Read an article about how this can affect you as an eBay seller here:

USPS Bans Lithium Shipments Outside US
Fire, explosion hazard sparked the unexpected policy change.

Take a look at the new eBay Selling Inspiration House.  It may surprise you to find out how much some of that extra stuff in your house is worth. Explore virtual rooms and click on the items to see what they are selling for on eBay.

There are other resources on eBay to help you determine what your items are worth.  Take a look at the Fashion Selling Guide and the Tech Selling Guide.

Start listing those items and make some extra cash today!  You can still list for free on eBay, you only pay if your item sells.

Actually they have a few apps, but today I am going to tell you a little about eBay for iPhone.  It’s great for sellers, you can quickly look up items and determine their value.  When you find an item at a consignment shop, or garage sale you could evaluate the possible income that could be made from it.  You can also use it with the iPhone’s barcode scanner to list new items quickly.  You can also use the barcode scanner to look up listing prices.

Buyers can use the eBay app to help them get that last minute bid in, and keep a close watch on those great eBay finds.  The app also allows access to My eBay and advanced search functions.

Recent updates to the eBay app will make selling easier.
The most recent updates to the eBay Mobile app for iPhone include some great seller enhancements! The updates now allow you to:

• Show your vacation settings to buyers
• In the shipping section you can select countries to exclude
• Get extra support for calculated shipping

If you have an iPhone or even an iPad download the app today!

For those that list on the go, Auctiva offers a mobile app to help manage your sales.  The Auctiva mobile app is compatible with eBay’s latest features and policies.  Auctiva offers world-class customer support and abundant help resources. Check out the website and try it for free for 30 days.

Moms: Mother’s Day is the 4th largest retail holiday of the year. From now until May 13, eBay will be helping to drive the seasonal shoppers to listings in  Jewelry, Fashion, Fragrances, Home & Garden, and Electronics. Be sure to list your inventory in these categories to make the most of this huge retail rush.

Dads & Grads: Starting May 16 through June 17 eBay will be highlighting the great deals in top-selling categories for dads and grads, which includes Electronics, Tickets, Fashion, Auto Parts & Accessories, and Home & Garden. You can get a head start and begin sourcing your items in these categories.  You will then be ready to list when the campaign begins.

When you include unique product identifiers like UPCs, ISBNs, and EANs in your listings, your items can be found more easily by buyers when they use off-eBay search, mobile apps, and even eBay search.  Be sure you are  including these identifiers in the designated field whenever you create your listings.  Also, if you list in eBay Motors Parts & Accessories, be sure to include parts compatibility with your listing.  To learn how to include these identifiers on your listing and learn more about how this helps check out the eBay Seller Information Center.

Also if you are an eBay Top-rated seller, you can sign up for the USPS Savings Program.  This program offers Commercial Plus Pricing, allowing you to save up to 32% when you pay for your postage and print your labels from eBay Labels.

Don’t forget that you can get your shipping supplies FREE from USPS, too!  I have mentioned this before, but don’t forget to order your FREE USPS® Priority Mail® boxes online.  You can request between 10 and 25 boxes in various sizes, including shoeboxes, and they will deliver them right to your door free of charge.  How easy is that for getting your shipping supplies?

Check out eBay’s Shipping Made Easy Guide or visit the eBay Shipping Center for more tips on shipping your sold eBay items.

• Right now eBay requires that you meet a $3,000 annual sales requirement.  This will be lowered to just $1,000.
• They will remove the minimum average Detailed Seller Rating requirement of 4.60.
  
• You will no longer be required to have the PowerSeller status.
• When you sell an item, the tracking must be uploaded to eBay within the handling time you have stated.  This must be done on 90% or more of your US transactions. If you use eBay Labels, the tracking info is uploaded automatically.
• All eBay Top-rated sellers will receive a 20% final value fee discount when they ship with 1-day handling and offer an allowed 14 day or better return time with a money-back option.

Now that the requirements are a little easier to reach, you can start working towards your Top-rated seller status today!

•  A new minimum picture size – you will be required to have a minimum length of 500 pixels on the longest side.  However, they suggest you have a length of 1600 pixels on the longest side.  Setting your camera to either medium or high picture quality should ensure that your picture is large enough.
• No borders on pictures – you can no longer put a border around your pictures on eBay.  Natural borders on square items is however allowed.
• Pictures can not have text or artwork added – you can no longer add any artwork or extra text to your photos.  This includes sales logos or your own personal store/seller logo.
• New watermark guidelines – can be used for ownership and attribution only.  Watermarks can be no darker than 50% opacity, and no more than 5% of the full photo size. Links and other item details are not allowed in watermarks.
• Stock photos are only allowable for new or refurbished items – there are a few exceptions that include the Movie, Music, Book, and Video Game categories.  Video game consoles however do apply for this new guideline.
• Every listing must have a photo – every listing will be required to have at least one photo.

Check out eBay’s Photo Center under Seller Resources for more information about photos on eBay.

The best way to make a sale on eBay is with great pictures. By having more clear, crisp, quality pictures in your listings you make it easier for buyers to make a purchase decision. The NEW eBay Photo Center has many tips. Including visual do’s and don’ts about taking even better pictures. There is even a checklist for taking the best pictures.

Check out my next post about eBay’s new photo guidelines that are coming soon.  Don’t forget that starting July 2, 2012, eBay will begin allowing up to 12 free pictures with each listing.