Ebay makes a business of its online auction data: "This year it quietly began licensing that information to about 20 customers, who each pay $10,000 a year and up for access, said Randy Ching, vice president of platform solutions at eBay. 
While the direct revenue benefit to the company is relatively modest -- eBay's revenues are expected to be as much as $2.1 billion this year -- the company will focus on its data business in the coming year as it works to establish its information as the "de facto guide for buy and selling", Ching said... , PGA.com's Value Guide sets the market value for a used Ping Eye 2 Driver at between $10.09 and $19.08 based on 374 transactions. Other customers include Intuit Inc.'s (Nasdaq:INTU - news) Its Deductible division, which depends on eBay information to help users of its TurboTax tax preparation software to figure the fair market value of their donated items -- from used jeans to hard-to-value gadgets like cell phones.  Elsewhere, Andale Inc. uses the data in its Sales Analyzer software that helps eBay sellers price their items most effectively. "

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