AuctionSplash is a simpler seller's tool than many of the others available, but it comes free of charge and can help sellers of all levels stay informed about their auctions.

It uses the free Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0, used by many freeware and shareware applications, to notify you of eBay events while you work on the other tasks throughout the day. It monitors your auctions, advising you about the number of prospective buyers who've chosen to watch your items.

You can put it to use creating templates for listings, which you can preview and refine, as well as finding out all the costs associated with sellling the item. A single-page listing-creation tool steps you through the ten stages to creating your listing, with free picture hosting, including supersize images. And it offers advanced selling tools such as scheduled listings, to launch your auctions on set dates and times, and a selling summary.

The software also follows sales, keeping track of payment status and producing labels to get merchandise to buyers along with handling automatic feedback.

Additional tools aid buyers as well, with an auto login function that makes accessing eBay areas instantly from the desktop a cinch. Or use it to issue e-mail alerts before the closure of an auction and use configurable desktop alerts, including optional audible signals, for up-to-the minute news on auctions.

An intelligent search function, including misspelled words and a buying summary rounds out the program. There's a 54-page Users Guide with precise details of every aspect of the program and excellent full-colour accompanying images in addition to over 100 auction templates. And if that weren't generous enough, an interactive tutorial is also available on the website, with more planned, making AuctionSplash easy to recommend for both buyers and sellers without reservation.