E-Commerce

eBay Beats Expectations in Q3 2026 as Secondhand Sales and Collectibles Drive Growth

Abdulrahim Mughal October 30, 2026 · 5 min read

eBay has beaten market expectations in the third quarter of 2026, helped by strong demand for secondhand goods, collectibles and everyday selling between ordinary people. The online marketplace reported its results on 28 October for the three months to 30 September, and then raised its outlook for the full year.

The headline numbers were clear. Sales on the platform, known as gross merchandise volume, reached $23.2 billion, up 15% on a year earlier. eBay's own revenue rose 14% to $3.21 billion. Adjusted profit per share was $1.51, above the $1.41 analysts had expected. Revenue also beat the expected figure of about $3.12 billion.

Growth in the United States led the way

The United States was the strongest market. Sales in the US rose 27% to $12.55 billion, while sales outside the US grew 4% to $10.62 billion. On a currency-neutral basis, which removes the effect of exchange-rate moves, total sales grew by almost 16%.

eBay counted 147 million active buyers, up 10% on a year earlier. That total includes Depop, the fashion resale app eBay bought earlier in the year. Without Depop and the smaller app Tise, active buyers totalled 136 million.

Chief executive Jamie Iannone said the company's focus categories, its consumer-to-consumer marketplace and its leadership in recommerce were driving strong, sustained growth. In plain terms, more people are buying and selling used and refurbished goods, and eBay is making that trade easier.

Collectibles, cars, fashion and refurbished goods

Sales in eBay's focus categories grew 24% on a currency-neutral basis. Collectibles, eBay Motors, fashion and refurbished items all contributed. Together, focus categories, consumer-to-consumer sales and recommerce made up about 72% of sales, excluding Depop, and grew by around 20%.

Advertising also helped. First-party advertising products, which let sellers promote their listings, brought in $575 million, up 16%. Total advertising revenue reached $607 million, compared with $525 million a year earlier.

Trading cards pass a major milestone

Collectibles were one of the brightest parts of the report. TCGplayer, eBay's marketplace for trading card games, passed $1 billion in sales over the past 12 months for the first time. Goldin, the auction house for high-end collectibles, recorded another record quarter.

eBay also expanded its Authenticity Guarantee, under which an expert checks an item before it is sent to the buyer. It now covers eligible collectible coins in the United States, and eBay lowered the price thresholds for trading card checks in the United States and the United Kingdom, so more cards qualify.

Live shopping is growing fast too. eBay Live recorded another record quarter, with sales growth well into triple digits, and the company said it is now running at a multibillion-dollar annual rate.

Depop's first quarter inside eBay

The quarter was the first to fully include Depop after eBay completed its purchase on 30 July. On a pro forma basis, which compares like with like, Depop's sales, monthly active users and items sold in the United States more than doubled on a year earlier.

Depop added nearly three percentage points to eBay's total currency-neutral sales growth, and management expects about four points in the final quarter. Secondhand fashion is a growing part of eBay's audience.

Not everything moved in the same direction

The report was not all good news. On a GAAP basis, which follows strict accounting rules, net income from continuing operations was $501 million. Sales and marketing spending rose 23% to $747 million, faster than revenue, as eBay invested more in Depop and other priorities.

Growth without new purchases also slowed a little. Organic sales growth was 13% on a currency-neutral basis, compared with 14% in the previous quarter. Part of the headline jump therefore came from new businesses, not only from the older marketplace.

What eBay expects for the holiday quarter

For the fourth quarter, which includes the busy holiday shopping season, eBay expects revenue of $3.19 billion to $3.24 billion and sales of $23.7 billion to $24.1 billion. Adjusted profit per share is expected to be between $1.48 and $1.53, above the $1.42 analysts had expected.

For the full year, eBay now expects revenue of $12.62 billion to $12.67 billion and sales of $91.5 billion to $91.9 billion. Its full-year adjusted profit outlook of $6.25 to $6.30 per share is also above the previous market consensus of about $5.89.

That outlook will be watched closely, as the final quarter covers the busy holiday shopping season.

What it means for buyers and sellers

For buyers, the results point to a wider choice of used, refurbished and collectible items, with more checks for higher-value purchases. For sellers, the growth in trade between ordinary people and in live shopping offers more ways to reach buyers.

Competition remains tough, and marketing costs are rising. But eBay's latest quarter shows a marketplace growing again, with secondhand trade at the centre of that growth.