PHOTOGRAPHING YOUR RECORDS FOR AUCTION Buyers want to see what the record looks like. They want to make sure that what you're selling does have that rare variation or label art that they've been looking for all their lives. If you're selling 45's, you can use your flatbed scanner to scan the fronts and backs of the record (set your scanner resolution for 72 dots per inch - higher resolutions take longer to load). Make sure you scan the A-side label, as well as any unique marks or cracks the record might have).
If you're selling 10-inch 78's, 12-inch LP's or 16-inch radio transcription discs, a home scanner will be too small to use. For those records, a digital camera works best. Make sure you take a stationery shot of your record in a well-lit room, and shoot the record without using the flash (your camera should be securely mounted, or at least resting on a solid surface, to avoid motion blur when you take the photo). If you use the flash on your camera, you will often get a white reflection in the photograph, generally right in the center of the album jacket or vinyl, which won't help your sale. Take photos of anything that looks unique or important about the record - does the jacket have a split seam or a price tag on it, is there a song that doesn't appear on any other version of that album, etc.
You should take extra photos in case a buyer has a particular question about a record. If somebody asks about a label variation or a serial numbering oddity, it's most likely because you have a version of that record he/she has been looking for, and they just want to make sure they're not purchasing the same exact record that is in their collection.
Here's a good tip if you know some HTML scripting - an economical way to show off your record photos is to upload them to a personal homepage, then link to them in your auction text. You could also upload the photos to the auction site by using Ebay's IPIX server.
Some people try to cram four records into one photo, then use that photo in four different auctions and say "You are bidding on the record in the upper left corner," etc. Don't do that - it gives the buyer the impression that you are too cheap to photograph each record individually, or that you don't take enough time with your auctions - and therefore might not take enough time with your customers.
Chuck Miller, Boston465
Workshop Host: Maeve
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