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Pictures are one of the most important aspects of selling on Ebay. Clear photos will get you more bids! First I'll give you some of my cleaning tips (part of the preparation before taking pictures) and then I'll detail how to take the best possible photographs for your auctions.
How do you get stains out of your kid’s clothes?
I’ve discovered some great remedies for those stubborn stains and wash wear:
*Oxy Clean – I love this product! I bought 2 big 5-gallon orange plastic buckets at Home Depot for $7 each. I usually fill one with hot water and one with cold or lukewarm water (depending on the color of the items I’m de-staining). I toss in 2 scoops of Oxy Clean per gallon of water (as the directions suggest) and then throw in my stained items. Even colored items can go in Oxy Clean and cold water! I let them soak for 4-6 hours and then throw them in the wash as usual. Make sure not to add bleach to the wash since Oxy Clean and bleach don’t work well together. I may repeat this technique a few times with badly stained clothing, and it works amazingly well. It even works on stains that have already been washed and set in. I recently had a white shirt that had a bad stain on the arm. I didn’t want to give up on it because it was part of a set. I soaked it about 8 times, and the stain finally came completely out.
*Ammonia can work well on stubborn stains such as blood, ketchup, chocolate, cola, diaper stains, juices, ink, mustard, finger paint, and tomato sauce. I mix one tablespoon of household ammonia with ½ cup of water in a well-ventilated area. (P.S. never mix ammonia and bleach!)
*Another cleanser that has worked for me is CLEAR mild hand dishwashing liquid. I mix one teaspoon to one cup of lukewarm water and spot treat. The dishwashing liquid residues can cause rapid re-soiling, so I make sure to rinse it thoroughly after treating.
*I bought a depiller (also known as a fabric shaver, lint remover, and defuzzer) at a craft store to get rid of excess wash wear. These little contraptions are great!! They’re only about $7 and they really make a difference. Baby Lulu outfits seem to get pilled (wash wear “fuzz”) after only one washing and the depiller works amazingly well on them. You have to use care though, because if you get a little sloppy and “catch” the fabric, it can make a hole which is even worse than the wash wear.
To ensure that I’ve taken out every stain, I hold the item up near a window. Spots that may have been invisible under a light bulb do not hide in the bright natural light. I always do this before putting an item up for auction. I definitely don’t want to miss anything and risk having an unhappy buyer.
One last laundry tip: if you can stand it, hang dry clothing instead of putting it into the dryer. You'll be amazed at how much longer it will remain new-looking! How do you clean toys or hard-to-clean items?
Hands down the BEST product out there for removing scuffs, dirt, crayon, etc is Mr. Cleans Magic Eraser. Buy it and try it - you'll be amazed! It's great for cleaning plastic toys, removing crayon marks, removing scuffs from dolls faces, everything!
How do you get that “dreamy” look around your photos?
I use Jasc Paint Shop Pro (version 7.00, but any version will do). It retails for around $70, but I bought it on ebay for $30. I use the “Selections” tool and feather the edges for the desired look. By visiting www.jasc.com it’s possible to download a free trial which often lasts up to 30 days! There are other programs out there that do essentially the same thing as well (Photo Explosion is one that I’ve heard is cheap and gives the same effect). You might even have a program on your computer that is capable of doing cool things with your pictures. Jasc Paint Shop Pro also makes it possible for me to fix the lighting, add text right on top of the photo, and take out red eye.  |
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How do you shoot your pictures?
The best time to take nice pictures is during the day near a window. There should not be any lights on, as they will turn your pictures yellow. Natural midday light is the best for clear true-color shots. It definitely picks up every detail, exactly what buyers want to see. A digital camera is a must as well, but it doesn’t have to be the newest or most expensive. I currently use a Pentax camera that I bought at Costco for $269. There are even cheaper cameras out there now that work just as well.
I shoot most items either lying flat against a solid background or on my mannequin stand. I bought it on Ebay for about $75 and it's been worth every penny. My favorite solid background is my rustic dining room table, or a blue jersey knit sheet which I lay on an ottoman. Try to find a place where the background “fades away” and is not noticeable. You want people to stare at what you’re selling, not your house! Solid white or black poster board also works really well. I’ve also heard of using a roll-up white window shade. After you’re finished, it rolls up for easy storage!
Be sure to take close up shots of any interesting details or flaws. I can’t state this enough – BE HONEST about stains, holes or wear in an item. If you see that an item has a stain, however faint it may be – always try to take a picture of it and state it in the description. I like to lay a coin near the stain or hole so that people get a good idea of how big it is. Wrinkle-free clothing will also increase bids. If I’m taking lots of pictures, I’ll set up the iron too. Just having a hot iron nearby can make last minute details of fabric look really good. When I don’t have time to pull out the iron, then I’ll take a small piece of blue painter’s tape, loop it, and put it under the fabric to smooth out the wrinkle. This is an easy and quick fix and makes the pictures turn out so much better.
While we’re on the subject of disclosing “flaws,” I also believe that you must say in your description whether an item has a black dot on the tag, is missing the tag, comes from an outlet, or is of second quality. Some people don’t mind and some people do – so better to be safe than sorry and disclose everything.
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