How to Set Up a Private Auction on eBay

The goal behind a private auction on eBay is to protect your buyer's identities; for example, if you're selling a one of a kind item that is sure to draw attention, hosting a private auction ensures the safety of your bidders. Unlike some eBay features, there is no additional fee when using the private auction feature. Additionally, you can set both auction-style and Fixed Price listings as private. To set up a private auction, you must enable the appropriate option during the creation of your listing.

Click "Sell" at the top of any eBay page to open the "Sell on eBay" page and enter the name of the item you want to list. Click "Create Your Listing" in the following screen.

Click "Switch to advanced tool" in the upper right corner of the screen and click "Continue."

Click "Add or Remove Options," located to the right of "Choose how you'd like to sell your item" near the bottom of the page.

Click the box next to "Allow buyers to remain anonymous to other eBay users" under Private Listing and click "Save."

Click the box next to "Allow buyers to remain anonymous to other eBay users" in the "Choose how you'd like to sell your item" category. This box only appears after enabling the option in the previous step.

Complete the listing as you normally would to create a private listing.