best way to put photo in auctions? Scan? Digicam?

goose3

Looking over some of your listings I've seen here and in your siglines it seems that many of you use a Scanner instead of a Digital Camera.

Do you find that it captures the card condition better?

I've got quite a few cards on Feebay right now and they don't seem to be drawing much interest at this point yet. I am used to putting my coins on there that would usually achieve most of their bids in the first couple of days. Do cards work the opposite?

I'm already planning on trying my scanner and if I can't do that worth a crap, I'm going to get a black piece of felt or something to photograph the card/holder laying on top of.

ahhh the stuff you think of afterwords when listing on ebay.

fur72

Goose, I have used both digital camera and scanner when selling cards. When you scan a card I beleive you can see more detail, Corners, suface wear etc. I have always got a better respones with scanned cards. As far as the auction bidding, it has always been my experience that a card will get more hits the last couple days of an auction.

Stingray

I actually "borrow" the scanner from work and it works great. I have used a digicam for a bigger item that could not fit on a scanner and that worked out fine. I think for cards a scanner is the way to go.


Stingray

frankhardy

Scanner for cards. No doubt about it. I alway keep the lid up that way the background looks black so that you can see the edges better. Even for 71 Topps, because you can see edge and corner chipping. On a 71 Topps, if you can harldy see the edges, you know you've got a good one (unless centering is off).

pandrews

i use a scanner,with the lid up like frankhardy said..

as for getting bids, yeah most people snipe on the last day.. ive had cards go from $0 to $hundreds on the last day.. dont worry, you'll do good with them..

goose3

my FIRST scan.......you think this is better than a digipic?

I'm having a hell of a time trying to figure out how to save the file as a JPG right off of the HP scanner/printer/thing.

pandrews

for what its worth, i'd say your pictures are just as good as the scans.. i'd do whatever you find easiest.. the pictures at least look more 3-dimensional..

goose3

they both suck huh!

phreakydancin

<< <i>my FIRST scan.......you think this is better than a digipic?

I'm having a hell of a time trying to figure out how to save the file as a JPG right off of the HP scanner/printer/thing. >>

Actually, I'm surprised how crappy that looks. My HP scanner produces really sharp images. You might try increasing the scanning resolution (I use 200 dpi). As for the .jpg file format, it all depends on your software. The software that came with my scanner automatically saves the files as JPEGs.

liffeystynx

Scan, no doubt.

People who use digital cameras for cards either look incompetent (flashes, reflections & does anyone remember the guy whose hairy thighs were in every shot of the cards on his desk?) or else like they're trying to hide something (shots angled to AVOID flashes usually appear to be disguising centering problems).

With scans you're also avoiding possible returns from dissatisfied customers. As an alternative to leaving the lid up, a sheet of contrasting cartridge paper behind the card works well too:



Hope this helps & best of luck,
Jonathan

goose3

ok, what sort of settings are you using?? DPI? sizes?

I'm using an HP 1350 All In One.

That scan looks great!

WC

I don't have an opinion regarding scan or pic on graded cards.

If you had raw - high grade - cards - then Scanning is the only way you will get top dollar.

Your auctions are very nice - the cards are very nice - why did you choose not to list the qualifiers in the title?

....I know you mention them in the description - but not having it in the title could be interpreted the wrong way.

....next submission - tell PSA "NO QUALIFIERS" - you won't be disappointed.


Baseball cards get the majority of their action in the last hours/minutes/seconds......your's will do well.

Best of luck!

zef204

I think you should scan in at 200dpi and reduce the size of a single card to 400 width. One thing to consider its using a scan of 2 cards that you are selling that are similar and you get free advertising on the auction by showing one of your other auctions. If you do 2 across, make sure the width is no wider than 800 across or people will have to scroll left and right, and personally, I hate that.

Good luck.

goose3

thanks and I'll experiment some more before I list any more of them.

WC. I didn't list that in the title because I was under the impression that whether it's oc or done with no qualifiers from PSA, the card would be graded possibly 2 points lower (PSA6) and the 8oc will sell for about 2 points lower.....unless I confused what I was told via pm by a couple of people. So basically it didn't seem that important. The card will either be a PSA8 oc or a PSA6 with no notation right? If that's not correct please let me know what the scoop is on it. I'd sure appreciate it.

If the above is true, why bother asking for no qualifiers? Or is a PSA6 better than a PSA8oc?

Thanks. This card stuff sure is all new to me. Coins are MUCH simpler to sell and photograph.

WC

The 2 point dock on OC qualifiers is probably a good rule of thumb. But there is considerable debate if it holds true every time. So an 8 oc (depending on severity - and the subjective "eye appeal") just might come back a non qualified 7. I do know that many of the set registry purists (aka vintage high end collectors with deep pockets) will avoid qualifiers like the plague!!

This is probably just semantics. I've seen your ebay listing - and the high end cards - the non qualified 8s - are going to get you nice premiums to SMR. Many of the vintage high end collectors "buy the card, not the holder". This has been a new concept for me to grasp - but I am starting to understand. Some guys are a little more touchy about centering - so even if you get a card back that is an 8 - if it is a little off L-R or T-B - (within the grading standards of an 8) you wouldn't get the premium effect if it was dead on centered.

Just watch out if you get a NQ Mantle in an 8+ from '58,'59,60,61 (pretty much any year!!)

.....post some scans on this board of raw cards you are thinking of submitting - there are several knowledgeable guys that could offer opinions........and don't forget the high-end (8+) commons - qualifiers really kill commons though!

Wabittwax

I use a HP Scanjet 3970. It works great and it only costs like $75. I usually scan graded cards at 150 dpi and raw cards at 200 dpi. My scanner also came with software that automatically turns it into a jpg file. If you ever need a new scanner, I would highly recommend a 3970, but I'm sure other HP's are good too.

Also, you should always list the OC or PD in the auction title. Nothing screams "Here's another seller trying to sneak a fast one by us" than to click on an auction and see that the PSA 9 is really a PSA 9oc. But, considering that your new at cards, none of us would hold that against you.

WC

...don't take OC qualifiers personal either - I was going to submit my Clemens and Mcgwire rookies from a factory sealed set and both were OC.....never submitted them and sold the entire set as is.

By the same token I had a very nice '57 Mantle - pushing OC - but it had razor sharp corners and awesome gloss (this card helped me to understand the phrase "pack fresh") - submitted it asking for no-qualifiers - and it came back a 7!

I was thrilled and have since stopped playing the lottery!

goose3

what is "PD"?


thanks for the explanation. So there's a "chance" that those cards might have been straight 7's is what I'm reading. They are pretty off center but look in hand like they were opened from a pack yesterday.

Steve...I can understand what you mean by that and that people might assume I'm some sleezebag febayer. if I have any others in the future, I'll certainly put that in the title.


thanks again

phreakydancin

<< <i>I use a HP Scanjet 3970. It works great and it only costs like $75. I usually scan graded cards at 150 dpi and raw cards at 200 dpi. My scanner also came with software that automatically turns it into a jpg file. If you ever need a new scanner, I would highly recommend a 3970, but I'm sure other HP's are good too. >>

That's the same model I'm using. I would recommend it as well.

spacktrack

<< <i>what is "PD"?

>>



PD is another type of qualifier that stands for Print Defect. Generally cards with excessive "snow" (white dots from the printing process that are visible against a dark background) or print blotches are given this qualifier.

Also, agreed that listing the qualifiers in the title is a good selling habit. There's nothing more disappointing than finding an auction for a card you need only to open the auction up and find out that the card has a qualifier.

zef204

I think listing the OC in the title is a must. Some people will get turned off by this and not bid on any of your auctions.

Another good thing to do is when there is no qualifiers, put "PSA 8 NM-MT NQ" in the title. I think being completely up front will get you more bids and happy buyers.

pandrews

<< <i>Another good thing to do is when there is no qualifiers, put "PSA 8 NM-MT NQ" in the title. I think being completely up front will get you more bids and happy buyers. >>



yeah i would list the qualifiers, but i dont usually put NM-MT in the title.. i prefer just to put "PSA 8" or something and save room in the title for something like a team name or something..

then in the description i usually put "PSA 8 NM-MT"..

i dont know that it does any good, but i imagine more people search for team names than "NM-MT NQ"..

spacktrack

I'm usually able to fit the year, brand, PSA grade, player name, NM-MT, and the team into the title. They give you a lot of room to work with in the title. I don't put Los Angeles Dodgers in the title--Dodgers works fine IMO.

goose3

so should I end and relist those OC cards and correct the titles?


is there something wrong with this card? the only one w/o a single bid. Very odd.

spacktrack

I wouldn't end the auctions since they already have bids--you may not attract those same bidders next time, so I would just remember to put the qualifiers in the title for your next round of auctions.

Also, nothing wrong with your auction for the Hit Kings. Cards get lots of action in the last day or so of an auction--it will find the right price in time.