Why pay eBay to host your auction images for you when you can use an online image hosting service to do it for free? A lot of people don't even know it's possible or may think it's not worth the hassle. This simple step by step article will show you how you can easily save money on your eBay listings.

Most good file and image sharing websites will allow you to rename files, resize images, create thumbnails, rotate images, and more. All of these are very helpful tools for managing your eBay auction images.

In order to get started, the first thing you need to do is take good quality pictures of your items. Try to use a camera that can take pictures at 2 Megapixels or greater. I also like to use an inexpensive tripod to take my pictures as this usually helps eliminate most problems with blurry pictures. Once you have your pictures, transfer them to your computer.

Once your pictures are on your computer, it is time to transfer them to a free file hosting site. You will want to register for an account by clicking REGISTER on the top menu bar. Once you've finsihed the registration process an activation email will be sent to you (check your SPAM folder if you don't see it in your Inbox). Click the link and your account will be activated and now you can login and use your account.

Once you are logged in, you will need to upload your files by clicking UPLOAD from the top menu bar. Next, click Browse and select your file and then click Browse again to select additional files if necessary. Once you've finished selecting the files, click upload.

After uploading your files you are taken to the My Files page where you can resize and rename your files in one easy step. It's good to rename your files something descriptive that you'll remember. Also a good rule of thumb is to resize them to 640x480 or 800x600 pixels (depending on your preference) for fast loading. To edit your pics, click the name of the file you want to edit. Type the new filename in the Rename box. Next, change the leftmost box on Resize to 640 for 640x480 (or to 800 for 800x600) pixels and leave the "Maintain Aspect Ratio" box checked. Save the changes by clicking Update File. Repeat for any remaining files you want to edit.

Now your pictures are ready to be added to your auction. From the My Files page, click share on the line of the file you want to add to the listing and it will automatically generate a code snippet. You will want to use the "img (HTML Image Tag)" for your eBay listing. Click ( copy to clipboard ) under the "img" type. VERY IMPORTANT - When creating your eBay listing, make sure you've selected the HTML tab for the Description section. Now you can paste this HTML code into your listing where you want the image to appear. Repeat this to add unlimited images to your listing!

Enjoy, repeat, enjoy!