My current strategy and first success

[ClobberRewind]

Fifth - under listing type always choose gallery listing over free, you will pay a 2% fee on the sale but in the listing, there is a picture to see unlike free where there isn't one (this is in search results, not the listing itself) so as a result, I don't think your item can be listed on google or bing.

[theElench]

Only my opinion (and probably a minority one) but I wonder how much of a draw the "Free To List" option is these days? It was probably much more so back when obay charged everyone listing fees. Now it doesn't, it's free to list for many and that includes integrated checkout and a picture in the search results.

Even as a collector, always looking out for something unusual, a title has to be pretty intriguing to persuade me to click on a pictureless listing to see a photo.

I think "Platinum" listings at 5p + 5% FVF, with integrated checkout and a picture in the results should be high-lighted instead. They're more attractive to buyers. Even with the fees they are still a big saving over the other site and every one brings in some immediate revenue to ebid, plus enhancing the possibility of a FVF, that could be used for site improvements.

I'm not sure about google or bing up-loads either, but I don't recall ever seeing a pictureless item on google shopping. All in all I'd guess that without a photo in the results, an item only has a slim chance of selling.