I finally deduced that it is my 10 megapixel camera that is the problem, as the photos are huge if the camera is set at high resolution. My question to Auctiva is, what is the maximum size for a photo to get the best resolution in a listing and is equal to what the uploader converts it to? This would mean I could take the original photo at a size that needs little conversion and possibly cut down the time it takes to upload them. I could also do the same test you did to find the "magic number" (GREAT idea BTW). I am loving Auctiva so far, only other problem is that in the picture selector the default is the list view, not the thumbs. I wish there were a way to make the thumbs or the list the default, as I lose another few pennies off my dismal hourly rate waiting for the pix to convert to thumbs eeevvreerryyy time!
Also, I tried uploading to Picassa and then bringing them from there, but Picassa made them too small, and the result on Auctiva was tiny little photos. I sell jewelry, and so this is an important question for me. Thanks sooo much, Marian