Before we had eBay, we had the traditional auction which consisted of live bodies in chairs and an auctioneer up front. Anybody who wants to buy something can still enter in these live auctions thorough eBay. Live auctions are a hybrid - a buyer or seller is right there in a live setting yet is at home using an internet connection.

eBay users are generally accustomed to two notable formats for selling on eBay, either the regular auctioneer method which typically involves bidding and waiting for the auction to end; and the buy it now 'button', which is an instant purchase, no wait time at all.

If you decide to enter in a live auction, be certain that you register first because it's impossible to enter an auction on the fly. The products for sale on live actions can prove to be quite expensive and in some cases unusual. Such items you might find on these auctions are as follows:

* Unique coins

* Asian art

* Native American artefacts

* Exotic jewellery

* Pricy furniture

* Memorabilia from major sports stars

Today, for instance, there are documents signed by John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, James Madison and Ulysses Grant.

Private auctions are similar to the usual auction sale that we're all knowledgeable about with except for one detail - the identities of the bidders are left a secret. Only the vendor has entree to the names. Why would anyone create a private auction?

A. Some sellers habitually use private auctions to make it harder for their challengers to snoop on them. B. The product is pretty expensive and buyers might be uncomfortable having others know they can yield such merchandise. Their concern about their financial status is most in all likelihood misplaced because it is rather possible to distance yourself from eBay contact information, but much of selling is about perception.

C. Restricted auctions are generally used for selling adult items or material. The primary objective is to prevent under aged individuals from viewing the product, which is similar to having protective cover on an adult magazine in a corner store. Even though there aren't many people who are too familiar with them, these three formats for auctions on eBay still counts for millions of dollars of sales each year.

If they suit your business model, you might want to regard them. In addition, restricted auctions are excluded from the Featured pages. So if you are a vendor using this format, your listing will be harder to find.