Holiday 2011

eBay sellers like you can make an impact on the world. Learn how one group of sellers began with a goal of raising money for earthquake victims in Haiti. They surpassed their goal and not only rebuilt homes—but lives.

In Houma, LA, there is a small Baptist church called Mulberry, (user ID: mulberrychurch), which recently hosted one of the most sophisticated online fundraisers eBay Giving Works has seen. In an effort to help fund their third trip to Haiti to build homes for earthquake victims, church members decided to auction off the donated items that were flooding in from their generous community. Since there were no resources to host a physical auction event, the group figured it ought to go big and take the auction online to eBay.

The group's initial goal was to raise $6,000 from their eBay auction, but they ended up raising much more...Read more

December and January are the biggest selling months of the year—so don't miss this opportunity to turn your stuff into cash and pay off those holiday bills. Check your closets for these hot selling items and get listing:

• Men's shirts (Tommy Hilfiger, Abercrombie & Fitch)
• Boys' and girls' dressy clothing
• Handbags (Kipling, Coach)
• Jeans (Levi's)—check out these prices!
• Laptops and tablets
• DVDs and CDs
• Video games and video game systems
• Digital cameras
• Cell phones and Smartphones

Get organized for 2012
You'll bring lots of new stuff into your home in less than a week. Why not sell the stuff you no longer need? Make room and make money in January—one of the best months to sell on eBay with these few, easy steps:

1. Use the post-holiday downtime to sort through the garage, guest room, or storage closet for things you can part with and set them aside for selling.
2. Research similar items and review completed listings to see how you should price them.
3. Remember all those gifts you ordered online? They probably came in nice sturdy boxes - save them and reuse them to ship your stuff.

Sell your car on eBay to get a Guaranteed Offer

List your vehicle on eBay Local Classifieds and within 24 hours receive a no-obligation Guaranteed Offer in writing, good for 10 days. Learn how.

Buyers save searches based on specifics about items, so be sure to describe your item accurately. Here are some tips:

1. For clothing, shoes, and accessories, include item specifics like brand, size, or color.
2. For media listings (books, DVDs, CDs, and video games), list with the catalog. Once you type in the ISBN or UPC code (the numbers on the bar code), the listing pre-populates with detailed information.
3. Create a great title and item description—write a compelling title (you have up to 80 characters), upload lots of photos, and use good keywords and details.

This Christmas morning, open your presents carefully so you can resell that sweater that's too big, the gift you got two of, or items that you won't grow to love over time. Then get what you really wanted. Don't take the tags off and save protective packaging. Even if the gift didn't work for you, someone else might love it—and be willing to pay for it too!

Learn how to package, label, and ship your items in the eBay Shipping Center. Get there from the eBay home page top menu. Under Sell, select Seller Information Center. Look for a tab at the right labeled Shipping Center. Bookmark it and get shipping.

Going to an event with friends? Remember to use eBay Go Together—the new, easy way to plan group events, split the cost of tickets, collect cash, and make plans with friends.

Now, when you shop on eBay, you may see the new eBay Fast 'N Free icon next to some listings. We're testing a new way to let you know at-a-glance that the item ships for free and, based on your ship-to location and the item location, is calculated to arrive on your doorstep within 4 days. Look for the delivery truck logo!

Answer: Shiny, metallic, or reflective items are tricky to photograph without creating glare, or catching the reflection of a light bulb, your camera, or yourself, in the shot. Here are tips to avoid pitfalls:

1. Photograph your item in front of a uniform, uncluttered background, like a white sheet or tablecloth.
2. Avoid using a flash—when possible, use two lights on either side of item.
3. Position the item so it's not reflecting you, a light bulb (if needed, move the light source), or the camera back into it - have it reflecting something else in the room.
4. Don't be afraid to move: move yourself, move the light source, or move the item.
5. Tilt the item (such as a mirror or silver tray) 5 to 10 degrees to reduce reflection
6. Use a tripod and a self-timer to ensure you're not in photo.
7. If your camera has a good zoom, get as far away from the item as possible and zoom in to get a close-up.