As reported in today's AuctionBytes Newsflash (LINK), many people don't realize that eBay had rolled out a classified ad format ("Ad Format") on eBay.com in February in certain categories. Listings appear on eBay alongside regular Auction-style and Buy it Now listings and are non-binding transactions.

For certain types of items, the Ad Format is beneficial to sellers, since they can make contact with many interested buyers, not just the highest bidder, and there are no commission fees. Sellers post an ad for $9.95 for a 30-day listing.

There's a grid of listing formats eBay offers here (LINK), and it's a good reminder of how many options sellers have, including "best offer." This chart doesn't mention eBay Express, but of course, qualified fixed-price listings would appear on eBay Express in addition to eBay.com or eBay Stores.

Alex Kazim, formerly senior vice president of new ventures at eBay, was responsible for launching eBay's international classifieds sites, Kijiji, and went to Skype "to take charge of several new business areas." (He now heads Skype.) Skype is much better suited to classifieds/local search than to eBay auctions, and it will be interesting to see if Kazim can figure out the Skype-eBay synergies.