Seahawks vs. Steelers: Who is Winning the eBay Bowl?; Fans Show Support With Online Battles for Bobbleheads and Autographed Balls, While Super Bowl Tickets Soar to $5000 Each

Market Wire, January, 2006

Ben Roethlisberger is beating out Matt Hasselbeck when it comes to bobblehead-to-head competition -- online sales for his likeness are averaging $18.43 versus Hasselbeck's $13.26 -- but Seahawks jacket sales come out on top at $92.38 versus Steelers $88.18. With the Super Bowl approaching, super buying is taking place as fans race to eBay® to bid on their favorite team's memorabilia and score tickets to the big game. So which town's Twelfth Man is showing the most support, and what exactly are sports fans willing to shell out for game day tickets? To answer those questions and keep fans informed, Mpire, a provider of web-based services that dramatically simplify the way small businesses sell online, today launched "Mpire SuperScore Central" (http://www.mpire.com/superscore) to serve as the online guide to the best selling Super Bowl items on Ebay and which team is winning on eBay leading up to the Detroit showdown.

Continuously updated, data for the new site is taken from Mpire Researcher, a free new online tool that shows the average eBay selling prices and listing recommendations for any item based on the most recent successful sales by top performing items, as well as sales data available through eBay's website. Some notable sales trends include:

-- Steelers Stuff Scoring Highest Prices, Seahawks Close Behind: Prices
   paid for memorabilia from the legendary Steelers are topping Seahawks
   sales, but the underdogs are certainly giving Pittsburgh fans a run for
   their money.  Average top selling prices and total percent of successful
   sales for popular listed team items include:
       -- Pennant: Steelers $31.11 (86%); Seahawks $17.40 (84%)
       -- Authentic jersey: Steelers $94.51 (94%); Seahawks $86.29 (97%)
       -- Hat: Seahawks $27.91 (91%); Steelers $24.68 (85%);
       -- Unsigned poster: Steelers $23.20 (76%); Seahawks $13.88 (84%)
       -- Calendar: Steelers $12.91 ($95%); Seahawks $12.44 (93%)
       -- Bobblehead: Steelers Jerome Bettis $28.54 (100%); Seahawks Shaun
          Alexander $27.63 (89%)
       -- Jacket: Seahawks $92.38 (76%); $88.18 (73%)

-- Top Priced Tickets: A pair of Super Bowl tickets is fetching top dollar
   on eBay, with the most recent closed prices shown as:
       -- Highest selling: $10,000 for two tickets
       -- Average price: approximately $4,800 for two tickets
       -- For ticket-holders willing to give up their game day seats, Mpire
          Researcher shows that a one day auction with a starting price of
          approximately $1200 will yield top dollar

-- Battle of the Stars: Autographed gear always ups the sales ante; here’s
   a look at current sales trends for legends past and present:
       -- Shaun Alexander signed footballs are going for a top average
          sales price of $137.43, tackling counterpart Jerome Bettis
          selling at just $83.32
       -- Ben Roethlisberger is the quarterback on top when it comes to
          selling signed footballs; his go for an average top selling price
          of $115.89 each with a sell-through rate of 86%, but Seahawks
          quarterback Matt Hasselbeck trails close behind with an average
          price of $104.06 and 100% sell-through rate
       -- A signed ball from former Seahawk Steve Largent goes for a top
          average selling price of $94.98, narrowing out Steelers
          competition Terry Bradshaw at $92.36

-- Collectible Considerations: For sports enthusiasts and collectors
   wondering what memorabilia they can snatch and potentially cash in on,
   some of the latest sales stats suggest:
      -- Programs: a 1972 Steelers vs. Dolphins AFC championship program
         recently sold for $51.00; its 2006 Steelers and Bronco counterpart
         is already going for up to $40, while a current AFC championship
         program has sold for as much as $19.99
      -- Newspapers: truly an example of Super Bowl mania, local daily
         newspapers announcing the bowl-bound teams are already being
         listed online and selling for serious price inflations; a copy of
         the Seattle Times and Seattle Post-Intelligencer recently closed
         at $20 for the pair, while single copies of the Pittsburgh Tribune
         Review are selling for nearly $6

For more entertaining stats, up-to-the-minute information on Super Bowl related top sellers on eBay, and to see which team's Twelfth Man is outperforming the other in terms of memorabilia madness, visit the "Mpire SuperScore Central" site at www.mpire.com/superscore.

About Mpire

Mpire is committed to empowering millions of people to run their own online business. Mpire's complete, easy-to use services dramatically simplify how online business owners manage all aspects of their business activities, making online sellers more successful. Mpire's web-based suite of free and affordable flat-rate subscription services seamlessly integrate all the tools an online seller needs to better track, manage and successfully operate their business. Mpire's services include Mpire(TM) Builder, a complete end-to-end auction management service, Mpire(TM) Researcher, a free tool that shows average selling prices and listing recommendations for top listed items, and Mpire(TM) Launcher, a free listing service. Together, Mpire's services save business owners valuable time and provide them with powerful management insights, allowing them to make more informed decisions and concentrate on growing their business. Founded in 2005, Mpire is backed by Ignition Partners and former eBay executive Richard Rock. Visit www.mpire.com for more information.