2 min article

Catalogue policy

When you buy or sell on eBay, you have the protection of the eBay Money Back Guarantee. The sale of catalogues could result in transactions taking place away from eBay, where you would no longer have those protections. As such, we have guidelines around the types of catalogues that can be listed on eBay.

Listing current catalogues can also make for a bad buyer experience – the items within the catalogue complicate our site search, making it harder for buyers to find the items they need. For more details on when catalogues can be listed on eBay, please see our full policy guidelines below.

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Can I sell my collectable catalogues?

Yes, you can list old or collectable catalogues, but your listing and product must include the following statement: "You cannot order products from this catalogue."

You can also list other types of catalogues that can't be ordered from, such as auction catalogues from places like Sotheby's or Christie's, that are often used as reference guides.

I'm a rep for a company that sells products directly to consumers. Can I list my catalogue?

No. If you're a representative for a company like Avon, Mary Kay, Tupperware or Amway, for example, you can't list your catalogue on eBay.

If you're not a company's representative, then you can sell their catalogues, as long as you state in your listing that you're not an agent or reseller of the products shown in the catalogue.

In general, you can only list a catalogue if you won't benefit from sales of items shown in the catalogue.

Read our full policy

Catalogue policy overview

We don't allow listings or products for catalogues that buyers can order from. We do allow sellers to list old and collectable catalogues that can no longer be ordered from.

Activity on eBay is required to follow this policy, the eBay User Agreement and all applicable laws, as well as respect the rights of third parties. If it doesn’t, eBay may take action consistent with applicable laws and the eBay User Agreement, and may even be legally required to do so. Such actions may include, as an example only: Removing the listing or other content, issuing a warning, restricting activity or account suspension.

What are the guidelines?

Allowed Allowed
  • An old or collectable catalogue that can no longer be used to order items and follows the guidelines below
  • Any catalogue of any year where the seller specifically states in the listing "You cannot order products from this catalogue"
  • Any catalogue of any year that products can't be ordered from—for example, a catalogue that shows a product line
  • Sotheby's, Christie's, and other auction catalogues that are used as a reference, guide, or collectable
 
Restricted Allowed in some situations
  • Avon, Tupperware, Mark Kay, and Amway catalogues can be listed as long as the seller indicates in the item description that he or she is not an agent or resellers of these products
 
Not allowed Not allowed
  • Any other catalogue that can be ordered from
 

Selling old and collectable catalogues

If you list an old or collectable catalogue on eBay, be sure you follow these guidelines:

  • You can't benefit from any subsequent sales from suppliers in that catalogue
  • You can't include extensive lists of specific brand names, items, categories or prices in the title or description of the item. This is considered "keyword spamming" and is against our guidelines
    Note: Any additional information or categories sellers want to include should be linked to through a "more information" link in the listing. Before adding a "more information" link, please review our links policy
  • Old and collectable catalogues can't be combined as a bonus item with any other listing or product

Tip
Visit Seller Help - opens in new window or tab to find details of any policy issues with your account or listings, and get the information you need to quickly resolve them.

Why does eBay have this policy?

Listings that offer catalogues clutter the site, making it harder for buyers to find relevant items and harder for sellers to sell actual items. They also encourage buying and selling outside of eBay, which violates our policies.

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