Expert: Marvinator - 3/15/2004

Question
I have been buying baseball cards and coins on Ebay for over 2 years. Now I want to also become a seller.

Is a scanner or a camera better for images of the item you're selling? What kind of scanner or camera? Do I need special lighting?

Is there a book that will prepare a computer novice how to sell on Ebay?

I appreciate any help that you can offer!

Thanks,
Vern

Answer
When it comes to making images for selling on Ebay, a good camera is a necessity.  When I first started, I used a scanner, but a scanner will add a bit of extra color (usually blue) to your images and if you are not good at editing, this can be a problem.  In addition, using a scanner is long and time consuming when compared to the ease of a camera.  

For ease of use, I highly recommend the Sony Mavica line.  The Sony is one of the few models that uses a Floppy disk instead of a memory card.  When you take a picture, the photo is saved right onto the floppy and in JPG format - perfect for the internet.  All you need to do is rename and upload the pic.  If you use a good strong light source, you won't even have to do any editing.  

The best lights you can get are the "drafting light" and they are  available from most office supply stores and hard ware stores for about $10 each. I recommend two to three of these, each with a 60-75 watt mini flood.  You will have one on each side and one hanging overhead on your photo center.  Set up your lights on the edge of a table (they are made to clamp on) and set up a background with a neutral color like tan or grey.  Make sure that the background is tall enough for each item (about 12" tall and sits up by itself).  As you work, the drafting light, which is positionable, can be moved around to help light each item.   As you work with your items you will develope an understanding of where to position the lights to reduce glare, lens flare and dark shadows.

Learn your software.  Every camera comes with a bit of software for cropping and adjusting photos.  Take the time to learn what consitutes a good photo and what does not.  If you're photographing a baseball card, then you don't want to be too far back, thus showing a lot of blank space.  This is called 'on camera cropping'.  If you get a better pic by setting your camera back a bit, then learn to use the software to crop out blank space.  In addition, learn the camera and make sure your photos are large enough to show off your product.  Good photos mean good sales.  

Ebay offers a good tutorial on selling and you can learn a lot by reading everything in it.  I recommend you play 'devil's advocate' on anything you read.  Ask yourself "What if..." a lot.  What if someone asks me to end an auction early? What if the item doesn't sell? What if the buyer never writes back?  What if they send me a bad check?  What if....  You can also hang out in the discussion boards (called 'rooms') and ask questions.  (Politeness is the key in getting seasoned sellers to share their booty of knowledge and experience!)  Start with the Ebay Cafe, you can learn an awful lot there just by reading what others ask.  If you see me hanging out in there, be sure to say HI!