Listing Photo Lab

Condition

How to photograph flaws so buyers still buy

4 min read

To photograph a flaw, take two shots: one close enough that the flaw is unmistakable and one wider that shows where it sits, lit from the side, with a coin or ruler for scale and the focus on the flaw. Then name it in the description with the photo number.

Hiding a flaw is tempting because showing it can cost a little on price. Hiding it can cost more: the return, shipping both ways, the item's condition after a round trip, and your "item not as described" rate, which eBay's service metrics compare with sellers like you.

A rule of thumb, not a measured result: a listing that shows a small flaw clearly reads as honest, and that carries over to everything else you wrote. A used item with no flaw photos can read as careless or evasive.

A shown flaw turns a buyer's open question into a closed one.

How do you photograph a flaw so it reads correctly?

Photograph each flaw twice, close and wide, lit from the side, with something for scale and the focus on the flaw itself. Then keep going until every flaw is covered, even the ones you'd forgive.

  1. Close, then wideA close frame so the flaw is unmistakable, and a wider one showing where it sits on the item. The close shot alone makes a small mark look huge, which costs you more than the flaw does.
  2. Light it from the sideFlat front light hides texture, and texture is how a buyer judges a scuff, a pill or a dent. Side light shows depth.
  3. Give it scaleA coin, a fingertip, a ruler, or the seam next to it. Without scale, a buyer has to guess how big it is. eBay's help page asks for a coin or ruler when size isn't clear.
  4. Tap to focus on the flawThe phone picks its own focus point, and it's often not the small mark you care about. Tap the flaw on screen before you shoot.
  5. Shoot every flaw, including the ones you'd forgiveYour tolerance isn't the buyer's. A missing button you think is trivial can be exactly what a return is opened over.

Why does a flaw you don't photograph cost more?

A flaw that isn't in the photos isn't in the listing, whoever writes it. FlowLister, the tool the team behind this site makes, writes eBay listings from photos. It's AI and misses things. No tool can describe what the photos don't show.

How should you describe a flaw in the listing?

Describe a flaw in four parts: what it is, where it is, how big, and which photo shows it. Photos show that a flaw exists. The description shows you knew and priced for it, which stops it feeling like a discovery. An example description:

Small scuff on the left toe, about 1cm, shown in photos 6 and 7. Does not go through the leather. Priced to reflect it.

Adding "priced to reflect it" can head off the haggling and tells the buyer the number is deliberate.

Rewriting flaw descriptions (examples)
Instead ofWrite
Good used conditionWorn twice. Faint mark inside the collar, photo 5. No other flaws found
Some wearSole wear at the heel, photo 4. Uppers and stitching intact
Minor flaw2cm pull on the right sleeve, photo 6. Does not affect the weave
As isNot tested. Sold for parts or repair, as shown in photos 1 to 8
Please see photosChip on the base rim, photo 3, about 5mm. Not visible when displayed

"Please see photos" is the phrase to cut first. It asks the buyer to do your assessment for you, and careful buyers read it as a disclaimer, not a description.

Where do flaw photos go in the set?

Flaw photos go in the middle of the set, straight after the main condition shots. Not first: the main photo has to earn the click. Not last: a buyer who stops scrolling early never gets there, and "it was in the last photo" may be a weak position in a dispute.

Which flaw can't be photographed?

Smell. You can't photograph it, a buyer can't judge it from a description, and smoke and mildew don't always clean out. The fix is at the sourcing stage: if you can't show it or describe it reliably, you can't sell it with confidence.

Should I photograph damage on items I sell?
Always. A photographed flaw can cost a little on price. A hidden one can cost the return, shipping both ways and a mark on your "item not as described" rate, and eBay's Money Back Guarantee allows that return even if you don't offer returns.
How do I photograph a small flaw clearly?
Take two frames: one filling the frame so it's unmistakable, and one wider showing where it sits. Light it from the side to show texture, include something for scale, and tap to focus on the flaw itself.
How should I describe a flaw in a listing?
What it is, where it is, how big, and which photo shows it. Adding that the price reflects it can head off the haggling. Avoid "please see photos", which asks the buyer to do your assessment and reads as evasive.
Does disclosing flaws reduce my selling price?
It can, a little. That's a rule of thumb, not a measured figure. It also makes the rest of the listing believable, and it can save the cost of a not-as-described return.

Disclosure The people who build FlowLister run Listing Photo Lab. FlowLister is AI eBay listing software that turns item photos into complete eBay listings. Because it works from photos, a clear photo helps it and a blurry one doesn't. That's our interest in better photos. It's AI, so it misses things. Nothing here needs our tool.

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