eBay Explained : How To Buy And Sell On eBay

A few weeks ago, I got a telephone call from a friend who sells on eBay. He said his eBay images aren't working correctly. He wanted help, and I'm a helpful guy so I took a few minutes to listen to his problem.

He told me some of his auctions just show broken images, while others show one image but only show small versions of the others.

I asked him how he put the images into his auctions, and he replied a little bit hesitantly that he uses eBay photo hosting.

He said he knows I told him to host his own pictures, but the eBay system is not really that expensive and it's simple. He doesn't have to learn how to do anything - he just clicks buttons and eBay takes care of everything.

I told him to contact eBay and ask them for help because I have no control over their programs. If the eBay system isn't working correctly, I cannot fix it.

I don't think he was pleased with my answer, but I can't help those who aren't willing to help themselves.

Then last week I got two similar emails from people telling me they were having problems with their eBay images. Both were also using eBay photo hosting.

They got the same helpful reply from me. (In case you missed it, I am being sarcastic.)

Tonight, I spent a few minutes surfing the train and toy auctions on eBay. About 30% of the auctions I looked at had image problems. I got so frustrated, I decided to rent a movie instead. Blockbuster was closed so I decided to share this tale with you.

You see, I will not bid on an auction unless I can see exactly what I am bidding on. I am not buying socks, underwear, and batteries on eBay - I am buying items for my collection. The last piece I bought was a buy-it-now item I paid $650 for. Without pictures I would have left without bidding.

I am not going to spend my money unless I feel safe. Having a big clear picture gives me confidence that the seller actually has what he claims to have and allows me to see the condition.

I am not alone. In fact, unless you are selling socks, underwear, batteries, or other new items on eBay, I am sure your pictures are the second most important part of your auction.

If any of these people started hosting their own pictures, they would not only save m0ney, but they would surely get higher bids.

This is INSANITY.

A desire to take the easy route and not spend a few minutes learning how to use a few simple programs is resulting in lower prices.

Now, I don't want to call these three people lazy. In fact, I know the one who called me on the phone well enough to say he certainly is not lazy.

Maybe it's fear of complexity. It seems like a challenge, so they take the easy route.

I know eBay makes it seem harder than it is - in fact the whole system defaults to eBay photohosting, but they want to sell photohosting.

Actually, hosting your own images is not a challenge. It's a simple procedure anyone can learn in less than 30 minutes. In fact there are even free programs you can use to host your own images, and most Internet service providers give you space as a part of your service.

These three individuals have made a choice. Instead of spending 30 minutes learning how to host their own images, they are willing to put up with bad pictures.

They know they can host their own images easier than using eBay's system, and don't mind getting lower bids.

Then again, maybe they are just lazy. I know two of the them have my Auction Revolution package. The Auction Revolution contains complete step-by-step instructions for using free programs to edit and then transfer images to the web. It shouldn't seem difficult or confusing to them. They have a blueprint.

Now lets talk about you. . .

If you already have the Auction Revolution and are already hosting your own images, you can sleep well tonight knowing the eBay image server outages are not costing you money. In fact maybe you are getting higher bids because people are buying from you instead of the sellers without images?

Go ahead, pat yourself on the back for taking charge of your success and spending a small amount of time to retain control of your results.

If you don't have a copy of the Auction Revolution, this is just one of the 253 reasons you should get a copy.

Consider this a wake up call.

Terry Gibbs is a collector/dealer of old toys and trains, and teaches others how to buy and sell antiques and collectibles. Gibbs is the author of two best selling eBay books "The Auction Revolution," and "The Complete Guide To eBay Consignment Sales." He has also written numerous other books about buying and selling antiques and collectibles. Learn more at his website: IWantCollectibles

Copyright 2005 IWantCollectibles LLC used with permission.