In mid-September, eBay users posting on the UK site will have to place a Reserve Price of at least 50 pounds if they want to use the optional listing feature.

This change will be implemented across all categories, and the fee will remain the same.

eBay's announcement said the it made the decision to "prevent the misuse of the Reserve Price. Many new or inexperienced sellers use a Reserve incorrectly and diminish the chance of a successful sale. We do not currently believe that abolishing Reserve Prices altogether is attractive. We believe the £50 minimum for Reserve Prices offers an excellent compromise at this time."

http://www2.ebay.com:80/aw/marketing-uk.shtml#2004-08-17180830