Sotheby's and eBay Form Online Alliance

Sotheby's, the world's fine arts auctioneer, and eBay, the online auction marketplace, have joined forces forming a strategic online alliance that will be unveiled this summer, offering Web shoppers Sotheby's fine and decorative art, antiques, rare books and jewelry. The new Sothebys.com site will be hosted by eBay, while Sotheby's will adopt eBay's live auctions technology, enabling real-time online bidding for a significant number of Sotheby's traditional auctions held in New York and London. Both companies will market Sotheby's.com across both online and traditional media.
“This alliance with the most successful online marketplace in the world combines eBay's powerful technology platform and global following of 42 million registered users with Sotheby's unmatched auction expertise and experience. It represents the next phase in Sotheby's online auction business,” says Bill Ruprecht, Sotheby's CEO.

Source: International Jeweler Magazine
April-May 2002 issue