eBay Hacks

Chapter 5. Working with Photos

Hacks #55-64

There are no two ways about it: a photo can make or break an auction.

Attractive, clear, well-composed photos will excite your customers and get you more money for your items. Poor photos, however, will make your item — and therefore your auction — less desirable. And having no photo is tantamount to auction suicide. None of this should surprise you. But there’s a lot to think about when it comes to taking photos, transferring them to your computer, preparing the files, and putting them in your auctions.

See [Hack #55] and [Hack #56] for tips on taking good auction photos.

Getting Photos into Your Computer

Probably the biggest hurdle that most sellers face is getting photos into their computers. In most cases, this involves an investment, not only of money for equipment, but of time taking photos and preparing them properly. If you do it right, though, the investment will more than pay for itself in a very short time.

The first step involves taking the photos, as explained in [Hack #55]. Naturally, this requires a camera, and in this department you have several options:

Digital camera

Easily the best choice for taking auction photos, a digital camera allows you to see your results immediately and get your photos online quickly.

Better digital cameras have better optics and take higher-resolution photos (more megapixels); the one you choose depends on your budget and your needs. But since the largest auction photos are typically no bigger than ...