Choose Your Auction Type! As a seller, you can choose the type of auction that gets the results-and the price-you want! As a buyer, check out which auction type you'd like to try.

1. Reserve Price Auctions
   Set a reserve price if you absolutely, positively won't sell below a certain price.
   • Bidders know there's a reserve price, but they do not know what it is.
   • When a bidder matches or exceeds the reserve price, the seller gets his or her price and the bidder gets the deal!
   • If no bidders meet the reserve price, neither the seller nor the high bidder are under any further obligation.
   • You can't use reserve prices for Dutch Auctions, and items with reserve prices are not displayed in the Hot Items section.
   • On eBay.co.uk, sellers who wish to use a reserve price must set the reserve price to be equal to or greater than £50. It is not permissible to set a reserve price level to be less than £50.
2. Private Auctions
   Strictly hush, hush—use this auction to protect a buyer's privacy.
   • Bidders' email addresses won't show up on the item or bidding-history screens.
   • When the auction is over, only the seller will know who bought the item.
   • This option can't be used with Dutch Auctions.
3. Dutch Auctions
   This fast-paced, free-for-all format is perfect if you have multiple, identical items to sell.
   • Sellers start by listing a minimum price, or starting bid, and the number of items for sale.
   • Bidders specify both a bid price and the quantity they want to buy.
   • All winning bidders pay the same price-which is the lowest successful bid. That might be less than what you bid!
   • If there are more buyers than items, the earliest successful bids get the goods.
   • Higher bidders get the quantities they've asked for.
   • Bidders can refuse partial quantities.
     Check out an example.