FREE Listing Offers by eBay - why not for the holiday break?

[prettywoman-2012]

Just curious! I am for one grateful for any and all FREE listing offers, which eBay has bestowed upon me in abundance this past month. However, like many sellers, I work outside of eBay and now that we have a holiday break at work, I would have REALLY more time to take pictures and list list list - but no offers for FREE listings. I think eBay could issue one that goes till the last day of this year, or even till January 2nd. 

PW

[slippinjimmy]

Nothing stopping you from using this "free" time to create listings and then post them when you get a freebie (which traditionally comes between Dec 26th and January 10th).

[luckythewinner]

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@prettywoman-2012 wrote:

 I would have REALLY more time to take pictures

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Snap away! No need for a listing special. 

And you can write up the descriptions and put them in a file. 

Luckily I still use Turbo Lister, so I can create listings any time - listing special or not - and have them ready to go. 

[prettywoman-2012]

Lucky, I thought Turbo Lister was discontinued? When I was last selling here regularly, I used Auctiva which I stopped using at one point, because I saw it in an announcement that the html code that the listing was using is actually, interfering with visibility and I believe (though not sure, as it was years ago) ebay asked us to remove it. So, I had to manually edit over 800 listings, back then. Hmm. 

Thanks 
PW

[prettywoman-2012]

Thanks, Jimmy the Slipping! : I believe there is a way, now that I think about it, to just save them as a draft - and not post them until the next promo comes along? Never used that option, though I know about it from a few occasions when I accidentally failed to complete a listing and found them under "finish your listing" when I next logged in.

For this to happen (to not list just save it), does the listing have to remain incomplete (e.g., without the pictures uploaded into each)? 

PW

[slippinjimmy]

Drafts can be complete as far as I know, just don't click on the submit button. Not sure how many drafts you can store.

For most of what I sell, the picture taking and the pricing research are the things that take the most time, everything else is mostly boiler plate stuff that can be done quickly. I use a third-party listing tool (SixBit) so for me there is no limit to how many listings I can prep or how long I can set them aside. I went on a huge picture taking binge a few years ago, I still have some of those unfinished listing that need polishing.

[chapeau-noir · Accepted solution]

I've stored 30 or so drafts before - not sure what the top amount is, but if you run out, you can always use the template function and just 'save as template', then launch from the template when you get ready to list. If you don't use templates at all, you get another 50 'drafts' right there, or you can temp convert templates you do have.

[prettywoman-2012]

Thanks, slippinjimmy I have heard of SixBit but have yet to check it out. 

PW

[prettywoman-2012]

Thanks, chapeau noir - you are a BLANCHE angel! I went ahead and caved in on my two movie listings and listed one at FP and the other at auction. But that will be followed by more that I will save as a draft. I have about 25 items - all sterling silver vintage jewelry - that should go fast, because I already have some templates saved for these kinds of items. I hope eBay will give us more free listings, it is kind of ingenious to not issue one when most people are off work for today and the rest of the week, and really would have time browsing and shopping online...not to mention, about 1/3 of adults in the USA are single, and those among them who do not travel are not likely to be surrounded by family activities other than perhaps being single parents. So, even then, less hectic, because today is a holiday, so in the evening hours when the kids are in bed already, they are going to shop. Anyways. Bonne nuit

PW

[847amyw]

I notice this all the time, too.  It's exactly how they want it to be.  As soon as lots of people would like to sell things, there's magically no Free Offers.   The more desperate to list and make money people are, then Ebay sees this as an opportunity to take advantage and make themselves more money off of fees.   I've been noticing this during this COVID pandemic, while people are holed up at home desperate for some way to bring in money, VOILA!!  Ebay's free listings have disappeared!   Shameful.   Just as greedy of a company as Amazon.