In 1995, Pierre Omidyar launched AuctionWeb, which later became known as eBay, creating a peer-to-peer digital marketplace. This platform allowed consumers to trade used goods directly, bypassing traditional retail channels. The launch of eBay revolutionized online commerce, paving the way for the growth of e-commerce and changing the way people buy and sell goods.

The launch of eBay as an online auction platform turned everyday domestic clutter and kitsch into tradable commodities, influencing postmodern poets who cataloged internet ephemera and discarded memories. Poets like Kenneth Goldsmith and Vanessa Place explored themes of commodification and the value of the mundane.