Year in Review: eBay's Top Shopped 2010

By Marni Elyse Katz
December 31, 2010

Year-end round-ups are culled from a variety of sources, including blog buzz, glossy mag coverage, and the whims of gossip hounds. In contrast, eBay is able to generate online shopping statistics a bit more scientifically, which we love. The online marketplace can take the pop culture pulse based on actual consumer buying behavior. By synthesizing the numbers (200 million live listings and a community of 93 million active users) eBay analysts have determined which online shopping trends reigned supreme this year, from tech gadgets and toys to sports and style trends.

Here’s a look at the dozen most obsessed over items on eBay this year:

eBay's Top Shopped 2010

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It was the year of the Apple, with everyone's favorite gadget company coming out with two of the year's most coveted devices. eBay sold 1,634,674 items related to the Apple iPhone 4 alone-not surprising, given that this version added quite a number of upgrades, including a camera flash, HD video, and a tweaked silhouette with stainless steel band.

In this photo: Apple fans wait in line to become the first owners of the latest-generation iPhone 4.
Photo Credit: (EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images, June 2010)
Juxtaposed with Apple's high tech wizardry, classic toys also found favor this year. The leggy blonde remains ever popular, with eBay having sold 1,178,909 Barbie items. Standout models released this year included the Janet Jackson Barbie Doll and the very first Ken doll-Japan Ken-to grace the Dolls of the World Collection.

In this photo: The Toy Industry Showcases its top toy predictions for Christmas.
Photo Credit: (Oli Scarff/Getty Images, October, 2010)
One of the biggest fashion trends this year, both on the runway and in real life, military jackets topped eBay's list as the fashion obsession for 2010, with clothes hounds buying more than 1 million related items on the site. With brass buttons and a tie belt, this design ensures a polished look every time.

In this photo: Singer Janelle Monae wearing a military jacket.
Photo Credit: (Jason LaVeris/Contributor, June, 2010)
Another Mattel product, the ubiquitous Hot Wheels cars are always a favorite among car crazy kids and their equally enamored dads. And, these little guys are eternally wallet-friendly too, which might account for the 748,140 Hot Wheels-related items sold on eBay this year.

In this photo: Singer Gavin Rossdale launches Hot Weeks R/C Stealth Rides.
Photo Credit: (Noel Vasquez/Getty Images, October, 2010)
Undeniably the year's gotta-have gadget, Apple's iPad, of which eBay sold 621,399 related items, crossed the generation gap, with senior citizens taking to the big screen to email and browse the web as eagerly as the travelers watching movies and Angry Bird-playing kids.

In this photo: The iPad on sale at the Apple store in New York.
Photo Credit: (Spencer Platt/Getty Images, October, 2010)
In 2010, a buzzing plastic instrument, the vuvuzela horn, united sports fanatics worldwide.Together, the FIFA World Cup and the now-iconic horn sold a total of 265,268 related items on eBay. Another global competition, the Vancouver Olympics, also revealed the sporting and spending spirit, with 11,716 related items sold.

In this photo: Spain wins the 2010 FIFA football World Cup match against the Netherlands.

Photo Credit: (DANI POZO/AFP/Getty Images, July, 2010)
With the release of the entire Beatles catalog-that's seventeen albums-on iTunes, the iconic quartet is enjoying a revival in a year that also marks the 30th anniversary of John Lennon's death. But still, some prefer the original vinyl format, which abounds on eBay.

In this photo: The 30th anniversary of John Lennon's death is marked in New York.
Photo Credit: (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Schools everywhere banned these intoxicating (to kids) rubber bands shaped in every form you could imagine (and even those you couldn't). However, that hardly stopped tweens from spending their allowance on box after box, begging parents to search eBay for the latest, greatest additions.

In this photo: Silly Bandz.
Photo Credit: (JEAN-PIERRE MULLER/AFP/Getty Images, December, 2010)
Mushrooms and rabbits were reproduced with a vengeance in home décor and jewelry designs, in response to the acid-trip remake of the Lewis Carroll tale by Tim Burton. Nobody wears a bow tie like Johnny Depp.

In this photo: "Alice in Wonderland," the movie.
Photo Credit: (DisneyEnterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved)
Champions, and underdogs, of the 2010 Super Bowl, the New Orleans Saints were an obsession among sports-hungry eBay users, who snapped up 151,083 related items. The Saints defeated their opponents on eBay as well as on the field: the Indianapolis Colts, who lost to the Saints in the Super Bowl, sold 87,722 related items.

In this photo: The New Orleans Saints.

Photo Credit: (Damian Strohmeyer /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images)
Style powerhouse Marc Jacobs continues on as everyone's favorite fashion darling. Despite his extended stays in Paris as Creative Director of Louis Vuitton, he continues to expand with a vengeance, while never comprising his exquisite talent on the runway.

In this photo: The Marc by Marc Jacobs runway, Fashion Week Fall 2010.

Photo Credit: (Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images, February, 2010)
NBA star LeBron James, who currently plays for the Miami Heat, has broken numerous young player records and signed lots of endorsement contracts, including Nike and McDonald's. The Heat, winners of 16 of 17 games this season, became the first team in NBA history to win 10 road games in the same calendar month, due in no small part to their star player.

In this photo: LeBron James plays with the Miami Heat.

Photo Credit: (Greg Fiume/Getty Images, December, 2010)