AOL, eBay: You've got auctions

Internet giant America Online and eBay, the world's most popular person-to-person trading site, today launched a cobranded site designed to give AOL members access to eBay's auction site but in a familiar AOL format.

With today's marketing deal, eBay, which is facing increasing competition from Yahoo and Amazon's auction sites and others, could get a big boost as AOL tries to drive its 18 million members toward the cobranded site.

The cobranded eBay site will be prominently promoted across several AOL properties, giving AOL members access to eBay's marketplace while maintaining AOL's navigation, the companies said.

There are about 5.6 million registered eBay users either selling or buying items from more than 1,600 categories, including antiques, coins and stamps, computers, and collectibles. eBay, which was founded in 1995, has more than 2.6 million items listed for sale, with 300,000 items added daily, the company said.

"The cobranded site will make access to eBay much easier for AOL's more than 18 million members," Steve Westly, eBay's vice president of marketing and business development, said in a statement. "Together, AOL and eBay will make it easier than ever for AOL members to experience firsthand the thrill and excitement of person-to-person trading, with the familiar look and feel of AOL."