eBay data shows early iPad 2 auctions concentrated in US
updated 11:45 am EDT, Thu March 31, 2011
Biggest export destinations were Russia, Canada
Just about 12,000 iPad 2s were auctioned on eBay in the span between the tablet's March 11th US launch and an international launch on March 25th, according to data published by the website. Particularly significant is that about 65 percent of units sold -- almost 8,000 -- went to buyers in the US. The ratio is well above that of 35 percent for the iPad 1 in 2010.
The biggest destinations for international exports were Russia and Canada, with 500 and 430 units respectively. Following behind Canada in the rankings were Hong Kong, Japan and the UK. The Russian number is more than doubled compared to an equivalent period in 2010, when only 215 were sold to Russian buyers. Australian figures have plummeted, by contrast, shifting from 317 in 2010 to just 110 this year. The country was included among regions getting the iPad 2 on the 25th.
Beating lineups or geographic restrictions can come at a premium. During the first two weeks of the iPad 2 the average selling price (ASP) of a 16GB Wi-Fi model on eBay was $697, $198 more than the US retail cost. The most extreme markups applied to 64GB 3G tablets, which cost an average of $406 more than retail. Not broken out in data is the impact of listing or reserve fees.
The most popular models were the 16GB Wi-Fi at 30 percent, followed by the 64GB 3G at 23 percent, and the 32GB Wi-Fi at 17 percent. The least popular choices were the 16 and 32GB 3G tablets, representing only 7 and 9 percent of auctions. The numbers may, however, be skewed by availability, as Apple tends to stock larger quantities of some tablets.
eBay's figures may in fact offer a hint of trends in new device sales. Apple does not typically publish sales numbers until it hits major milestones or issues a quarterly financial report.
