Half.com is a company.
Key people at Half.com.
Half.com was founded by Josh Kopelman (Founder and President, Half.com).
Key people at Half.com.
Half.com was a pioneering online marketplace for used books, music, videos and games, founded by Josh Kopelman that was acquired and later absorbed by eBay in 2000. [1]
High-Level overview
Half.com built a focused consumer marketplace that let individuals and small sellers list and sell used media (books, CDs, DVDs, games) using standardized identifiers (ISBNs) and fixed-price listings rather than auctions, targeting price-conscious buyers and casual sellers. [3][1] The business scaled quickly in the late 1990s, attracted prominent venture attention, and was acquired by eBay in mid‑2000 for roughly $300–350 million before being folded into eBay’s operations and its brand largely disappearing thereafter. [1][3]
Origin story
Half.com was founded in 1998 by entrepreneur Josh Kopelman as a narrow, category-focused e‑commerce site centered on media using ISBN-driven listings to simplify buying and selling; Kopelman later became a well-known investor and First Round Capital managing partner. [2][1] The idea emerged from making peer-to-peer commerce simpler for standardized products (books, music) and gained rapid traction in the dot‑com boom, achieving an exit to eBay in June 2000 that made it one of the largest early Philadelphia‑area tech exits at the time. [1][2]
Core differentiators
Role in the broader tech landscape
Half.com rode the late‑1990s trend of vertical, category‑specific marketplaces that favored simplicity and standardized product data over general-purpose auction models, illustrating both the promise and limits of niche e‑commerce in the dot‑com era.[3] Its acquisition by eBay reflected consolidation pressure as larger platforms absorbed attractive vertical incumbents to capture users and inventory, a dynamic that remains relevant as large marketplaces continue buying specialized players to broaden offerings. [1][3]
Quick take & future outlook
As a historical case, Half.com illustrates how narrow, product‑standardized marketplaces can scale quickly and become attractive acquisition targets—but also how integration into a larger platform can erase a brand and its distinct model over time; Half.com’s business was successful enough to be bought by eBay but was ultimately absorbed and marginalized within the parent company. [1][3] The founder’s subsequent prominence in venture capital (notably First Round) is part of the company’s lasting legacy in the startup ecosystem. [2]
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Half.com was founded by Josh Kopelman (Founder and President, Half.com).
