Both conventional wisdom and experience suggest that it’s important to include a photo of the item up for sale in every eBay listing. All photos, however, are not created equal—especially for a site like eBay. While the range of photo options runs the gamut from no photo at all to slideshows of externally-hosted marketing posters, the basic approach is probably still best. Follow these basic guidelines for eBay photos and you’re well on your way to selling success.

• Plan from the start to use eBay’s own picture hosting service. It’s quick, easy to use (it’s built into the standard selling form, so you can add pictures directly as you list your item for sale), and it’s very inexpensive—the first photo is free, with each photo thereafter just a few cents, billed at the same time as your listing fee.
  
  
• Take your photo in good light when a flash isn’t needed. Far too many photos used on eBay show the item with a strong color cast, or with motion blur (from shaking hands in dim light), or with such a strong flash that it’s hard to make out. Wait until midday and use natural light near a window if possible; certainly don’t shoot in lamplight and avoid using a flash. Go for good contrast—a light item shout be shot against a dark background and vice-versa.       
  

• If your item is used, clean it up a little before shooting. Run a wet wipe over plastic, metal, or wood goods, or launder textiles. Certainly don’t show a photo of a dusty or filthy item if you expect to draw top dollar bids when you list it.
  
  
• Set the item on a nice, clean surface in front of a clean background. Present your item well. Don’t show it in a messy room or surrounded by so much clutter that the buyer can’t really get a good look at it. Don’t show more than one item in the frame unless all of them are for sale in one lot.
  
  
• Get as close as possible so that the item fills the camera frame. Photos that are mostly empty frame with a tiny item in the corner aren’t very useful most of the time. Your bidders want to get a good look at the item. Give it to them by filling the frame with the item so that it’s as large as possible.
  
  
• Resize your photo to 400x300 pixels (not inches) in size. This is the “standard” size used by eBay picture services, so by making your photo the same size you’ll maximize your ability to represent your item well. In Photoshop you can resize your image using the “Image Size” option of the “Image” menu. In GIMP you can resize your image using the “Scale Image” option of the “Image” menu.
  
  
• Sharpen your image slightly after resizing it. In Photoshop this can be done using the “Sharpen” item from the “Sharpen” submenu of the “Filter” menu. In GIMP this can be done using the “Sharpen” option from the “Enhance” submenu of the “Filter” menu.
  
  
• Save the image as a JPEG (.jpg) file at the highest possible quality. Because eBay will edit the photo to add the iPix logo and will at the same time resave your image at lower quality, it’s important that you save the image originally using the highest quality setting available in your image editing or management program, to ensure the best possible result in your final listing.
  
  
• Use multiple views if necessary. If your item will be well-served by being shown from several different angles, don’t be afraid to use a second or even third or fourth shot so that your prospective bidders can feel like educated buyers.

Through all of this remember that the idea is to present your item in the best light possible. Use a decent camera, shoot in nice light, save at nice quality, and take pride in the way that you present your item. The benefits of this approach will show in your sales results.