May 2012

She's single, raising three boys, and on a budget. For years, Jill Bender (user ID: treasuresinco) turned to eBay to save money on things her family needed. Now she uses it to supplement her income by selling what they no longer need.

Jill Bender's blog is called "Single Mom on a Budget," a title that pretty much sums it up. Her posts aim to help her readers save money by "not paying full price for anything." But Jill also offers tips for earning extra income in ways that work for the time-limited lifestyle of the average single mom. "eBay fits perfectly within my schedule," she says… Read more.

Mother's Day shopping is in full swing and there's still plenty of time to list items that could make someone's Mom's Day extra special this year. Look for any of these popular seasonal items or Mother's Day gifts in your home and list today.

• Women's fashion: Handbags, wallets, scarves, shoes
• Women's Jewelry: Necklaces and pendants, charm bracelets, earrings, watches
• Cashmere throws
• Vases and picture frames
• DVDs and movies
• Smartphones and GPS devices
• Tablets and eReaders

With Father's Day and graduation just around the corner, get your Dads and Grads items ready to list now. Explore the eBay Selling Inspiration House to find out how much the stuff in your house is selling for and get ideas for what to sell. List your items today. It's free to list!*

List by midnight PST on April 30 for your chance to win! There's a $5,000 grand prize, and 100 lucky winners will get $50 each—all prizes will be awarded as deposits to your PayPal account. (All listings within the sweepstakes timeframe result in automatic entries. You will not receive a separate confirmation). Don't wait—list the items you were thinking about selling now. See full sweepstakes details.

Starting next week, USPS^® First-Class service is being reclassified on eBay from Expedited (estimated delivery time of 2-3 business days) to a Standard shipping service (estimated delivery time of 2-5 business days), and the name will change from First-Class Mail to First-Class Package. Take advantage of FREE Delivery Confirmation^™, now included with USPS^® First-Class Package service when purchased through eBay Labels. Remember, if you were using First-Class Mail as an expedited shipping option, you'll need to choose a different expedited shipping service. Get the details.

Buyers browsing in Handbags & Purses can now shop by style by using the new eBay Handbag Finder. To get your items seen, be sure to include the "Color" item specific (along with the required Condition, Brand, and Style item specifics) when listing your item.

Relevant and specific item titles with good keywords get the best results. Easiest way to pick the right keywords? Act like a buyer and search for your product by name. What are the most common keywords on the first page of results? Do they apply to your item? Include brand name, condition, and attributes like model or style, too.

eBay has chosen AutoCheck by Exprerian Automotive as the exclusive provider of content for the Vehicle History Report tab on the vehicle View Item page. As part of the eBay/Experian Automotive partnership, starting April 2, 2012 you'll receive a full FREE vehicle history report on every listing—a value of $29.99 per report! List your car or truck on eBay today.

Charging accurate shipping costs can help you sell your item. But no need to guess! Use the shipping calculator and invest in a good scale—you can even buy it on eBay. Once you determine your shipping cost, be sure to check out all options, such as flat rate boxes, to be sure you're getting—and giving your buyer—the best rate. Visit the Shipping Center for more details.

Great news! The updated eBay for iPhone mobile app makes selling on the go even easier. Now you can:

• Show vacation settings to buyers
• Exclude countries in the shipping section
• Calculate shipping

Take advantage of this great way to sell on eBay—download the app today.

Answer: There are three easy ways to reduce the number of emails you get from buyers.

1. Write effective titles and detailed item descriptions.
2. Make your policies clear in your listings.
3. Set up questions and answers (Q&A) to provide information to your buyers up front.

Check out these best practices for more tips on communicating with buyers.