consumers inside tips and information on how to buy practically everything. "The Bags" (yes it's okay to call them that) agree that when it comes to selection, convenience and fun, eBay.ca is a must-do stop on one's holiday shopping trip.

"Holiday shopping becomes a treasure hunt when you use eBay to check off a holiday list," says Kristina. "Yes, there are great deals, but that's only a part of it. We find the search and the bidding process fun too, especially when you win an item - that definitely adds an element of excitement to the whole shopping experience!"

"We recommend integrating the web as a complement to traditional mall shopping," says Anna. "It is an important part of the shopping experience for any smart consumer. We often use it to compare prices, personalize gifts, and locate items that often can be difficult to find anywhere else. It's like a world of stores. It's perfect for holiday shopping and checking off that gift list without ever having to leave the house."

There's no better time than the holidays to take advantage of eBay's selection, convenience and depth of product selection. With more than 29 million items across more than 50,000 categories - from new and au courant fashions and accessories, to brand name electronics, furniture and finishing touches for the home up for grabs - there's always plenty to choose from. And, for convenience, it can't be beaten - online shopping is easy on the schedule; eBay is open 24 hours a day, seven days week, with no parking hassles.

"Each year, more Canadians are using eBay as a great alternative for their holiday shopping," says Daryl Aitken, Head of Marketing, eBay Canada. "This year, we're thrilled to have Anna and Kristina among the millions of Canadian eBay enthusiasts who are using eBay to buy gifts that are special, unique, and even personalized."

For people who believe in making each gift as special as the person they're giving to, eBay Canada offers great options to personalize items. Helpful tools allow for specific searches based on preferences and personalities, and the array of unique items on the site guarantees that gifts can be found to fit any hobby or passion, from coin collecting to fly fishing to finding that first edition of a favourite book. In addition, a number of eBay sellers offer monograms, initials and engraving if the gift is intended to be personalized, literally.

It's better to give than to receive

T'is the season to indulge! For shoppers with the urge to splurge, eBay Canada offers the following seasonal suggestions:

• Twinkle lights on frosted window panes can mean only one thing - it's party season, making it likely that we'll soon be in need of thoughtful host/hostess gifts. Inexpensive but luxurious goodies for the home like perfumed guest soaps, milled and imported from France, don't necessarily cost a lot, but will surely impress!

  Check out hundreds of listings on eBay for imported soaps including authentic Marseille soap, made in the city of Marseille, France, according to the edict set forth by King Louis XIV, Edit du Roi!

• Whether you're young, or just young at heart, finding the hottest toys of the season can sometimes be mission impossible. Before spending fruitless hours in line, spend five minutes online, and have this year's "it" toy shipped directly to your doorstep.

  Browse, bid and buy more than 37,000 listings for toys on eBay.ca including: 900 listings for Mighty Beanz, 10,000 for Yu-Gi-Oh! and more than 25,000 listings for all things Barbie.

• From laptops to iPods and everything in between, there are thousands of new and brand-name consumer electronics items to suit every function and fancy.

  At last count, over 9,000 MP3 players including the new mini Apple iPod in all 4 colours were available for sale on eBay.ca.

• From ponchos to purses, to sweaters and shoes, every fashionista needs the latest accessory, and those in the know, know eBay.ca is the place to get it. Louis, Kate, Calvin, Armani and more, eBay.ca sellers have designer names and brands all sewn up.

  Found on eBay.ca - a limited edition (almost impossible to find!) Theda PM bag, adorned in Swarovski crystals, designed for Louis Vuitton by Marc Jacobs.

• No one deserves a dose of holiday pampering like mom, so why not surprise her with a gift that sparkles? If diamonds are a girl's best friend, then so is eBay, with more ice than the North Pole and plenty of ways to get it.

  A diamond ring sells every 6 minutes on eBay?Fortunately there are plenty to go around! In fact, eBay.ca dazzles with more than 85,000 different listings from around the world for jewellery, including brooches, bracelets, earrings and more, in every size, shape and colour.

• Bosses, colleagues, employees? Gifting at the workplace is often fraught with anxiety. The eBay Gift Certificate is guaranteed to be the perfect size and style and can be used as payment towards any item found on eBay.

Running out of time?

eBay makes the experience of shopping online easy by placing millions of gift ideas in easy-to-search categories. Instead of fighting over the last parking space in the lot, eBay shoppers can spend their time bidding on the item of choice or, if they prefer more instant gratification, can utilize the Buy It Now feature and end the auction by paying the seller's fixed price, ensuring the buyer gets the gift they want in time for the holidays.

About The Shopping Bags

Anna and Kristina are executive producers and hosts of The Shopping Bags, an award-winning shopping show that airs on the W Network. Catch all-new episodes on Monday nights (log on to www.theshoppingbags.com to check show times by time zone).

About eBay Canada

eBay is the World's Online Marketplace®. Founded in 1995, eBay created a powerful platform for the sale of goods and services by a passionate community of individuals and businesses. On any given day, there are millions of items across thousands of categories for sale on eBay. eBay enables trade on a local, national and international basis with customized sites in markets around the world. Through an array of services, such as its payment solution provider PayPal, eBay is enabling global e-commerce for an ever-growing online community. In Canada, eBay was visited by more than 8.4 million Canadians in August, 2004.