The best eBay auctions - the items that close with high winning bids and attract the most attention - are often those that include good photos. There's no argument that you shouldn't include photos. Many eBay bidders, when browsing search results or categories, will skip items that don't include pictures. But in a way, including bad photos is even worse than not uploading any at all. If your potential bidders don't know what to make of your bad pictures, they'll look for a different listing - and your item won't sell for as much as it could.

Here's how to take a good photo. You'll only spend a few extra minutes at most setting up these shots: a very small time investment considering the payoff.

Don't backlight your merchandise. This will create shadows and "black out" what you're trying to show users. Light should come from behind you or from above the item if possible - not the windowsill in which you've propped up the book you're trying to sell.

You shouldn't rely on your camera's flash to do all the work. In addition to the flash, you should also place the item strategically to capture available light from overhead fixtures, lamps and even spotlights if you're very pressed to find good lighting.

Fill as much of the frame as possible with the actual merchandise. People don't care where you've parked the car that you're trying to sell. They don't want to see the bushes lining your driveway, the neighbor's kid grabbing their mail or the sun setting in the background. They want to see the car, period, so give them as much of that as you can.

If possible, take shots of the items being used, worn or otherwise displayed in a "real" manner. Laying out your old prom dress on the kitchen floor will inevitably result in a flat, uninspired photo. Get someone to take a picture of you wearing the clothing - from the neck down is fine if you don't want people to see your face. Potential bidders will get a better, more realistic idea of how the item looks when it's being used. That makes them more willing to bid on your listing instead of someone else's.

Don't be cheap: pay the few extra cents to upload additional photos of the product. Currently, eBay lets you list the first photo at no charge: additional pictures are 15 cents each. These are the most important shots:

A close-up of the entire product, preferably from a top or head-on view. There's not much point in taking a snapshot of a video game system's bottom side, after all.

A good picture of any damage or imperfection. Most would-be bidders are actually reassured when they can see that the "minor scratches" you describe are really quite small. Otherwise, many people will exaggerate your description in their minds and not even bother bidding.

Finally, get a shot of anything that makes your item unique. Example: if you have an autographed baseball, book or picture, get a close-up of the signature. Should you also have a certificate of authenticity, include a shot of that as well.

However, you shouldn't go insane with photos. Not every bidder is on a high-speed connection, and even fast surfers don't like waiting for more than 30 seconds or so for a page to load. Try to stick to three pictures or less.

Resize the photos so that they're a few hundred pixels across and down. Users don't like scrolling sideways or down to see pictures. They'd rather take in the entire photo at once. Photo-editing programs - even free ones that you can find through an Internet search - make it easy to resize images.

Finally, make sure that you take honest photos: pictures that accurately present your item. Being up-front about your item's condition will encourage good feedback and prevent auction winners from complaining that your item wasn't what you advertised in the listing.

With these tips, you can photograph and list with confidence. Your improved pictures will attract more bidders, reduce the number of questions that you have to answer before people will place bids and assure buyers that they'll receive exactly what they thought they were buying.

With these tips, you can photograph and list with confidence. Your improved pictures will attract more bidders, reduce the number of questions that you have to answer before people will place bids and assure buyers that they'll receive exactly what they thought they were buying.

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