One of the more interesting parts of the deal is that eBay is going to divest 100% of GSI’s licensed sports merchandise business, and 70% of ShopRunner (an AmazonPrime style program where customers can pay an annual fee for free 2-day shipping at various merchants) and sample sale site RueLaLa.

Those companies will be sold to a holding company led by GSI founder and CEO Michael Rubin, and eBay will loan the holding company $467 million while Rubin puts in $31 million of his own.

That leaves GSI’s e-commerce technology, fulfillment services, SmartBargains.com and a number of marketing companies including the Pepperjam affiliate network and ad re-targeter Fetchback under eBay’s fold.

It’s easy to understand why eBay wouldn’t want to be in the sports merchandising business if they’re trying to reinvent themselves as an e-commerce platform, but what’s less clear is what the divestment values RueLala and ShopRunner at. Though eBay will own 30%, those two businesses seem like they’re a perfect fit for some of eBay’s recent initiatives. eBay’s been putting muscle behind their fashion branding efforts for a while now, and RueLaLa would certainly help there. Under GSI’s ownership, the site is second only to Gilt’s sites when it comes to the US private/sample sale market. Clearly, the acquisition is an effort to compete with Amazon, and it’s hard to imagine extending the ShopRunner program to eBay merchants wouldn’t help them compete with the Amazon Prime program.

By keeping 30% of those companies and putting Rubin in charge, it’s clear that eBay also sees the value there. We have to wonder if the bigger story is what eBay values the 30% of those companies at.

The $999,999 figure is the current price attached to an eBay auction where someone claims that after matching up the prices of sold artwork to tax records, they know the artist’s name. For a price, they’ll mail a piece of paper to you with that name on it.

The mask could soon come off

On Banksy’s website though, there’s a claim that “Banksy neither produces or profits from the sale of greeting cards, mugs or photo canvases of his work. He is not represented by any of the commercial galleries that sell his paintings second hand and cannot be found on facebook/twitter/myspace etc.”

Which means that there’s no assurance that the name found is that of the artist, and even if it is your Facebook friend request will have nowhere to go.

On another note, how upset must the artist be that they didn’t consider this for a retirement plan? Or, perhaps they did. While Banksy is careful to disavow association with Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, there’s no mention of eBay and this is a pretty ingenious way to test the market for the value of a piece of “art” most of us give away in some form on a regular basis.

Around the world, hundreds of graffiti artists just went “why didn’t I think of that?”

Dirty makeup is fine on a video, but we'll pass for everyday use

This week, we were grossed out by a story that appeared on Glamour.com about used makeup – including lipstick, foundation and brushes – that is up for sale on eBay, with plenty of bids coming in.

We thought the idea of buying makeup that a complete stranger has used was absolutely disgusting, particularly used lipstick and mascaras, but a little digging around the Internet revealed that scoring used makeup online is actually pretty common and has been going on for years now.

Back in 2007 there were warnings of the dangers of the buying used makeup on eBay phenomenon. {Associated Content} Even further back in 2004, The Early Show on CBS reported on makeup swapping site Makeupalley.com, where users can trade their used cosmetics for others†old products. Not only that, but fans of the site who were interviewed for the story had apparently been swapping makeup for years.

“Makeupalley.com is one of several Web sites where makeup enthusiasts can trade everything from lip gloss and eyeliner to fragrances and hair gel.Some of them are ‘BNIB†(brand new in box), but many of the products have been used.” {The Early Show}

The report warned that most dermatologists and the FDA do not approve of using anyone elseâ€s cosmetics. Makeup cannot be cleaned of bacteria and viruses from previous use, which can lead to serious issues like corneal infections that harm vision from mascara. In addition, bacteria are carried from applicators back to the product itself, so using a clean applicator does not decrease the risk. This also means even a product that has only been used once can be harmful.

Women who love to sample different colors and brands raved about Makeupalley.com regardless, and Hara Glick, the siteâ€s founder, said they had received no complaints about contaminated products and their consequences. The Web site does have a disclaimer that users are “swapping at their own risk.”

We understand that getting a new lip color or foundation shade home from the store and realizing it is wrong for your face is frustrating, but taking used products from anyone, especially complete strangers, is just not worth the risk. We can see where fragrances, nail polishes and hair products would be harmless, but otherwise, the risk of shelling out money for something you might only use once is worth knowing you won’t end up wearing a rash, infection or anything more than you bargained for.

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Next up in eBay’s fight to attract the attention of fashionistas is Fashion Vault, a series of exclusive, limited-time-only sales offering eBay members incredible discounts on designer duds — and with free shipping to boot!

On sale now (and ending tomorrow morning) is DKNY, with up to 70% savings on some really great finds, like a Cape Cod-cool relaxed-fit twill peacoat, $129.99, and a pair of lovely secretary-chic Mary Jane pumps — a steal at $159.99 for genuine croc leather!

Sales are very short (only two or three days) and merchandise is limited, so your best bet is to sign up with eBay to receive Fashion Vault updates whenever new sales crop up.  Brands are kept secret till sales begin, so keep your eyes peeled and your trigger finger limber!

For more information, visit Fashion Vault on eBay.

According to its website, with 88 million users and nearly 200 million items for sale daily, eBay is “the worldâ€s largest online marketplace”. It is also a self-proclaimed cultural barometer – “a global community set to forecast global shopping trends daily through searches, purchases and live sales”.

Putting its power to expected use, eBay launched The Inside Source. 

We wondered if the site, which features editorial content, trend news and shopping by TOPIC, all with an emphasis on the new, not the used (unless itâ€s newly trendy because itâ€s used) would be much different than eBay’s somewhat dated homepage and today we got our answer. The new venture is markedly different and going it alone as far as aesthetics and tone.

Itâ€s intended to “re-engage consumers and shift perceptions of eBay,” said Alan Marks, eBayâ€s senior vice president of corporate communications. “People still think of eBay as an auction site, even though more than half of its goods are now sold at fixed prices.” The new site is for the shopper “who is sophisticated, has a sensibility about fashion and lifestyle and may be familiar with eBay but maybe not the full extent of everything it has to offer,” said Meredith Barnett, the siteâ€s editorial director.

The CONNECT section is a model of social media accessorizing done right. Comprehensive and crystal clear, Facebook, Twitter, RSS feeds and recent posts are displayed as oversized buttons that beg to be clicked and likely donâ€t daunt even the newest Facebook moms.

With all-star editors connecting style news to special finds, weâ€re fans of the new direction.

Read More {The New York Times}

{The Inside Source}

{eBay}

In order to rebrand itself as a viable shopping source, today eBay will be unveiling The Inside Source, an online fashion and lifestyle magazine which will present current fashion and pop culture trends, in turn directing customers to certain items and vendors that fit within those trends.

The idea seems like a smart move for eBay, as it will certainly give the site a more polished, stylish update — but we wonder how The Inside Source will be marketed in order to bring in people who normally wouldn’t shop on eBay.

Read the full story {Bits Blog via NY Times}

Huge Mineral Makeup Kit and Brushes

Mineral Makeup is one of the best choices for sensitive or break-out prone skin. The light, even coverage and lasting formula creates a flawless, natural finish for any skin type. This neutral set of mineral hues along with application brushes is up for auction on eBay for $28.95 right now.

Buy It {eBay}