Guest Author - Lisa Shea

This is part of an eBay chat. Before this part came the eBay Shipping portion.

Julie: Make sure you take your pics against a solid background. I use a piece of pastel colored polar fleece fabric. Don't use grass, wood floors, carpet, your sofa, or a background that includes your 1970's sofa or the clutter on the counter. DO NOT have your child in a diaper and nothing else model the item. Makes me scared of cooties.
Jilly: cooties bad
Scott: Don't take pics of reflective items in your underwear either ;-)
Elle: LOL
Lisa: LOL :)
Julie: heh. seen that too
Elle: LOL x2
Jilly: I've seen that
Jilly: I bet this will be one of the most consulted chat logs we've had
Scott: I have a mini studio I set up with multiple colors of fabric, rolled onto a PVC pipe I have hanging on a shelf bracket
Julie: Nice idea scott. Keeps the cats from sleeping on the, mine love polar fleece
Jase: LOL Scott did you see the teapot item?
Elle: Okay, I'm outta here - laundry to do still...
Lisbeth: Moi aussi. Great tips, guys. You motivated me to get on the Ebay seller train.
Scott: I purchase a couple of cheap lamps from office depot and placed the daylight lites in them, the ones that are close to the suns light (can't remember what they're called) and they make great lights for pics
Elle: Night everyone ;)
Lisbeth: :::waves to all of the beautiful people::::
Julie: Yeah, I use 4 foot shop lights. cost very little.
Julie: Oh great, now I guess I have to quit my job!
Scott: Yes I saw the teapot, and a recent item I was taking a pic of I joked around with my GF that she would be in the pic, (she was clothed, but doesn't like her pic taken)
Scott: g'nite elle
Lisa: Night Elle :)
Jase: LOL good one Scott
Scott: I used to use shop lights too, but I found the light form these daylight type bulbs show off the vibrant colors so much better, compared with the shop lights casting a yellowish tint to the image
Jase: i love the daylight bulbs, especially the compact ones
Julie: I am using plant lights in them instead of the regular bulbs. Still get good colors that way. I will try the daylight bulbs too.
Jase: for 7 dollars you can't go wrong and our electricity bill is so much cheaper with them
Jase: lol
Jase: we only have one light in our living room at night because of it having one of those daylight bulbs in it
Julie: Well, g'night. Thanks Scott
Lisa: Night Julie :)
Scott: Yep .. you have to make sure you get the right ones though .. perhaps I can write an article on them, because I bought some cheap ones that were on sale and tested them and they too had a yellow cast to them. There are ratings to look for on the bulb, but I can't remember them at the top of my brain right now ;-)
Scott: g'nite Jullie
Lisa: I think that'd be a great article that people would really enjoy
Scott: I'll even include pics to show the difference in the lights
Jase: there you go.. ideas coming from everywhere
Scott: Some people use the OTT (over the top) lights but they are too expensive for my taste
Lisa: Pictures are really so key. Far more than layout or other things, because if someone gets 5-6 pictures that are really clear, they know what they are getting. They can see it for themselves
Lisa: At that point it almost doesn't matter what the words say. As long as you have great titles so that people find the item, the pictures are what matter
Scott: So true .. I have seen some really poor pics, and wonder how the seller expected anyone to know what they were buying
Jase: i always use good pictures for my items, even using the professional ones from the company when needed
Jase: since I sell professional beauty products ;0)
Scott: If you go to your neighborhood office supply store look for the desk lamps with the long bulbs and they fold out ... some have a display where you can see the OTT light next to an ordinary light
Scott: You can see a HUGE difference in the light
Lisa: Remember just one book. One review, one listing :) Take things slow
Scott: and before you know it you'll be hunting for your next item to list ;-)

This was the end of the chat! Enjoy!