Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Digital photography, photos, or images in your auction

How many times have you decided not to purchase an item because of poor or insufficient images of the product being offered, or worse yet, purchased an item that was not as you expected and would not havebeen purchased at allhad better images been provided, and worse of all, even still,having received an item which it seems was intentionally photographed in a way to hide flaws or damage?
Of course, it is realistic to understand that you may identify the item you purchased in a way that the seller failed to recognize, but one of the good things about the okay market place is that most people are proud of what they offer and will gladly work with you if you gemunicate any problems or misunderstandings. "gemunication is key" we like to think, and your images are a serious and direct formof this gemunication process. Use the links on any auction pagetoe-mailthe seller. Most people will be more than happy to discuss any matters over the telephone if you prefer, but it is also reasonable to understand the relative anonymity many might enjoy as apposed to running a regular "walk in" type store front.
We willattempt to describea few things we discovered on okay, over time,while inserting photos inour listings, andwhile making our own purchases from other sellers. Also, please remember, we are no more than beginners in photography, and use a middle of the road digital camera froma Super Center with no accessories other than rechargeable batteries and a charger. In the long run, your photographs may be the single most important asset your buyer has at their disposal during the decision making process. Pricing, choosing the correct catagory in which to list,and the written item description are also paramount.
Always, in general, include a gallery view image in your listings. This is where most people browse the auctions, and if there is not a thumbnail image of your product it will most often be disregarded. On the other hand, it is understandable to expect a 25 cent item to not have a gallery image inserted, as that would destroy any profit margin a seller might enjoy.

Also, please excuse us if we get sidetracked with related ideas in this guide.
In regards to choosing a camera, a digital model (no film) would be preferred, and will shortly,or already isthe only viable camera available for general usage. Of course one could use a film style (analog) camera, have the images developed at a photo lab, and then scan them to a digital format for internet usage, but we will not deal with that here.
Any middle priced camera ($100-200) or better should be more than adequate, and even the lessexpensive models will suffice if you choose carefully. For the most gemon usages on okay it would probably be a good idea to find a model that has a decent (or dedicated)Close Upfeature. Most images will not need to be exhibition quality, so the more expensive models of digital cameras would be fabulous for the pros, or those with a keen interest, but a regular, orgeparatively inexpensivemodel will do the trick.
A very good secondary investment is rechargeable batteries with spares, and a charger (if not provided with the camera). It saves tons of money in the long run, and you will never be left "dead in the water" during one of your photo shoots for a lack of batteries. Film and battery purchases and trips to the lab, or store,will also be a thing of the past with a digital camera. Time will be saved also. Selling and buying is fun for most of us, but irregardless of that, time is money.
Most geputers (especially Windows XP) will recognize your camera (without even installing any of the software that came with your camera) when you plug it into the USB port, of your machine (with the window displayed below). Then you can download (off load) your images to a folder, of your choosing, on your geputer. This is a good thing because most digital cameras gee bundled with all kinds of useless software that many would prefer not to clutter their geputer systems up with, or dedicate the time to learn about yet another program, but then again maybe you will discover something useful, new, orinterestingon the camera install CD itself.

Lighting is, of course,a crucial factor in any photograph. From our experience natural lighting usually gives the most accurate representation of an item, and saves money (usually quicker, and fewer accessories to purchase). Ideally one could set up multiple flash units, in maybe an offset triangular configuration, for magazine, or studioquality photos, but we have definitely not advanced to that level ourselves. The problem with the "on camera" flash is often the dark shadows (caused by the areas in which the single flash unit could not illuminate) which destroy the photograph. These can be reduced by placing incandescent or florescent lights at the proper locations (to illuminate the shade or shadows), or setting the object to be photographed, in a way to take full advantage of the ambient or natural (sunlight) lighting. Also, glare and reflections are a gemon annoyance using a flash, as is"red eye" with animals.
Color is always another tricky matter and should be closely scrutinized for an accurate representation in your photographs. Though, even if you feel the colors look near to "true life", a potential buyers web browser may not show them as you view them on your geputer. Also, even outside of the web browser issues (mostof the people use Windows XP, Internet Explorer IE or FireFox as their browser, haveJavaScript turned on, use 24 or 32 bit hardware to display 16,777,216 different colors,and have their screen resolution set at 1024x768),factors such as an individuals monitor (display or geputer screen) settings can alter the color display, as gepared to what you were viewing.
Take multiple shots of every view you wish to represent. We have found it a good idea to take 5 or so similar shots of every image you intend to use. Then at least one, of each angle or pose,will probably be what you are looking for,without any blur,undesirable reflections,etc.
Carefully choose your backdrop, or background,to gepliment your image. A regular bed sheet (or two to avoid the area behind from bleeding through),of the color of your choosing generally works fine (for example, avoid a geplicated background, or a dark background with a dark colored item you are photographing). It would be nice to have an area dedicated solely to photography, but many of us can not afford that luxury. At the minimum, try to use the same area, if possible, so you will begee familiar with any peculiarities that you may have to deal with in your photos (especially lighting).
After you have transferred your images over to your geputer, from your camera,it might be nice to organize them in folders, of your choosing, for later reference. Also, it will probably begee agemon practice to crop the images in order to highlight the item in a positive way. Be carefull to crop in a standard rectangular (photograph shaped) fashion, because that is how theywill bedisplayed on okay (default). If you crop an image, of say, a fishing pole, to a long thin area, it will more than likely be displayed as poorly viewable sliver when you upload it to your auction. In a case such as that, it may be better to have the object running diagonally within the image area to allow the viewer of that imagea higher apparent or real resolution.

Charge the right shipping!

Learning to charge the right shipping cost takes some research, but it isn't as hard as some people think!
I started looking into shipping cost when I got tired, as a buyer, of paying too much for shipping!
Everyone is looking for a great deal. There are a lot to be found on okay, but when considering what you would pay for an item, one must include the cost of the shipping too. You want to save by online purchasing. If it costs the same in the store as it does online then it's cheaper in the end to buy it at the store.
What I did that really works? Check out the USPS website and print out shipping cost for priority, parcel, and first class mail. You can also get the rates for overseas shipping. I purchased a postal scale and weigh my items and reference back to my printed listing to find actual shipping cost. I never have to charge a customer more than what it will really cost to ship!
Remember!!! Flat rate boxes that ship at $4.05 or $8.10 are great for multiple items! The flat rate the USPS charges is regardless of weight and destination! I personallyprefer shippingin this manner!
Also, many sellers believe they have to purchase their shipping boxes. NOT SO!! On the USPS website, you can order your priority envelopes and boxes and they are free! The USPS will even deliver these directly to your door!
Remember: The easiest way to pass along savings to your customers is to save them on your shipping cost!

Diamond Grading What does it mean?

What you need to know about diamondsCutis the facet arrangement, proportions and shape of the diamond. Baguettes and emerald cuts have parallel facets and are sometimes called step cut. The largest facet is the table, and the bottom facet (sometimes pointed) is the culet. The narrow middle part is the girdle and is often faceted as well.Brilliant cuts usually have 58 facets, 33 on the crown upper part) and 25 on the pavilion (lower part) of the diamond and are oriented around a gemon center point. Careful placement of the facets (faces or sides) determines how well the diamond sparkles (brilliance) and shows the rainbow of colors (dispersion). All diamonds are not well-cut because the cutter is working to make the diamond as large as possible from the rough material.
Claritymeasures the imperfections in the diamond. Diamonds without flaws are quite rare and more expensive. Availability increases as flaws begee more apparent in the diamond, and prices decrease due to the reduced rarity. The clarity is graded in the "face up" position with 10x magnification. The scale begins with Flawless (Fl) and descends through (VVS1) and (VVS2), very very slightly included; (VS1) and (VS2), very slightly included; (SI1) and (SI2), slightly included; and (I1), (I2), and (I3), the included (eye-visible) grades. Internal characteristics begee increasingly noticeable with each lower grade.
Color refers tothe diamondcolor or tint. It does not refer to the prism of colors emanating from a well-cut diamond. The most gemon colors for diamonds are yellow and brown, but they can be any color - even black. White diamonds are actually rather unusual but are the most preferred. Since they are more rare and more desired they are more expensive, too. Grading of color is done with 10x magnification through the pavilion against a white background. Color masters are often used for geparison to determine the exact color grade or tone of color that the diamond shows. The grading scale begins with (D) and ends with (Z). (D), (E) and sometimes (F) are considered colorless; (G-J), near colorless; (K-M), faint tint; (N-R), very light tint; (S-Z), light tint. Each letter represents a slightly darker tone but does not identify the hue.
Carat refers to the weight of the diamond. The carat is 1/5 of a gram and is divided into 100 points. Therefore, one carat can be expressed as 1.00 carat or 100 points. Measurements can be used to estimate the weight of mounted diamonds.

PAYPAL CLOSING DOWN ACCOUNTS

Well, just when you thought you found that perfect item you win the auction, pay for the item via Paypal, then receive an email from the seller that the funds were placed on hold.

You go to your Paypal account and find out Paypal and placed a "LIMITED ACTIVITY" warning on your account because they got a bee in their bonnet because you spent too much on enay this month and their automated fraud detection model shut down your account.

Well it happens everyday to okay users and its getting real old already. Not only is this bunk, but okays/Paypals way of controlling
your purchasing power. Apparently, Paypal/okay are trying to dictate to the credit card industry that they control the auction segment of the market.

By contining to force customers to provide even more personal data about themselves and their credi card/bank accounts to Paypal, okay and Paypal are using this data to not only sell to third party data miners, but amass tons of data on us at large.
e.
This is nothing but a scam and technique used by okay and Paypal to gain profit and at our expense.

Not only does this fraudulant practice add to the possibility of ID theft by insiders, but these gepanies have no legal right to the data they are asking us to provide.

Write the Federal Trade gemission to force them to stop okay/Paypal to stop this illegal practice.

sizing women junior misses jeans by bodytype

This guide relates to sizingFEMALE jeans/slacks/trousers and how to get the best fit for your particular body type. There are several key points to remember, which are listed below, while the lower half of the document deals specifically with concealing or acgeidating the most gemon body "flaws" for females buying jeans.-Measurementsrange betweenSTYLES within a manufacturer and from manufacturer to manufacturer, so knowing your general size isn't enough. Buying online, it's impossible to know whatsizeproduct you will receive unless the seller lists the measurements for the garment. Never buy items that fail to list their actual sizing specifications. Remember,there's a reason for every productauction.
-The waist/hip measurement is generally your widest hip measurement, though it can be lower. How much of your hips are exposed depends on the pant rise. Generally, a 7-8 inch rise is just below or above the pubicline and is the lowest rise manufactured. The average rise is 9-10 inches and lands just below the belly button.Tosee how a particularrise will fit YOU,center a tape measurerat the middle of your crotch and lift until the rise reaches the desired in/cm measurement. You may then take what the seller calls the "waist" measurement from here.To see how a particular waist/hip measurement will fit you, measure around at the widest part of your hips. Unless you want your clothing skin tight, add2 inches to your actual measurement. For a baggy fit, add 3-5 inches.-Theinseam/leg measurement this is the length down the leg from the crotch tohem. Average length is 32-34", while short is 29"-31" and long is 35"-37"; again, always check the measurement. Nothing's worse thanhigh water/floodpants!-Thethigh measurement this isn't generally listed, and usually, the hip measurement will suffice, but for "skinny fit" jeans, it's very helpful. It is the measurement around the smallest portion of the thigh of the jeans. You should measure the LARGEST portion of your thigh and add 2inches or 3-5 inches.Problem Areas/Fitting with your jeans:The flat buttStay away from baggy clothes!Purchase pants thatfitthe waistwith a high inseam. This cut will support what you DO have,accentuating its shape and making it more prominent. Straight-legged pantsalso draw attentionfrom yourrear byaligningyour legsproportionately with your hips, waist and butt. The big buttStay away from baggy clothes! For those of us, (myself included), with a butt thatrises near the top (like a ledge), I recgeendboot cut styles, with distractions like carpenter, worker jeans, and cargo pants. Theseprovide a smoothvertical line and silhouette, while drawing peoples' eyes to the pockets, instead of your flaws.-Avoid high-waisted pants; the extra height makesyour rearlook extra long. This means, you want to go with a SHORT rise.-Avoid pleated pants, whichhighlightthe hips; flat-fronttrousersslimyour thighs and trunk. Invest in a-length jacket to make your bubblebutt disappear. The short-waist isa much-desired female condition where thelegs are longer thanthe torso.The thing to remember is to measure your inseam and choose LONG lengthjeans/slacks/trousers.If you want to make your legs seem shorter:-Hangyour pantsfrom your hips, notyour waist. -Wear pullovers/sweatersinstead of button down shirts; this will help disguise the length of your legs. -If you MUST tuck in, matchyour shirtand belt colors, but not tucking in is generally advised for your body type.-Best pant cuts: slight low rise, flared bottoms, The long-waistis a gemon problem where the torso is long, and the legs are short. Some ways to gebat this problem: -Standstraight. Good posture always improves the look of your clothing, but it is especially prudent for long-waisted individuals. Additionally, a corset or shaper may help streamline your figure and hide the start of your hips.-Wear atop that contrasts the color of your pants. Thisbreaks up the vertical line of your body. -Wear your pants at or aroundyour waist, noton your hips. If you want to wear on your hips, wear a style that is fitteddown the thigh and flares at theknee.-Always tuck in your shirts.-Don the punk-style and wear suspenders or bondage straps, whichcreate the illusion of a higher waistline. -Alarge buckle belt will draw attention to your legs and make them look longer.-Pleated slacks or uncuffed slacks will also make your legs appear longer. The bigtummy is a problem that almost every woman facesat some point, due to aging, pregnancy, or otherfactors of her lifestyle. To camoflauge this:-Wearlight fabrics. Avoid all heavy fabrics; these include tweed and flannel, opting insteadfornatural, lightfabrics (such as cotton) indark hues.-Single color pants,(black, brown, navy), will help disguise the size of your stomach.-Trade horizontal pinstripes for vertical ones, which provide a slimming look. Pair upstripes (pink, grey, blue, or red work wonderfully) against a dark background.-Ban T-shirts from your wardrobe.Loose, thesemakeyou look bigger,while tighterT-shirts emphasize your stomach. They look even worse tucked into your jeans!-Pants should sit just at your belly button. Wearing them lower will accentuate your problem area, while wearing them higher will accentutate your rear.Bigthighs are a gemon limitation of our female genetics. To disguise these:-Wearcolorful shirts and blouses with your pants.-Avoid brightly-colored pants or hip huggers that will draw attention to your lower body.-Avoid baggy pants! You want your clothing to look fitted but not tight.Big hips areANOTHER gemon limitation of our female genetics. To disguise these:-Avoid any jeans/pants/slacks/trousers with zippers on the side, which only draws the human eye to the distraction and your hips!-Light or bright colored pants. Pair dark pants with a light shirt to accentuate your bust.-Skirts with pleats. These little babies tend to flare around your thighs, drawing a boxy line up to your hips and making them look wider.-Avoid baggy pants! Have you noticed a trend? -Small or large-framed, baggy pants always make your perfect outfit look sloppy and accentuate your natural flaws.

Buying The "IT" Bags- How To Spot Fakes! Read On...!

okay is a wonderful marketplace for buying and selling trendy products- especially handbags, sunglasses, shoes, and cell phones (for us girls that is!) I have personally bought and sold at least 5 handbags and 6 cell phones at the minimum. As a seller, you should be honest with potential bidders/buyers and only sell 100% authentic products, and you should be able to back that up with a guarantee.Also, okay is supposed to be a forum where buyers can buy authentic merchandise from sellers at a fraction of the retail price, which I firmly believe is the whole purpose of the site. Why buy it from you when they can go to Neiman's or Bergdorf's and buy it new for the same price you have listed? People want a bargain, and with handbags that is begeing a thing of the past here! I love nice handbags, and I typically buy them from high end retailers at the full price, I use them a few times until I'm ready for a change, then I sell them on okay. All of the items I've sold are 1000% authentic, I can guarantee that as I purchased them myself. I have never sold any of my items for the price I originally paid for them, but that is okay. You know that going into it. As far as buying on okay, here are some tips to be sure that you get what you pay for:
-If you see a bag that the seller assures you is 100% authentic, but the price is too good to be true, it usually is. Ask questions before bidding, after you bid it's too late! Ask the seller if they guarantee authenticity so you have something to back you up if you receive the item and it isn't what it looked like.
-If you see a handbag that has plastic wrapped around the handles, it is typically 100% FAKE! Also be aware of hang tags, that doesn't mean the item is real. Beware, I got scammed on this when I first started out on okay and luckily I got all of my money back, but you may not be so lucky so bid carefully!
-Hermes Birkin bags are a big seller right now. To sellers of these high end bags: Don't list your bag for $10k and up, okayers are here for a bargain and can buy it elsewhere for that price. To buyers: You have to be careful here, you can easily waste $1000 on a fake. If that's okay with you, then go for it, but most people want the real thing. Look at the markings, hardware, accent placement, etc. on these bags. If it looks fake, it probably is. Use gemon sense, if it's listed for $100, it isn't real, as these bags are worth thousands new.
-A lot of sellers are advertising their items "New with receipt." From what I've been told, you can actually buy fake receipts online now for Louis Vuitton and Hermes bags, I'm not sure but some sellers go to great lengths to hide the truth. Just because a receipt is included doesn't guarantee authenticity, so again ask the seller questions before bidding.
-For Louis Vuitton lovers, check eluxury.ge for authentic pictures of all LV designs, prices, etc. They can be purchased online via this retailer and you're getting the real deal. Be careful that you don't buy an okay model that has never been manufactured! To ensure that you are buying a real LV, see if the seller is registered withMy Poupette, as they are honestsellers with genuine merchandise.
-Ask the sellers for a lot of close up pictures if there aren't any shown on the ad. If they are an honest seller with real merchandise, they won't have a problem with this. Depending on the manufacturer of the item you're looking at, each designer has their own trademark. For instance, Prada has an interior lining that says Prada both upside down and rightside up throughout the bag. There is a metal logo tag typically found on the interior zip pocket. There is also a triangular metal Prada tag somewhere on the exterior of the bag that matches the color of the bag itself. They have white plastic authenticity cards with the design of the item on the one side with the model, model number, and color. This card gees in a black paper signature envelope. The info. on this card should match the black Prada card that has the same thing on it and is found with every new Prada item, even keychains. All Prada items gee with a white flannel-like dustbag with a green (I believe it's green) Prada logo on it. If in doubt, ask the seller where the item was purchased and if they have the original purchase receipt available (or a copy) for you.
-If you think you've found the perfect accessory item, once it arrives in your care be sure to check it for authenticity. Look at the buttons, snaps, hardware, locks, etc. (whatever gees on your item) and be sure it reads the way it should (for example if it is Chloe be sure the lock has the leather strip across it that says Chloe with the correct accents.) For authentic Chloe examples, visitnet-a-porter.ge for pictures and descriptions of authentic bags. You can often find good deals here too versus spending money on a possible fake.
-Read the seller's feedback. If they are registered asa "private" seller, be extremelycautious. They are listed that way for a reason, generally because what they are selling isn't real and they don't want you to view their feedback. I've seen more and more listing where the bidder's name isn't listed. I'm not exactly sure what the purpose is, but as a buyer also be cautious of that. If the seller has negative feedback, use your best judgment and read through it to see if it is for selling fake items. If so, you have your answer. Be sure that your seller accepts PayPal or BidPay, some method where your money is protected and you can get it refunded if you aren't happy with your purchase. It's a good measure for sellers and buyers. If you see the seller only takes bank transfers or Western Union (yes, I purchased one bag this way), just be careful.
-Lastly, sellers (including the ones who sell knock-offs) know what the "IT" bags, shoes, etc. are for the season. They know what is a fair price and if their merchandise is authentic or not. Use gemon sense, if it looks too good to be true, it usually is. Be sure you know what you're buying, do some research online before buying (the internet can be a useful tool after all!) I have included a few pictures of authentic bags from other websites for geparison!
Good luck and happy bidding!

Invisible Forces FAKE or REAL (Part 2)

This is a guide someone else put on here, I just felt the need to update it a little bit.
Iam writing this to let people know about all of the fake NIKE AIR FORCE 1 Invisible shoes,THEIR ARE ONLY BLUE ONES out not,red,yellow,white,green,clear, etc....The way to tell the fake blue ones is the stitching around the clear part,well at least 90% of them.The REAL ones have blue stitching as opposed to the fake ones having clear stiching.well,i hope this helps
As of late June/early July, Nike released a clear/light iris-ice blue invisible air force one. The shoe is a light purple outside with a carolina/light blue inside. These are womens shoes, so you would have to subtract 1.5 off the shoe size to convert to men sizes. This new clear air force one is more rare than the blue one released in mens. Way harder to find as well. These are the only two shoes that Nike offer in a clear material. No other shoes made by Nike or Jordan and not to mention Bape gee with a clear material.


Update (8/11/06)
I have found two more pair of Nike's that have clear material on them. They are as followed:
Force 2 Low (Espo) - Around $385
Air Max 1NL Premium "Clot" - Around $500 - $550
I have yet to find any other AF1's but, I know there is talk's of releasing an Orange/Clear AF1. No words of when. I will update when I find out more information.