How to improve eBay listings with a backdrop and dress form

Order your own:

👗 Dress Form
▧  Backdrop
💡 Lighting Kit

A picture is worth a thousand words! This holds true when selling items online. The only thing between your items for sale and buyer is a computer screen or mobile phone. Taking great photos that represent the texture, color, etc of the item is key. I added a mini photo studio to my basement and have been retaking photos of stale merchandise in my eBay store, Piece of Scrap. I recently sold two of those items with photo retakes within a matter of days.

To create your own mini photo studio, simply purchase a backdrop, dress form and studio light. Visit How to add a photo backdrop to items selling on eBay for more information.

Here are just a couple of my improved photo retakes (before and after):

Purchase your own dress body form on Amazon:  

How to add a photo backdrop to items selling on eBay

I'm stepping up my photography game when it comes to listing items on eBay. Better pictures means better sales! My wonderful eBay assistant created a woodsy background for me using a clearance piece of 3/8" plywood cut to size (5' x 7') and then framed the outside edge with 1" x 3" pieces of pine and this Wooden Backdrop Background. We opted to have the wooden frame instead of hanging the backdrop to make the backdrop tight reducing the air bubbles / budges that may occur when hanging it.

In addition, I purchased a mannequin dress body form on a stand. When evaluating mannequins, I considered several factors:

• male vs female
• hanging vs standing with a base
• flat back or molded back

I opted for the female body form knowing that I sell many more women's clothes than men's. The female mannequin can be turned around and used as a male, if needed. I didn't want a hanger present in the photographs as I often list new apparel items on Amazon and hangers are prohibited in photos. A standing mannequin with a base can also be used for full-length items such as dresses and pants. The flat back mannequins just looked weird when photos show the back of a shirt. The mannequin I selected is Amazon's best seller White Female Dress Form on a wooden base.   

Lighting has ALWAYS been a concern while photographing items for eBay... until now! I purchased the LimoStudio Photography Video Studio Lighting Kit and have noticed a considerable improvement in the lighting and lack of distortion in the colors of certain clothing articles.