Within hours of the theft of a Toronto woman's snowboard, she discovered a photograph of it online — brazenly advertised for sale on popular auction website eBay.

That led to the arrests Thursday of two 17-year-old males from Richmond Hill, Ont., who were charged with possession of stolen property.

The 45-year-old woman, who asked not to be identified, was at Mount St. Louis Moonstone resort, 26 kilometres north of Barrie, Ont., when her $1,200 snowboard disappeared on Dec. 30.

She dropped by the nearby OPP detachment in Barrie to report the theft, then headed home.

"On her way back to Toronto from Barrie, she and her husband are chatting in the car and he suggests, 'Maybe we should check eBay,'" said OPP Const. George Silvestri.

When she arrived at home, she checked the website and discovered a for-sale posting with a photograph of her board — identified by its pattern and special bindings.

She contacted investigators, who then figured out the location of the advertisers with the help of eBay security.

"I really don’t know how often that method is used," said Silvestri. "This is new to us — going through eBay security."

The two teens have been released from custody and are scheduled to appear in court in Barrie in February.