How It Works
eBay community members can give through eBay Giving Works in a number of ways:

• eBay Give@Checkout allows buyers to donate $1, $2, $5 $10 or $25 to a non-profit of their choice with just one click whenever they make a purchase on eBay.
• eBay Sellers can donate anywhere between 10%-100% of their item’s final sale price to any non-profit organization certified for the program. When sellers create a listing with eBay Giving Works and that item sells, eBay will credit the insertion and final value fees back to them, equal to the percentage of the final selling price that they chose to donate.
• eBay Buyers can search for and purchase eBay Giving Works items, which are identified in search results by a blue and yellow ribbon.
• Non-Profit Organizations can receive donations and also sell their own goods for free to raise funds on eBay.
• Anyone can make direct donations to their favorite non-profit through eBay Giving Works with no requirement to buy or sell on eBay. Donations can start at $1 and all it takes is a PayPal account.

eBay Giving Works At Work

Here are some of the inspiring statistics of eBay Giving Works:

• Since August 2008 buyers have donated more than $7.5 million through Give@Checkout in the US and UK (as of April 2010).
• Nearly 1.5 million people have used eBay Giving Works and eBay for Charity to support their favorite causes (as of April 2010).
• Every minute, more than $68 is raised for good causes on eBay and a donation is made every 24 seconds.
• Nearly 500,000 unique eBay listings support a non-profit through eBay Giving works on any given day.
• More than 250,000 sellers have supported 22,000+ charities since inception.
• Eight U.S. non-profits have raised more than $1 million with eBay Giving Works (as of April 2010).

Click on the link for more information on eBay Giving Works, and find a way to use eBay to help your favorite charities.

Every Bid counts!

If you have Charity Auctions running, and would like to showcase on this blog please let me know.  I’d be happy to get the word out for you and share your items.  It all goes towards a worthy cause.

Send an email to jenn@boutiquebargains.com with your name and store link, or a link to auctions you have running.  Please put ‘CHARITY AUCTIONS’ in the subject line.

Some of my personal auctions include:

House of Hatten Smocked Easter Dress

Le Top Boutique Lemon Cirtus Dress

Gymboree Garden Bloom Linen Easter Set Green

Ralph Lauren 3 Pc Lot shirt pants Set

I hope to see many, many more participants! 

I also can’t believe that today is Election Day already…

The other day, my five year old asked me if I was voting for John McCain or Obama… clear as day, like she’s been following the election this entire time!  I later found out that they’ve been discussing the election in Kindergarten and going over a brief history of each candidate.  Amazing what they are learning at 5 years old these days.

So with this very important election upon us today, make sure you don’t forget to vote!

At the end of October, Jaybird Designs will be donating 50% of the sale price of these items to The American Cancer Society in honor of her maternal grandmother who passed away from cancer in 1987.  Please take a moment to check out the featured items she has…

Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbon Slippers
Crochet Breast Cancer Skinny Scarf Custom
Jaybird Designs Signature Sweater Custom

She specializes in crochet baby blanket sets (which include a crochet baby blanket, matching crochet hat and booties), boutique style children’s clothing and accessories (such as halters, sweaters, and hats), women’s accessories (beautiful purses, scarves, and more!), and original crochet patterns. All of her crochet patterns are available as custom orders, so make sure to contact her for more details.

Also, if you have something specific in mind and don’t see it on her site, contact Jaybird Designs and she’ll see what she can do for you!

Thank You!

Beginning late October 2008, all items listed on eBay.com must be paid for using one of the following approved payment options:

• Direct credit or debit card payment via a merchant credit card account
• PayPal
• ProPay
• Payment on pick-up

Paper payment methods such as checks and money orders will no longer be accepted on eBay.com.

Read the Full story >>> HERE <<<

They even have some FAQs

What do I have to do to comply and when will I need to make these changes to my listings?

What will happen to my listings after October if I don’t remove prohibited payment methods?

What will happen if I ask a buyer to use prohibited payment method?

Other FAQs for buyers and sellers

On to the blogging questions that inquiring minds are asking:

Q: How much time do I need to spend on blogging?

A: You should spend about 20 minutes a day working on your blog.  Whether it’s writing one post or five, you want to get in the habit of paying attention to your blog every day so you consistently have fresh content for your readers.

Q: I’m really new to this, and feel quite clueless.  Is this simple for beginners?

A: YES, I can’t say it enough.  There’s an addiction about blogging that I can’t quite describe… I promise!  Once you get it all set up, you’ll find your groove.

Q: I have absolutely NO skills with setting up a website.

A: That’s OK, you’re not the only one.  You can easily leave it up to the person setting up your blog for you.  Web support is a god send for us non techie people.

Q: Is this going to be expensive?

A: It doesn’t have to be and it’s a very wise investment that you will have with you for a very long time.  Our pals at Freshnets can hook you up and the momwebs hosting service is very affordable.  We use WordPress Blogs and they ROCK!

Q: So I need a domain name separate than what I’m using for eBay?

A: You can if you absolutely want to have a different name, but it’s not necessary.  I think it’s personal preference. Either way, your domain name should be short and easy to remember.

Q: What if I get stuck, can I contact you or someone?

A: Absolutely!!  This isn’t something that we would leave you hanging with and we’re experienced enough with it that we can get the kinks out if you have writers block.  And don’t forget tech support is always there for technical issues.

Q: I don’t know what to write about!!!!

A: LOL!!  So funny, I thought I wouldn’t know how to put a blog post together to save my life, but it’s a lot easier than you give yourself credit for.  Your focus is eBay!  You’re going to be blogging about your items, your experiences, sharing your tips and connecting with other eBayer’s out there.

In the near future, I’ll be sharing with you the results of my eBay blog and how they’ve improved traffic to my listings on eBay.  It’s quite impressive and I’m thrilled!  I’m waiting for a full months worth of data, so the results will be in pretty soon…

Stay tuned!

Please take a few minutes and watch the short video.  Then make sure to visit Soles United to find a donation location in your area.

The goal is to donate more than 2 million pairs of recycled Crocs shoes Worldwide to those in need, during the year 2008. Thanks for your support!

This is the YouTube video:

Boutique Bargains Proudly Supports Soles United