Listia

Listia operates a consumer-to-consumer auction marketplace for new and used goods in which items are bought and sold with an internal points currency rather than cash. Members list items they no longer want, other members bid using points, and sellers accumulate points that can be spent on other listings. The company states there are no fees charged on transactions.

Points are distributed through several mechanisms: 50 points on sign-up, an additional 50 points for posting a first listing, unlimited points for continuing to list items, 100 points for each invited friend who completes a listing, and 50 points each for connecting an active Facebook or Twitter account. The marketplace spans roughly two dozen categories, including antiques, art, baby, books, cameras, cars and vehicle parts, cell phones, clothing and accessories, collectibles, computers, crafts, electronics, health and beauty, home and garden, jewelry and watches, movies and TV, music and instruments, pet supplies, sporting goods, toys and hobbies, and video games and consoles. The site also features "Popular" and "Premium" listings sections, a mobile app, free-shipping listings, and a buyer protection guarantee described as "100% Guaranteed Protection."

Y Combinator classifies the company under the Marketplace and Crypto/Web3 categories and describes it as a mobile marketplace for trading used goods.

Founding story

Listia was founded in 2009 by Gee-Hwan (Gee) Chuang and James Fong, San Francisco-based entrepreneurs, on the premise that consumers could unlock value from items they no longer need by trading them online through a cashless system. The company participated in Y Combinator's Summer 2009 batch.

Business model

Peer-to-peer marketplace intermediation: Listia hosts auction listings between individual members and settles transactions in its own points currency rather than cash. The company states that it does not charge a fee for buying or selling on the site.

Not disclosed in the available sources; the company states there are no transaction fees for buyers or sellers, and the site displays a "Premium Listings" section.

Traction

At the time of its 2013 Series A, the company reported over 4 million users and more than 12 million items traded to date. The company's team page cites over 9 million members, while the homepage cites over 10 million members. Y Combinator lists a team size of 6.

Latest developments

The Listia site remains operational, showing active listings dated into 2026 and advertising over 10 million members.