An example of a well-taken auction photo.glass image by Henryk Olszewski from Fotolia.com A picture is worth a thousand words – especially in the world of ebay. A good picture of the item you’re putting up for sale can greatly increase the chances of it selling. It shows the item’s condition, as well as giving a visual aid to your already detailed descriptions. When taking the photographs for your eBay auctions, the most important thing to remember is to present the item as honestly and as clearly as possible, but there are a few additional steps you can take to ensure you get the best results.
.Difficulty: ModerateInstructions.Things You’ll Need:
Camera
Black or white sheets
Flash or lamp
Mannequin or model
Photo editing software
How to Take Great eBay Pictures
1Make sure that the item you plan on selling is clean, dry and dusted. It is very off-putting to see unnecessary dust and smudges on an antique, or creases and stains on clothing. Keep your items in the best condition possible, while still presenting them honestly.

2Set up your item with a single-color backdrop. For small objects, drape a sheet over a steady chair and place your item in the center. For larger objects, drape a sheet over the seat of a couch and onto the floor, and place your item in front. Backdrops should be black for light objects and white for dark objects so the maximum amount of detail is clear. For clothing, consider modelling them personally, or dressing a mannequin or model, so the buyer can imagine how the clothes will look on them. All backgrounds should be as simple as possible so viewers of the item are not distracted or confused.

3Light your item as well as possible. If photographing at night, use diffused lighting or lamps to illuminate the scene, or use your flash on non-reflective items. During the day, consider moving your item close to a window to make the most of the sunlight.

4Program your camera to get the best photograph. Use manual or automatic focus to bring the item into sharp relief, keep your shutter speed high and consider using a tripod to ward against camera shake.

5Take your photograph. It is best to take several from different angles, perhaps changing a few camera options between takes, then choose the best one when editing later.

Tips & Warnings

• After uploading your photographs to your computer and choosing the one you want to use, crop it to make sure the item is central and there are no distracting objects in view. Increase or decrease brightness and contrast where necessary. On your listing, use a few different photographs from different angles, in order to build a three dimensional image of the item.
• Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you don’t need to describe the item if your picture is detailed. Make sure to tell your seller as much as you can about it to make a good, rounded listing.
• Do not overly edit your photographs, as this may cause visual changes to the item itself.
• Using flash can sometimes reflect off dust particles in the air to create “orbs” in the photograph, so use it with caution

You can avoid the competition and possibly losing that item you want using eBay’s “Buy Now” option to get the auction listing at a set price. In some instances, you may be able to haggle with a “Buy Now” seller.
.Considerations
eBay sellers that use the “Buy Now” option may also pay for the “Best Offer” button, according to eBay. The “Best Offer” button allows buyers to make a bid on an item if nobody purchases it at the “Buy Now” price.
Warning
eBay’s rules and policies page warns you not to attempt to negotiate the price of an eBay item outside of the eBay website, such as haggling through email. Also, eBay will not reimburse the bidder or seller for fraud charges for selling outside of the eBay system.
Tip
If you are the high bidder, you can ask the seller to end the auction early and sell to you at the high price, according to eBay. However, sellers are not obliged to end an auction early to a high bidder.