Some say charity is the greatest gift, and here at Listia we agree. With our monthly Charity program, all members are encouraged to donate funds to charity without spending any money whatsoever.

Members are able to donate a few of their Listia Credits to any one of our monthly charities. While members donate their Credits, Listia matches those credits with real money which is then donated once the month is complete. Over the years Listia has raised more than $40,000 USD for a wide variety of charities around the world.

August Charities

Music In Schools Today (MUST) is a non-profit organization that supports and develops music education programs that increase student achievement. Click Here to learn more or donate today.

Angela’s House: In 1992, the non for profit Angela’s House, was created to offer families and professionals an agency to call to help medically frail children and their families. Click Here to learn more or donate today.

MUST and Angela’s House join an impressive list of charities supported by Listia Members:

Ronald McDonald House

Toys For Tots

American Cancer Society

The Nature Conservancy

American Red Cross

Boys & Girls Club of America

American Humane Association

Shelter Network

Autism Speaks

Habitat for Humanity

Red Cross: Hurricane Sandy Relief

Boys and Girls Club of America

Make-A-Wish Foundation

Goodwill

Child’s Play

Khan Academy

Action for Healthy Kids

Be the Match

YMCA CA Youth & Government

Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Operation Homefront

UNICEF: Typhoon Haiyan Relief

Movember Foundation

North Shore Animal League America

Prevent Child Abuse America

BADRAP

Electronic Frontier Foundation

Save the Children

The Jimmy Fund

ASPCA

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

National Mill Dog Rescue

UNICEF U.S. Fund

Girls for a Change

Canine Companions for Independence

Check each month to see which charity is next!
Have a suggestion? Stick it in the comments here, and we’ll take a look at your favorite charity.

….to Listia’s 5th Birthday Party!

Date: Tuesday August 5, 2014
Time: 7:00am-11:59pm Pacific Time

It’s our 5th Birthday tomorrow, and my how we’ve grown. Since August 5, 2009, you’ve traded more than 100 million items! Thank you for making Listia the largest marketplace of its kind. You’re invited to celebrate our birthday with us.

Party Details

Find all the details on tomorrow by visiting http://listia.com/birthday
Then, come back to this blog, or visit Listia on facebook tomorrow for more details on the celebration throughout the day.

Free School Supplies

Summer is flying by, many kids are already starting school! Here are five items* every kid needs for school. From pencils to books, backpacks and notebooks, Every item is available on Listia for free, and most have free shipping!

*Want your listing featured? List a Back To School item and put “School” in your listing title for a chance to get your listing featured here, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Tumblr. Get extra credits – click to check goals.

5 Things Every Kid Needs For School, For Free

1. Backpack: They may look miserable in the photo, but don’t be fooled. The backpacks are saving their spine. Get a new or barely used backpack for free, with free shipping with this link: Backpacks on Listia

2. Basic Tools: Pencils, Notebooks, safe scissors, glue sticks, you name it and they will need it. Get them all  new, without spending any money:  School Supplies on Listia

3. Calculator: Nowadays, teachers ask students to turn off their phones. Armed with a calculator, students are still able to perform certain tasks without turning on their phones. Get one for free:  Calculators on Listia with Free Shipping

4. Lunch Box: The best part of school is Lunch, especially with a good case to hold it. Get a lunch box for free with free shipping so you can stick an extra treat in the box! Get  Free Lunch Boxes on Listia

5. Books:  In just a few weeks, teachers will be handing out the syllabus, assignments and reading lists. Don’t forget to look for books and textbooks on Listia, our community is full of bookworms, book lovers, parents & students who seek to trade Textbooks!

Listia Stories is part of the new All Star series where members are invited to share their Listia experiences to be named a Listia All Star. Send your testimonial to ILove@Listia.com for a chance to be included in the Listia Stories or Listia All Star series.

Friends, Family, Community and Sheet Music

RosesyLace

I have enormously been enriched by the friends I’ve made on Listia. I am able to share craft ideas and add to my collection. Over a year ago, I’d lost a lot of weight. I needed to get rid of my fat clothes. I started listing my bigger size clothes on Listia. Customers kept encouraging me to continue losing weight. So, because of their kindness and friendship, I now have lost close to 100 pounds! I also discovered that there were people on Listia who could not get out to go shopping because of disabilities. Some of these individuals were winning some of my auctions. It was these same individuals who kept encouraging me to continue with my weight loss. They may have gained some nice clothes, but I was enriched by their encouragement and friendship! I have also been able to purchase some seeds for our High School garden on Listia. One of the teachers works in the flower garden and vegetable garden. Both she and I have gained a lot of great advice from some of the Listian gardeners. You are never too old to learn! The lady that is using the vegetable seeds I’ve purchased on Listia is giving the food she grows to the local food pantry. Plus, the flower seeds I’ve purchased are enjoyed by thousands as they transverse the High School halls. I’ve been able to purchase some items that remind me of people that I’ve loved who have since passed on. I’ve discovered antiques that remind me of my grandmother, tatting patterns that remind me of my old music teacher, and even sheet music that I can play for people on the piano in nursing homes! Listia has been a blessing to myself, my family, and my community. It has enriched our lives! Thank you, Listia!!! You are more than just an auction site! You add so much enjoyment to our lives!

Visit RosesyLace’s profile on Listia

Mittyrk

I discovered Listia one day through Facebook as I was messaging my dad. I noticed all these wonderful posts about free listings and I just had to find out what it was about! Boy oh boy I thought how amazing is this site?? I started learning how everything worked and I was off lol. My children now tell everyone that there mom is a Listia addict. It is a wonderful place for people to come not only to auction off items and to win items but also to meet great people and to work with charities. I am a disabled women and it is hard for me to get out to go shopping and things so this is wonderful for me, I absolutely love it!! I just got my seller wings on my last auction…hippeeee 😀 It is a very fun and exciting site and I have been on a roll getting my friends and family involved because they are always asking ” what is this Listia you keep talking about and getting all these great things from” and I say well let me show you lol.

Visit Mittyrk’s profile on Listia

*Many thanks to our most recent Listia All-Stars for sharing their experiences! Send your testimonial to ILove@Listia.com for a chance to be included. If your entry is chosen for the blog for either the Listia Stories or Listia All Stars series, you will receive 5 Listia stickers in the mail, have a feature here, in our newsletter, with a mention on Facebook, Twitter & Tumblr.

Many thanks to our most recent Listia All-Stars! Send your testimonial to ILove@Listia.com*

JoAndCoMosaics

“I am HOOKED ON LISTIA!!
I am a relative newbie, having discovered Listia only recently. I broke my ankle and had to go to a rehab nursing home for a month. I am NOT a computer savvy person- in fact I’m definitely a technophobe! I have long wanted to jump into other auction websites, but I have been stymied by fees, complicated requirements, and, as I said, my own lack of computer savviness. I’ve felt shut out of these other auction communities by an unwelcoming and competitive attitude.

But with Listia, right from the start, it felt like a FAMILY.

The Listia community is so friendly and supportive! From the very first day people were anxious to help. And I started to get over my technophobia almost immediately. The Listia website is SO EASY and intuitive to use that I was able to jump right in.  Browsing, searching, commenting, and bidding on Listia kept me endlessly entertained, 24 hours a day! When I listed my first auctions I was terribly nervous- and then THRILLED to discover that selling on Listia is as easy and even MORE FUN than buying! I was able to connect with other people when I would otherwise have been very isolated. And receiving delightful packages in the mail (“presents from myself” I called them) kept my morale up while I was on a very limited budget and stranded far from home.

I can’t thank the moderators and support staff for Listia enough! Countless times now I have turned to them for clarification and guidance. And each and every time I have gotten the help I needed! How often does a website have a PERFECT track record for customer service!?

I just had my two month anniversary with Listia. I’ve listed more than 30 auctions so far (and won even more than that!). I got my “Seller’s Wings” badge a few days ago ( YAY!), and when my next round of bidders leaves feedback (packages should be arriving tomorrow) I hope to earn my “Trusted Seller” badge. I can’t tell you how proud I am, and how grateful I am to have found Listia. What a FUN accessible, remarkable and wonderful community!! And it’s ALL FREE!
Thank you soooooo much!!”

mysty1021

 “I love Listia and all of their support team members!!! Whenever I need them, they are there for me. And not only them, I’ve made some amazing friends in the few years that I’ve been a member. I cherish them dearly. And I’ve had members make requests from me, when I thought I couldn’t do it, I pushed myself to make them what they asked. They have brought out the best in me I feel, and have opened my eyes to  a whole new world outside of my house, where I’m disabled. And whenever I’m sick or in the hospital, they are there for me, some don’t even know me, but add me to their prayer’s. I love everything Listia has to offer, I’m totally addicted!!!! They are always changing things, trying to make them better, like this e-mail. One day I hope to become a Listia support member, so I can help people they way they have helped me.”

LilacJazz

“I joined January 29, 2014. I have listed 46 auctions – 2 are pending and 38 ended with a winner. All 83 feedback comments left have been positive giving me a 100% feedback ratio. So far I have won 58 auctions – oh what fun! It is like Christmas every week at my house. I am so excited to come home to Listia packages waiting for me. I have had a couple of problems but was able to receive my credits back in full. There have been a few items that I have won that the seller never bothered to send me or give me any feedback or communication but that is rare. I came across Listia as an ad on Facebook and I just love it. I am very detailed oriented and I love to take pictures. I want people to know exactly what they are getting. The feature of being able to post as many pictures as you want without paying to post them is about as awesome as you can get. I also love that Listia enforces no negative feedback and encourages finding a solution that everyone can live with. The power of words leaves an impression that is not soon forgotten. Whoever came up with the saying that sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me had no idea what they were saying. Words can be so much more painful and the sting from them can last a lifetime. Listia is a great way to thin your household inventory while replacing it with new used items. It is a swap of give and get joy – a total win/win scenario. What’s not to love! Thanks Listia; you have brought great joy to this gal who loves to shop without ever leaving home! You could say that I am slightly obsessed. I don’t believe a day goes by that I am not on Listia. Two Thumbs Up – Love It!”

*We are grateful to the Listia community for all of your support, feedback and communication. Send an email to ILove@Listia.com and tell us about your positive experiences on Listia and within the community.  Listia All-Stars are featured in both the Newsletter & blog and will receive five (5) Listia stickers in the mail!

We are grateful to the Listia community for all of your support, feedback and communication. In the past, we’ve featured Listia All-Stars in the Newsletter. Today we are trying something new. Send an email to ILove@Listia.com and tell us about your positive experiences on Listia and within the Listia community. Two winners will be chosen each month, featured in both the Newsletter & blog and will receive five (5) Listia stickers in the mail!

Congratulations to the May 2014 Listia All-Stars, Alice and Wanda:

Alice

“I would like to thank the staff of Listia for their help and support. They come through again and again. But that is only one thing that makes Listia such a wonderful place for people like me. I am homebound due to my health and Lisita gives me a great opportunity to communicate with people I would otherwise never have the chance to meet. I have made so many good friends on Listia which I would never have had if I had not found Listia. Thank you a hundred times over. I love you guys.”
– Alice from Melbourne, FL

Wanda

“I’m mother of 3 and grandmother of 3. I started Listia because I was always seeing people on Facebook announcing that they won something for free. I had to sign up to see what it was all about. I am addicted to Listia! I’ve been a member of Listia for a years now and it has been such a positive experience. I have enjoyed my experience here on Listia and have met some amazing & wonderful people. Right from the start, many people were willing to help, and were forgiving when mistakes were made. Way to go Listia.”

 –Wanda from Fort Knox, KY

…make your listing stand out* to earn more credits!

Every Listia Member has the option to add numerous photographs to their listings. Back in 2012 we did a little research and found that more pictures in a listing increased the number of credits earned per item.  Adding photographs to your listing is always recommended. Alas, sometimes a listing with photographs still does not draw the attention desired. This is often due to the quality of the photographs. To improve your photos, follow these 5 simple steps. Your photos will pop off the page, while more and more credits land in your Listia account.

1. Use Natural Light

Indoor lighting can be misleading. Images may look grainy, blurry, or even become a different color with artificial illumination. Taking photos outdoors or near a window will help to better represent your item. Standing in the shade is best, to avoid harsh glares.

2. One Solid Color In The Background

Multiple colors and textures can be distracting. Place your item on a flat surface that is one solid color so it gets all the attention.

3. Eliminate Shadows

Just like patterns and textures, shadows can also take the attention away from your featured item. Holding a piece of plain white paper between the light source and your item can mute and/or eliminate those annoying shadows.

4. Crop Crop Crop!

Crop Your Photo. Just about every digital camera and smartphone give you the option to crop a photo, which means cutting the photo down in size so as to make something in the photo appear larger. The item you are listing should fill the entire frame.

5. Multiple Angles & Close-Ups

Buyers will appreciate numerous photos, so take as many as necessary to represent the item with accuracy, authenticity and beauty.Take a lot of photos from multiple angles. If there is a tag or marker of authenticity to highlight, take a close-up.

*Don’t have a camera? Find one at Listia for free with free shipping.

The Listia decluttering series, inspired by ListiaLeslie’s 40 day decluttering project. This week, Leslie worked on the closet.

Cleaning out the closet can be a daunting experience, but with a few easy steps, good music, and a few rules assigned to the clutter, it becomes an easy, rewarding experience.

1. Great Music
Pick some music with a great beat which inspires you, and turn it on, or wait a few days to clean and find music on Listia. Turn off the TV and you may find yourself doing your very best decluttering dance moves!

2. Make Rules, Prepare To Divide Items into Categories
I chose to divide items into 4 categories:

a) Keep: For items I absolutely need to keep because they serve a need or have essential sentimental value
b) Recycle: Items for the recycling bin, recycle-friendly trash
c) List on Listia: Listia is the perfect place to give away the great things I no longer need. In turn, I get credits that I use for gift shopping, without any out of pocket spending
d) Trash: Items that cannot be recycled, donated or listed on Listia

3.  Staging Area
Here comes the hard part, but it’s worth it. I created an area which I call the Staging Area. First, I took absolutely everything out of the closet and put it all in the staging area. From here, I organized the items and  sorted everything, applying all the above rules. The only items to go back in my closet were the items which were not deemed as trash, recycled goods or for listing on Listia.

4. Create Areas In The Closet
Before I put back the items I knew I was going to keep, I divided the closet into 3 areas: Jackets, folded items, hanging clothes, bins & boxes. Then, when it was time to put everything back in, I knew where the essentials were going. The miscellaneous items were then organized into bins which fit on the closet shelves. Since my vacuum cleaner doesn’t fall into any of those categories, it did not go back into that closet.

5. Labels
For items that went into bins, I pulled out a label maker (which I got on Listia!) and made sure to mark each bin with the appropriate label. For example, one bin has sandals and flip-flops so I marked it “Sandals & Flip-Flops”.

Now my closet is free of clutter, and I have room for more T-shirts! 🙂  What are your tips for cleaning out the closet?

My Newly Decluttered Closet

Leslie works at Listia and recently embarked upon a 40 day Decluttering Project. She will be sharing  her experiences with all of us over the next few weeks. This is the first installment of Leslie’s Decluttering Project. 

Small space living makes the quest for a clutter free life a huge challenge. Sometimes I win, sometimes the clutter wins. This year for Lent, I chose to give up clutter and send it packing! For the next 40 days I’m working through clutter to create a clear, peaceful, and harmonious living space.

Room by room, I am dividing items into three categories:

1. Keep
2. Recycle
3. List on Listia

Listia is the perfect place to give away the things I no longer need. In turn, I get credits that I use for gift shopping, without any out of pocket spending!

Decluttering Project #1: The Bathroom

Before I started this project, it looked like a beauty supply store threw-up in my bathroom.

BEFORE

Do I really need 5 different shades of red nail polish? No. Do I need 3 different kinds of anti-wrinkle cream? Maybe. What I DON’T need is every product I own spread all over the counter, taking up valuable real estate and creating stress. I want my bathroom to be clean and relaxing.

AFTER

After decluttering the bathroom, I have exactly what I want! A lovely bathroom that invites a sigh of relaxation and not a sigh of exasperation.

My next challenge is the kitchen. Who knew such a tiny kitchen could get so cluttered?

– Leslie

Thank you to everyone who entered a video into the I Love Listia Video Contest. We are honored that you took the time to make so many great videos, and appreciate them all. You can view many of them on our Listia Channel. The challenge was to create a video describing why you love Listia in 90 seconds or less. Entrants had the entire month of February to submit as many videos as they wanted, and the entire Listia staff voted anonymously on their top 5 picks. It was really hard to pick only five! The results are in, and the winners are. . .

1st Place: $500 & 50,000 Credits

2nd Place: 40,000 Credits

3rd Place: 30,000 Credits

4th Place: 20,000 Credits

5th Place: 10,000 Credits

Congratulations to all, and thank you so much for all your creativity. Winners: Your credits will appear in your account today, and you will receive an email from Listia in your Listia account to confirm. Check back soon for more fun video contests.