One of the most successful internet businesses in history is eBay. Started in 1995, the online auction site has grown to over 187 million users, 1.7 billion listings, facilitated over $100 billion in sales, and earned over $10 billion in revenue in 2020.

Today, prospective buyers can purchase just about anything imaginable, with prices ranging from 1 cent to a $168 million yacht. When it started, however, sales were a bit more modest.

The very first item sold on eBay was purchased by a man named Mark Fraser. He paid $14.83 for a laser pointer.

The laser pointer was broken.