eBay reveals iPad 2 sales numbers
(Image from eBay.com)
While we'll need to wait until the April 20th Q2 2011 Apple earnings call to get the official figures on exactly how many iPads and iPad 2s have been sold, CNET has published some stats from online auction house eBay on how many of the new iPads have changed hands through its service. If eBay's numbers are any indication, Apple shareholders will have a lot to smile about.
Just under 12,000 iPad 2s were sold in the two weeks between the introduction of the iPad in the US and the international launch last Friday. The surprising statistic was that many of those iPad 2s (65%) were sold within the US. At last year's launch of the original iPad, the majority of eBay purchasers were outside of the country (also 65%).
International purchases of the iPad 2 are mainly going to Canada, Russia, Hong Kong, Japan and the UK. Last year's figures showed a large volume of 16 GB iPads heading to Russia, and Russian buyers also paid the highest average markup at a whopping $306 over retail for the 32 GB model.
So what is the most popular iPad 2 model among eBay buyers? The 16 GB Wi-Fi model was the Apple of their eyes with 30% of the total sales on eBay, with the 64 GB 3G (23%) and 32 GB Wi-Fi (17%) following closely behind. The 64 GB Wi-Fi model was also very popular, making up 14% of all eBay sales.
eBay also started a helpful service for those who wanted to sell original iPads to help defray the cost of the new models. The eBay Instant Sale program provides a set price to iPad owners who don't want to go through the hassle of setting up and moderating an auction. eBay announced that it had made 38,000 Instant Sale offers on original iPads, with 22,000 of those made in the week after the iPad 2 was announced.
As noted in our quick guide on how to get an iPad 2, eBay is usually a safe and painless way to obtain your new toy if you don't have access to an Apple retailer or don't want to wait for shipping.
