The promotion starts on Tuesday, August 1, 2006 at 00:00:01 PT (12:00 AM plus one second) and ends that same day, Tuesday, August 1, 2006 at 23:59:59 PT (11:59 PM plus 59 seconds). Listings which were created prior to August 1, 2006 and scheduled to start during the promotional period will also be eligible for the special promotional rate.

The 50% Off Auction-Style Listings Promotion will not apply to eBay Motors vehicles listings, or to International, Live Auction, Professional Services, Real Estate/Ad Format, and Store Inventory listings. Also, the following Business & Industrial categories are excluded from this promotion: tractors & farm machinery (category #91952), heavy equipment (25249), concession trailers, carts (67145), imaging and aesthetics equipment (92035), forklifts and other lifts (97185), manufacturing equipment (92080), metalworking equipment (92082), and commercial printing presses (26247).

For full promotion details, please click here.

We hope you enjoy the one-day 50% Off Auction-Style Listings Promotion!

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Jim "Griff" Griffith

If you can't catch the live show, you can always subscribe to the , or access any past broadcast from the eBay Radio Archives. To subscribe to the podcast all you need is an reader (a portable MP3 player is optional). Visit www.wsradio.com/ebayradio for more information about subscribing to the podcasts and to listen to eBay Radio on your computer.

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Building Buyer Trust to Increase Sales
This workshop will be held on Tuesday, August 1st from 11:00 PT to 12:00 PT. When shoppers don't have complete confidence in a potential transaction, they either avoid buying or discount the price they are willing to pay. Join buySAFE's Founder, Steve Woda, to learn ways you can effectively build buyer trust to increase your sales. Steve will provide research showing the importance of building trust among buyers, as well as data showing the positive impact sellers see when buyer confidence exists. He'll also explain how you can use credible signals and other methods to build trust and turn more shoppers into buyers.

Business Metrics Sales Clinic
This workshop will be held on Wednesday, August 2nd from 15:00 PT to 16:00 PT. In this workshop, we'll take a look at key metrics that drive a seller's business, including those that focus on opportunities to improve your overall ecommerce strategy. eBay Staff will also review tools available to help you find this information, such as Sales Reports and eBay Marketplace Research.

Want to Know the Secret to Success on eBay? Research Your Competition to Find Out!
This workshop will be held on Friday, August 4th from 11:00 PT to 12:00 PT. Have you ever wondered what successful sellers are doing to make their sales? Terapeak's marketing team of Sarah Taheri, Dave Frey, and Morgan Brooks will illustrate how market research can be used to evaluate yourself and your competition. Knowing what successful sellers are doing can guide you in the right direction for your selling, and ultimately increase your sales and sell-through rate.

Workshops are hosted in discussion threads on the Workshops Board. To get to the Workshops Board:

• Go to www.ebay.com
• Click on Community at the top of the page
• Click on "Workshops" in the "Events" section
• This will bring you to the threaded Workshops Board.

To view archived workshops or to learn more about future workshop events, please check our Workshops Calendar.

Want timely reminders about workshops? We recommend two ways to make sure you never miss an important workshop:

• Sign up for the Workshops Information Group! By joining this group, you will receive an email notification reminding you about upcoming eBay Workshops. (To sign up for the Workshops Information Group, please click here.)
• Subscribe to the RSS feed for the Workshop board. When a new workshop becomes active, your RSS reader will be updated. (You can also subscribe to just the specific topic thread that interests you.) To subscribe, click on the RSS button ( ) at the bottom of the Workshop board or thread. Copy and paste the feed URL into your reader to subscribe. For more information on RSS, please read our RSS Help page.

We look forward to seeing you there!

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• Showcase your listing using a larger Gallery image within the search results page.
• Help draw more attention to your item and further increase its exposure.
• Enable buyers to see a larger image of your item as they browse through categories and search results to improve the likelihood of a bid or sale.

For more information about Gallery Plus, please see our information page.

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	***Original: Show Bigger Pictures with Gallery Plus***
	July 27, 2006 | 04:31PM PST/PT Steve Grove Hi...this is Steve Grove with eBay's Product Management team. I'm here to introduce Gallery Plus, which will be available in the next few days. Gallery Plus is a new listing upgrade designed to help you better showcase your items. Gallery Plus is just like our current Gallery listing upgrade – just bigger! When you use Gallery Plus, an "Enlarge" icon will display right below your Gallery image on search results pages. A buyer can click or hover over the icon with their mouse, and a larger version of the picture will appear (up to 400x400 pixels, depending on the original size of the picture). This is useful for items such as antiques or clothing, where detailed photographs improve the likelihood of a bid or sale. Gallery Plus costs a flat $0.75 (which includes the regular Gallery fee), and is also included as part of Gallery Featured for free. On eBay Motors vehicle listings, Gallery Plus is $2. For complete pricing information, please see our information page. Sellers will be able to add the new Gallery Plus upgrade from the Sell Your Item form, or any of eBay’s selling tools such as Turbo Lister. To include Gallery Plus on your existing listings, please use our Revise Your Item form. (Please note that Gallery Plus is only available for images hosted through eBay Picture Services). Sincerely, Steve Grove eBay Product Management
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	***Original: Save The Date: Town Hall with Bill Cobb on Thursday, July 20th***
	July 14, 2006 | 09:24AM PST/PT Bill Cobb Hi everyone...this is Bill Cobb, President of eBay North America. I'm here to invite you to our next Town Hall event on Thursday, July 20th from 4:00-5:00 pm PT. It's hard to believe that it's already July. Last month we held our Town Hall live from eBay Live! in Las Vegas (listen to the archive here), but for July we're back at our headquarters in San Jose, CA. I'd like to invite you to starting sending questions in now. To submit your question, visit our Town Hall page at www.ebay.com/townhall. We will also answer questions you submit to us live during the event. You can listen to the audio of this Town Hall through Windows Media Player or through Real Player. Details on how to download and install the latest versions of both of these are available on our Town Hall page. These events are a great way for my leadership team and me to hear what's on your minds. I hope you'll join us next Thursday, July 20th . Sincerely, Bill Cobb President, eBay North America
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If you list items manually through an eBay seller tool (e.g. Sell Your Item form, Turbo Lister) or the eBay API, the updated Item Specifics will be available in the next few weeks. If you utilize a 3rd party listing service (e.g., Andale, Marketworks, etc.), please contact them to verify that they will update their Item Specifics in the Tickets category.

For general information about Item Specifics and how to use them, please visit our Item Specifics overview page.

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Pre-Filled Item Information will be added to the following categories:

• Consumer Electronics
  • CB Radios
  • Calculators
  • Phones
• Computers and Networking
  • Routers
• Cameras and Photo
  • Telescopes
• Home and Garden
  • Vacuums
  • Coffee and Espresso Makers
  • Kitchen Cooktops
• Baby
  • Strollers
  • Car Seats

If you list items through an eBay seller tool (e.g. Sell Your Item form, Turbo Lister, Selling Manager) or the eBay API, Pre-Filled Item Information will be available in the next week. If you utilize a 3rd party listing service (e.g., ChannelAdvisor, Marketworks, etc.), please contact them to verify that they will offer the Pre-Filled Item Information functionality in the categories listed below.

We also encourage your to check out our Pre-Filled Item Information page for more information.

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Jim "Griff" Griffith

• Lynn Dralle, “The Queen of Auctions” continues with our new series, "Fine Tuning Your Business on eBay" by providing tips on cutting your operating costs
• Arturo Zacarias, eBay's Senior Product Manager for new technologies, will talk about RSS Feeds
• John Seifert, an apprentice of Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert Kivosaki, on what it takes to be an entrepreneur and think differently
• Steve Woda, CEO of BuySafe with techniques for sellers to instill buyer confidence
• Jamie Iannone, Senior Director, Product Marketing, to discuss the recently announced changes to eBay Store Format fees

And as always we'll have "The News" with Lee Mirabal, as well as the most important feature on eBay Radio: your calls! Call in during the show at 877-474-3302 (USA) or 001-858-678-8958 (Internationally) to talk with Griff and his guests or to ask a question and share your voice with the rest of the eBay Community. Remember, one lucky caller per week, selected at random, will receive an autographed copy of Griff's book, "The Official eBay Bible".

If you can't catch the live show, you can always subscribe to the , or access any past broadcast from the eBay Radio Archives. To subscribe to the podcast all you need is an  reader (a portable MP3 player is optional). Visit www.wsradio.com/ebayradio for more information about subscribing to the podcasts and to listen to eBay Radio on your computer.

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• Brands - Adding brand options fo Dual, Eclipse, and Pyle.
• HD Radio Ready - Sellers can specify if a unit is HD Compatible and if it is multi channel.

If you list items manually through an eBay seller tool (e.g. Sell Your Item form, Turbo Lister) or the eBay API, the updated Item Specifics will be available in the next few weeks. If you utilize a 3rd party listing service (e.g., Andale, Marketworks, etc.), please contact them to verify that they will update their Item Specifics in the Passenger Vehicle category.

For general information about Item Specifics and how to use them, please visit the Item Specifics overview page. If you have any comments or feedback about these changes, please send them to caraudio@ebay.com and they will be considered for future enhancements.

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Jim "Griff" Griffith

If you can't catch the live show, you can always subscribe to the , or access any past broadcast from the eBay Radio Archives. To subscribe to the podcast all you need is an reader (a portable MP3 player is optional). Visit www.wsradio.com/ebayradio for more information about subscribing to the podcasts and to listen to eBay Radio on your computer.

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Lisa Oda

Use Buy It Now or win an auction-style listing between July 24th and July 30th and you'll be entered into a daily prize drawing. You could win the purchase price of your item up to $100 USD (excluding shipping, taxes, and insurance costs) or one of seven amazing Grand Prize movie experiences — ranging from trips to Los Angeles to attend movie premieres to private film screenings. We'll have a total of 51 winners every day!

Plus, if you’re a TV trivia buff, this is your time to shine. Put your knowledge to the test on our Name That Show page for up to five additional entries into each daily prize drawing. Each day of the contest, we'll post the day's five TV trivia clues on the Name That Show & Win It discussion board. Each clue corresponds to a TV show name hidden in one of five television genre drop-down menus. You'll get one entry into the day's prize drawing for each correct TV show name you submit. Come back every day for new clues and chances to win!

Name That Show & Win It starts July 24th, so get ready to shop, buy, and win!

Sincerely,

Lisa Oda
eBay Marketing

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PayPal Dispute Resolution Chargeback Coverage – What You Need to Know
This workshop will be held on Monday, July 24th from 11:00 PT to 12:00 PT. At eBay Live! 2006, Meg Whitman announced that beginning July, sellers who resolve a dispute amicably with the buyer through PayPal Dispute Resolution or who win a PayPal claim will be covered against any subsequent chargeback on that transaction. Please join Sarah Livnat, Colin Rule and other PayPal staff for a workshop in which we can answer questions about Meg's announcement, PayPal Dispute Resolution, and chargebacks. We look forward to seeing you there.

Is Turbo Lister Right for Me?
This workshop will be held on Tuesday, July 25th from 10:00 PT to 11:00 PT. Do you list more than 10 items per month? Are you looking for a tool to help you list items more quickly and easily? Join us for this workshop to learn more about eBay's free listing tool that can help you create more professional-looking listings. You can download Turbo Lister here.

The Chatter Blog and RSS Overview
This workshop will be held on Wednesday, July 26th from 14:00 PT to 15:00 PT. For years, The Chatter was our online newsletter written by and for the eBay Community. Now we've joined the 21st century and have turned it into the Chatter Blog! Moving to the blog format will let us post much more often, while still providing the same fun and interesting material as we did before. Plus you can get updates right when new posts are made by subscribing to our RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed. The Chatter Blog team will be on hand to talk about the blog, and to explain what RSS is and how you can use it around eBay.

Workshops are hosted in discussion threads on the Workshops Board. To get to the Workshops Board:

• Go to www.ebay.com
• Click on Community at the top of the page
• Click on "Workshops" in the "Events" section
• This will bring you to the threaded Workshops Board.

To view archived workshops or to learn more about future workshop events, please check our Workshops Calendar.

Want timely reminders about workshops? We recommend two ways to make sure you never miss an important workshop:

• Sign up for the Workshops Information Group! By joining this group, you will receive an email notification reminding you about upcoming eBay Workshops. (To sign up for the Workshops Information Group, please click here.)
• Subscribe to the RSS feed for the Workshop board. When a new workshop becomes active, your RSS reader will be updated. (You can also subscribe to just the specific topic thread that interests you.) To subscribe, click on the RSS button ( ) at the bottom of the Workshop board or thread. Copy and paste the feed URL into your reader to subscribe. For more information on RSS, please read our RSS Help page.

We look forward to seeing you there!

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If you have any questions, or would like to learn more about chargeback coverage and PayPal Dispute Resolution please join us for a workshop on Monday, July 24 from 11am – Noon PDT.

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	***Original: Coming Soon: PayPal Dispute Resolution Chargeback Coverage***
	June 15, 2006 | 04:00PM PST/PT Larry Friedberg Hi everyone, I'm Larry Friedberg with PayPal Trust & Safety. During Tuesday's keynote address at eBay Live!, Meg Whitman announced an important change that will benefit PayPal sellers. Beginning later this summer, PayPal will be offering chargeback coverage for sellers who use PayPal Dispute Resolution. This protection eliminates the "double jeopardy" situation that can happen when a sellers is involved in a transaction dispute. Chargeback coverage will apply in two situations: if a PayPal seller resolves a dispute amicably with the buyer through PayPal Dispute Resolution, or if the dispute is escalated to a claim and PayPal finds in the seller's favor. In either case, if the buyer then files a chargeback with their credit card company for that transaction, PayPal will fully protect the seller from a chargeback. (Please note that if the dispute or claim hasn't been resolved prior to the chargeback being filed, the seller will not be covered against the chargeback.) Our PayPal Dispute Resolution page will be updated in the next few weeks with more information about this extra chargeback coverage. Sincerely, Larry Friedberg PayPal Trust & Safety Marketing
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For sellers, Item Specifics help make it easier to present a clean, well-organized description that clearly articulates important details that buyers want to see. Using Item Specifics is free and optional. For buyers, Item Specifics improves the ability to find the right item for a given application, and you'll be able to search for items using Item Specifics a few weeks later.

If you list items through an eBay seller tool (e.g. Sell Your Item form, Turbo Lister, Selling Manager) or the eBay API, Item Specifics will be available in the next few weeks. If you utilize a 3rd party listing service (e.g., Andale, Marketworks, etc.), please contact them to verify that they will offer the Item Specifics functionality in the above categories.

We have started a thread on the Toys & Hobbies discussion board to provide more detail about the upcoming changes. To access the thread please click here.

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Jamie Iannone

By now, you've probably seen Bill Cobb's message about resetting the balance of the eBay marketplace and bringing eBay.com's auction-style and other core listing formats back to center stage. Auction-style listings deliver the signature eBay buying experience, in addition to being the fastest way to sell online. These listings are eBay's foundation – and going forward, we're going to be doing more to encourage a higher proportion of auction-style listings on eBay.

As a start, I'm excited to tell you about our “Back to Basics” promotion. Starting at midnight tonight, we're holding a two-day sale on core listing formats (Auction-style or Fixed Price) for eBay.com and eBay Motors Parts & Accessories. Please click here for full details on this promotion.

We hope you take full advantage of this great promotion!

Sincerely,

Jamie Iannone
Sr. Director, Product Marketing
eBay North America

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Bill Cobb

Since its debut in 1995, the eBay marketplace has continually evolved to meet the needs of the eBay Community. For the most part, the behavior of buyers and sellers has naturally adapted to changing conditions – over time, we've learned to allow the marketplace to direct itself as much as possible. On some occasions, though – in the interest of the eBay marketplace's long-term vitality – we've had to step in and implement new policies, introduce new formats, or make changes to our fee structure to create needed incentives for eBay members.

Put simply, we at eBay have two basic roles: to deliver the best overall value for buyers, and to maximize cash flow for sellers. As eBay has grown over the years, we've added various enhancements and tools to the site – but in essence, our “products” are two types of listings:

• Core listings (auction-style, auction-style with Buy It Now, and Fixed Price) deliver the signature eBay buying experience. For sellers, they're the fastest way to sell inventory on the Internet – the only place where items typically sell within about two weeks.
• Store Inventory listings were introduced in 2001 and intended as a low-risk way for sellers to display large amounts of product in their eBay Store. This format employs low insertion fees and higher final value fees to encourage an abundance of inventory on the site.

Amid all this change, one thing has remained constant: auction-style listings are the foundation of eBay. Auction-style and other core listings made eBay what it is today – and they'll always be front and center on eBay.com. They account for about 91% of the gross merchandise value sold on eBay.com. But recently, we've been wrestling with some troubling facts:

• Store Inventory listings now comprise about 83% of active eBay.com listings on average.
• While eBay.com core listings typically sell in about two weeks, Store Inventory listings on average take 14 times longer to sell. In some media categories, Store Inventory listings take more than 40 times longer to sell than core listings.
• And, when you compare our operations costs for an average Store Inventory listing and an average core listing – factoring in the duration of each – our cost to host a Store Inventory listing is more than 50% higher than for a core listing. In fact, current Store Inventory insertion fees don't cover eBay's costs for hosting them.

It's vitally important – to your business and ours – that we maintain a healthy balance between listing formats on the eBay marketplace, and ensure that inventory conversion across the site remains strong. So we're taking action.

Today, I want to inform you of changes we're making to eBay.com – changes intended to rebalance the overall eBay marketplace by further distinguishing the roles of core listing formats and our Store Inventory format. In short, we're improving the advantages of selling in core listing formats – and taking action to manage the proportion of Store Inventory listings – to ensure that the buying experience on eBay stays true to shoppers' expectations.

Core Listings
Core listing fees will remain unchanged. So for the vast majority of eBay sellers who use only these formats, their fees are not increasing.

And we'll be providing greater exposure for core listings on eBay Express. In late August, we'll begin displaying auction-style listings with Buy It Now on eBay Express for qualifying sellers. Also in late August, core fixed price and auction-style Buy It Now listings that qualify for eBay Express will be advantaged over Store Inventory listings.

Also, in response to the requests of many large sellers, we're raising the 10-item multiple listings limit to 15, effective Aug. 22.

Store Inventory Listings
For those of you who operate an eBay Store, we're making changes to Store Inventory listing fees, as well as to the on-site exposure we provide for this listing format.

We'll begin charging variable insertion fees for Store Inventory listings, as we do for core listings. Beginning Aug. 22, eBay.com Store Inventory format insertion fees will be tiered with an item's starting price.

These Store Inventory format insertion fees take effect Aug. 22, 2006:

Some Store Inventory format final value fees also will increase, effective Aug. 22, 2006:

Please note that for current listings, the new final value fees will apply only after these listings are renewed.

For more detailed information on these fee changes, please see our fee changes overview.

For some time, we've been working to identify the best way to display Store Inventory listings on the site. In the spring, we pledged to sellers that we would test a variety of ways to mingle their Store Inventory listings with core listings on eBay.com. We've tested several alternatives and these tests showed the ideal approach is how we're doing it today – that is, when a buyer's search returns 30 or less core listings, we display up to 30 Store Inventory listings. This is what we'll stick with going forward.

However, starting in about a month, we'll also include an unlimited number of Store Inventory listings after all matching core listings, when the buyer clicks the Buy It Now listings tab at the top of every search results page. When the buyer hasn't selected this option, eBay.com will display Store Inventory listings along with core listings as described above.

Half.com Listings Added to eBay.com Search Results
I recognize that sellers in the Books, Movies, Music and Video Games categories will have unique challenges with the changes we're making. As many of our media sellers have requested, starting in late August we'll again provide visibility for Half.com listings in core search results, by bringing back the Half.com listings merchandising feature we used previously (click here for an example). We're also exploring additional ways to promote Half.com listings in search results on both eBay.com and eBay Express.

How These Changes Affect You
I'm confident the actions we're taking are the right thing to do for the overall eBay Community. We'll more effectively deliver on our buyers' needs and expectations. And for sellers, these changes will ensure that eBay remains a differentiated and distinct e-commerce channel with fast inventory turnover.

I know there's a lot to digest here, and that you're probably most interested in quickly determining if and how these changes will impact your business.

A typical eBay Stores seller who uses Store Inventory format – making no adjustments to his or her selling strategy following these changes – will experience an overall fee increase of less than six percent, based on our analysis of all June selling activity. Of course, you need to clearly understand the impact on your business – which could be greater or less than six percent. To get started, please visit the seller resources page or consult the Frequently Asked Questions we've prepared. Also, use your seller support resources in Customer Support. Our CS teams are fully prepared to help you understand the effect on your business, and discuss your options for adjusting your eBay selling strategy to minimize impact to your bottom line.

In addition – to help eBay Stores sellers make informed decisions about any changes to their selling strategies – we're making eBay Marketplace Research Basic available to them at no cost for eight weeks, starting today. Through September 19, eBay Stores sellers can use this data to compare selling formats or determine how best to price inventory on eBay. You can access eBay Marketplace Research here.

I'll be hosting a Community Town Hall discussion tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. Pacific time, where I'll answer your questions. Please click here for more details on the Town Hall, or to submit a question in advance.

Sincerely,

Bill Cobb
President, eBay North America

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Jim "Griff" Griffith

• Steven Frame of The Tax Club - Selling on eBay: Are you a Hobby or a Business?
• Evan Lasky, CEO of Pak Mail Centers of America with packing and shipping tips for eBay sellers
• Colin Rule, eBay's Dispute Resolution Specialist, talks about the red flags that can indicate potential fraudulent activity.
• Skip McGrath, an eBay PowerSeller, helps us continue with our new series, "Fine Tuning Your Business on eBay" by providing tips on cutting your operating costs.
• David Glanzer, Director of PR for Comic Con International, with an update about their comic book convention in San Diego (opening this week).

And as always we'll have "The News" with Lee Mirabal, as well as the most important feature on eBay Radio: your calls! Call in during the show at 877-474-3302 (USA) or 001-858-678-8958 (Internationally) to talk with Griff and his guests or to ask a question and share your voice with the rest of the eBay Community. Remember, one lucky caller per week, selected at random, will receive an autographed copy of Griff's book, "The Official eBay Bible".

If you can't catch the live show, you can always subscribe to the , or access any past broadcast from the eBay Radio Archives. To subscribe to the podcast all you need is an  reader (a portable MP3 player is optional). Visit www.wsradio.com/ebayradio for more information about subscribing to the podcasts and to listen to eBay Radio on your computer.

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We appreciate your input on how we can make categories better for everyone. You may submit categories suggestions here.

Thanks again to all our members who contribute to these trade-enhancing changes!

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	***Original: Coming Soon: Category Updates***
	June 28, 2006 | 12:08PM PST/PT The category structure will be updated in mid-July based on feedback received from the eBay Community and from experts in the affected fields. You may provide category structure feedback at any time by clicking here. A complete list of the new category structure can be found on Seller Central here. Updated categories: CLOTHING, SHOES & ACCESSORIES Check out changes under Men's Clothing and Women's Clothing. CONSUMER ELECTRONICS Look for changes under MP3 Players & Accessories and Televisions. JEWELRY & WATCHES Check out the name change under Watches (Cases, Displays). SPORTING GOODS Look for changes in almost every subcategory of Sporting Goods. As always, you can move your item to another category by revising your listing here as long as it has not received a bid and there are more than 12 hours left in the listing. We appreciate your input on how we can make categories better for everyone. You may submit categories suggestions here. Thanks again to all our members who contributed to these changes!
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Should You Form an LLC or Corporation for Your eBay Business?
This workshop will be held on Monday, July 17th from 15:00 PT to 16:00 PT. At some point when you're selling on eBay you realize you've got a "real" business on your hands. Should you make it official by forming a corporation, limited liability company (LLC) or other legal entity? Doing so can protect you against legal liability, and help you save on taxes. It can also protect you in the event you are ever audited by the IRS or your state tax authority. In this workshop, popular eBay University instructor Cliff Ennico describes the different ways you can legally organize a business in all 50 states and the advantages and disadvantages of each, with a focus on the "real world" needs of eBay sellers.

Product Sourcing - Translating Trends into Products™
This workshop will be held on Tuesday, July 18th from 11:00 PT to 12:00 PT. Are you looking for "a product" to sell? If so, you're putting the "cart before the horse!" The key to successful product sourcing is to look at trends FIRST and then turn your attention to selling products related to those trends. Join Lisa Suttora, Founder/CEO of What Do I Sell.com and a featured speaker on the eBay Live! 2006! Product Sourcing Panel as she discusses how to Translate Trends into Products™. Discover how you can take today's trending information and turn it directly into a successful product line.

Learn to use Blackthorne Basic
This workshop will be held on Wednesday, July 19th from 11:00 PT to 12:00 PT. Join the Blackthorne Software team for this workshop to learn about Blackthorne Basic, the redesigned Seller's Assistant Basic. This end-to-end sales management tool can help you sell more in less time. To learn more, go to the Blackthorne Basic page.

Learn to use Blackthorne Pro
This workshop will be held on Thursday, July 20th from 11:00 PT to 12:00 PT. Join the Blackthorne Software team for this workshop to learn about Blackthorne Pro, the redesigned Seller's Assistant Pro. This top-of-the-line sales management tool can help you scale your eBay business. To learn more, go to the Blackthorne Pro page.

Workshops are hosted in discussion threads on the Workshops Board. To get to the Workshops Board:

• Go to www.ebay.com
• Click on Community at the top of the page
• Click on "Workshops" in the "Events" section
• This will bring you to the threaded Workshops Board.

To view archived workshops or to learn more about future workshop events, please check our Workshops Calendar.

Want timely reminders about workshops? We recommend two ways to make sure you never miss an important workshop:

• Sign up for the Workshops Information Group! By joining this group, you will receive an email notification reminding you about upcoming eBay Workshops. (To sign up for the Workshops Information Group, please click here.)
• Subscribe to the RSS feed for the Workshop board. When a new workshop becomes active, your RSS reader will be updated. (You can also subscribe to just the specific topic thread that interests you.) To subscribe, click on the RSS button ( ) at the bottom of the Workshop board or thread. Copy and paste the feed URL into your reader to subscribe. For more information on RSS, please read our RSS Help page.

We look forward to seeing you there!

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Jenny Copson

What to expect
Three styles will be available: basic, retro-computer and hidden. As today, visit counts will start at zero and stop when the listing ends. eBay counters will be an option on new listings and relisted items. Existing Andale counters will not be replaced on current, revised or ended items.

Store Inventory listings with the ”Good ‘Til Cancelled” duration will be updated with the new eBay counters when there have been no visitors for 90 -120 days. For information on using counters in your listing, visit our Help page.

Please note: Sellers who wish to continue to use the Andale counters may do so by visiting the Andale website.

Safety and Security
In addition to this change, we have also formed a partnership with AOL, focused on Safety and Security. The new eBay counters will link to a special page within eBay’s Security & Resolution Center. Together, eBay and AOL will provide a wealth of information about safe behaviors on eBay and across the Internet. Visit the new page on the Security & Resolution Center to see how eBay and AOL are working together to make the Internet safer.

Sincerely,

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Henry Gomez

eBay and Skype want you to have an easy way to try Skype for international calls. And because we know there are other countries you'd like to call, we have more free weekends coming up:

• July 22-23 – Call Mexico for free.
• July 29-30 – Call Japan for free.

For more details about this promotion, please see our information page.

Sincerely,

Henry Gomez
General Manager, Skype North America

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If you list items manually through an eBay seller tool (e.g. Sell Your Item form, Turbo Lister) or the eBay API, the updated Item Specifics will be available in the next few weeks. If you utilize a 3rd party listing service (e.g., Andale, Marketworks, etc.), please contact them to verify that they will update their Item Specifics in the Clothing, Shoes & Accessories categories.

For general information about Item Specifics and how to use them, please visit the Item Specifics overview page. If you have any comments or feedback about these changes, please send them to fashion@ebay.com and they will be considered for future enhancements.

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Jim "Griff" Griffith

• Chris Malta, Contributing Editor for eBay Radio, and Gregg Greenberg, VP of Marketing and eCommerce for LiquidXS.com will join us to talk about sourcing brand name close-outs.
• Greg Cole, President of HammerTapNow.com will discuss researching competitor strategies and turning them to your selling advantages.
• Marsha Collier, author of "eBay For Dummies" and president of Collier Company will be our first guest for a new regular feature: Fine Tuning your Business on eBay. Today's topic: Cutting Operating Costs.
• Harry Rinker, HGTV's Collector Inspector and author of "How to Think Like a Collector" to talk about the globalization of collecting.
• Laurence Toney, from eBay's Category Management team, with news about the recently-launched "My Collectibles" site on eBay.

And as always we'll have "The News" with Lee Mirabal, as well as the most important feature on eBay Radio: your calls! Call in during the show at 877-474-3302 (USA) or 001-858-678-8958 (Internationally) to talk with Griff and his guests or to ask a question and share your voice with the rest of the eBay Community. Remember, one lucky caller per week, selected at random, will receive an autographed copy of Griff's book, "The Official eBay Bible".

If you can't catch the live show, you can always subscribe to the , or access any past broadcast from the eBay Radio Archives. To subscribe to the podcast all you need is an  reader (a portable MP3 player is optional). Visit www.wsradio.com/ebayradio for more information about subscribing to the podcasts and to listen to eBay Radio on your computer.

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• Home Page Featured
• Featured Plus!
• Border
• Subtitle

The 50% Off Big Upgrades Sale starts on Tuesday, July 11, 2006 at 00:00:01 PT (12:00 AM plus one second) and ends at 23:59:59 PT on Wednesday, July 12, 2006 (11:59 PM plus 59 seconds). Listings created prior to July 11, 2006 and scheduled to start during the promotional period (July 11-12, 2006) will be eligible for the promotional rate. It's a great time to add selling features to showcase your listings and attract even more buyers!

During the 50% Off Big Upgrades Sale:

For auction-style, Fixed Price, and Real Estate/Ad Format listings, the fee for Homepage Featured (for both single and multi-quantity listings), Featured Plus!, Border, and Subtitle will be 50% off. This promotion will not apply to the following types of listings: Motors vehicles and non-vehicles, International, Live Auction, Professional Services, and Store Inventory listings. Please click here for full promotion details.

We hope you enjoy the 50% Off Big Upgrades Sale!

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During the eBay Motors Parts and Accessories 50˘ Insertion Fee sale:

For regular auction-style and Fixed Price Parts and Accessories listings with a starting price above $9.99 on the U.S. Motors site (www.ebaymotors.com), the insertion fee will be capped at $0.50. All insertion fees less than $0.50 will still be charged at the normal rate. For more information about insertion fees during this promotion, please click here.

Listings created prior to July 11, 2006 that are scheduled to start during the promotional period (July 11, 2006) will be eligible to receive the promotional rate. Excluded are Vehicle listings, listings on international eBay sites, Live Auction listings, Professional Services and Store Inventory listings, and listings on www.ebay.com. For full details about the sale, please see our information page.

We hope you enjoy the eBay Motors Parts & Accessories 50˘ Insertion Fee sale!

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• 7.0 Megapixels and Up is being changed to 7.0 - 7.9 Megapixels
• 8.0 Megapixels and Up will be added as the highest megapixel option

If you list items manually through an eBay seller tool (e.g. Sell Your Item form, Turbo Lister) or the eBay API, the updated Item Specifics will be available in the next few weeks. If you utilize a 3rd party listing service (e.g., Andale, Marketworks, etc.), please contact them to verify that they will update their Item Specifics in the Digital Cameras category.

If you have any comments or suggestions about these changes to Item Specifics, please email them to vik@ebay.com and they will be considered for future enhancements.

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If you list items manually through an eBay seller tool (e.g. Sell Your Item form, Turbo Lister) or the eBay API, the updated Item Specifics will be available in the next few weeks. If you utilize a 3rd party listing service (e.g., Andale, Marketworks, etc.), please contact them to verify that they will update their Item Specifics in the Wristwatches category.

For general information about Item Specifics and how to use them, please visit the Item Specifics overview page. If you would like to review a complete list of the changes, you can visit this discussion thread on the Watches, Clocks, and Timepieces board.

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Jim "Griff" Griffith

If you can't catch the live show you can always subscribe to the podcast , or access any past broadcast from the eBay Radio Archives. To subscribe to the podcast all you need is an reader (a portable MP3 player is optional). Visit www.wsradio.com/ebayradio for more information about subscribing to the podcasts and to listen to eBay Radio on your computer.

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Listing Template Design & Layout Clinic
This workshop will be held on Monday, July 10th from 12:00 PT to 13:00 PT. In this workshop, Debbie Levitt, President of eBay Certified Provider As Was, will review some of the key elements eBay listing designs and templates should include (and avoid) to help you generate sales and inspire repeat business. She'll then take questions, and look at one listing each from workshop attendees who would like to get feedback on their designs.

How Tracking Expenses Effects Your Profit
This workshop will be held on Tuesday, July 11th from 11:00 PT to 12:00 PT. Please join KeepMore.net, an eBay Certified Solution Provider to learn what deductions seller are eligible to take. KeepMore.net will also review a list of expenses eBay Sellers often forget to log, various IRS requirements, and give tips that may help you to audit proof your records.

Pension Plans for Your eBay Business
This workshop will be held on Wednesday, July 12th from 10:00 PT to 11:00 PT. One of the biggest benefits of having your own business is that you get to design your own retirement plan. It's estimated that 96 out of every 100 Americans will either have to dramatically reduce their style of living or become dependent on someone else when they grow old. This means that for many of you the time is now to build a retirement that makes sure you get the lifestyle you want as you grow older. Weave your way through the maze of pension plans options with Diane Kennedy, CPA and learn how you might be able to double, or maybe even triple, the money you have at retirement.

Grow Your Business on eBay Express
This workshop will be held on Thursday, July 13th from 14:00 PT to 15:00 PT. As you have now probably heard, eBay Express came out of Preview mode at eBay Live!. The eBay Express team will be available during this workshop to tell you more about exciting new enhancements to the eBay Express site, best practices for selling on Express, and how to use Express to compliment your eBay selling strategies.

Workshops are hosted in discussion threads on the Workshops Board. To get to the Workshops Board:

• Go to www.ebay.com
• Click on Community at the top of the page
• Click on "Workshops" in the "Events" section
• This will bring you to the threaded Workshops Board.

To view archived workshops or to learn more about future workshop events, please check our Workshops Calendar.

Want timely reminders about workshops? We recommend two ways to make sure you never miss an important workshop:

• Sign up for the Workshops Information Group! By joining this group, you will receive an email notification reminding you about upcoming eBay Workshops. (To sign up for the Workshops Information Group, please click here.)
• Subscribe to the RSS feed for the Workshop board. When a new workshop becomes active, your RSS reader will be updated. (You can also subscribe to just the specific topic thread that interests you.) To subscribe, click on the RSS button ( ) at the bottom of the Workshop board or thread. Copy and paste the feed URL into your reader to subscribe. For more information on RSS, please read our RSS Help page.

We look forward to seeing you there!

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In March, the three lucky finalists were given $5,000 to use on eBay to complete a home remodeling project, focusing on increasing their home's "curb appeal." Check out the amazing "before" and "after" photos for each house, as well as a list of all the products (and prices) found on eBay that were used for the makeover. Then cast your vote at any time through July 14 to help determine the winner of the $5,000 Grand Prize.

Visit www.ebay.com/besthouse to see the houses, and to cast your vote!

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	***Original: eBay & Country Living 'Best House on the Block' Contest***
	February 07, 2006 | 10:00AM PST/PT Does your home need a facelift? eBay and Country Living Magazine want to hear how you'd give your home a new sense of curb appeal and transform it into the "best house on the block". Between now and February 28, tell us in 250 words or less how you would use items found on eBay to improve the exterior look and style of your home, such as adding a new front door, putting on fresh paint & shutters, updating the garden decor, or anything else. Three finalists will be awarded $5,000 each in their PayPal accounts to use on eBay for items to help bring their "best house" dreams to life. After three months of shopping and remodeling, one grand prize finalist, chosen by the eBay Community, will be awarded an additional $5,000 cash. For full details, visit www.ebay.com/besthouse.
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Rob Chesnut

Following this review, we've updated the policy to identify those payment methods that we've determined are not appropriate for the eBay marketplace. Please note that eBay's evaluation relates only to whether a particular service is appropriate for the eBay marketplace. These payment methods may, in fact, be useful services for consumers in other contexts.

The policy clarification also specifies the payment methods that are permitted on eBay.

If you would like to read more about the Accepted Payments Policy, please click here.

Sincerely,
Rob Chesnut
Senior Vice President, Trust & Safety

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Six courses are currently available, including:

• How to Sell on eBay Express
• eBay Stores 101
• Organic Search: Fundamentals and Optimization
• Shipping Tools on eBay and PayPal
• Building Your Own Customized Web Store with ProStores
• Go Global: Advanced Strategies For Selling Worldwide

Six more will be added in the coming weeks, including:

• How to Effectively Market Your eBay Store
• Pay-Per-Click Success
• 9 "Quick Start" Basic Keys to eBay Selling Success
• Legal and Tax Aspects of your Business on eBay
• Product Sourcing: How to find the products your buyers want
• Basic Digital Photography to Make You an eBay PowerSeller

To watch any of these videos, please visit our eBay University Video Presentation page.

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	***Previous update: Reminder for the eBay Town Hall Event with Bill Cobb from eBay Live! – June 15th***
	June 09, 2006 | 11:24AM PST/PT Don't forget to listen in as Bill Cobb, President of eBay North America, hosts our next Town Hall from eBay Live! on June 15th from 11:00am PT to 12:00pm PT (noon). Bill, as well as executives from PayPal, Trust & Safety, eBay Stores, eBay Express, and other areas within eBay, will be taking questions from the live audience at the event. If you can't make it to eBay Live!, you can still listen in by visiting our Town Hall page during the event.
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	***Original: Save The Date for Bill Cobb’s Town Hall from eBay Live! on June 15th***
	May 31, 2006 | 10:36AM PST/PT Bill Cobb Hi everyone, All year you've submitted your questions to our audio Town Hall events online. Now I want to invite you to ask them in person at eBay Live! in Las Vegas. I, along with my colleagues from Trust and Safety, PayPal, Customer Support, and other areas of eBay, will be hosting an in-person Town Hall on Thursday, June 15th from 11:00am to 12:00 Noon PT. We'll be taking questions from the audience, and I hope you will attend if you're going to be in Las Vegas. If you can't make it to eBay Live!, you can still listen in by visiting our Town Hall page during the event. Also, the transcript and audio archive from May’s Town Hall with Jeff Jordan and his PayPal leadership team are now available on the Town Hall Archives page. Sincerely, Bill Cobb President, eBay North America
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