When listing items for sale on eBay, there is one characteristic shared by most successful sellers - they have taken good-quality photographs of their items for sale. Although eBay is a virtual marketplace, buyers still like to see what they're buying.

Auction listings that include quality photographs assure the buyer that they are making a good purchase. With so many auctions going on at the same time, why not give yourself an advantage over the majority of sellers?

Here are a few tips that should help you to make the most of your item photographs.

First, make sure that your item is in good shape before photographing it. If your item is dusty or stained, buyers won't want to buy it from you. Before you take the picture, make sure that you wipe your item and wash clothing or other soft items. It is important to have your item looking its best.

If a product is worn or has a few scratches on the surface, document these through your item description and photographs. It may appear counter-productive to point out flaws in the item you're selling, but it pays off in the long run. Minimal damage rarely puts eBay buyers off as they're generally looking for a good deal. If the product is in good order, a little wear and tear is often deemed acceptable. When selling on eBay, reputation is everything. The last thing you want is a reputation for being dishonest.

When taking a picture of your item, try to make use of any natural light you have. Take pictures near a window when the sun is shining. Avoid using a flash if you can - flash photographs often turn out too bright. For best results, light products should be photographed on dark backgrounds, and vice versa.

Take care when selecting a surface and background on which to display your item. Reflective surfaces can reveal the photographer's image, and messy or busy backgrounds can detract from the item's detail. It's always best to use a simple surface and background that show off the item well.

Ensure the item is displayed by itself, unless it's part of a lot. Take pictures from two or three different viewpoints, and when you take the picture get as close as you can without distorting the image. Make sure that the item fills the camera screen.

Many eBay sellers use Photoshop, or a similar graphics program, to clean up their photographs before they list the item for sale. This is fine, as long as the resulting picture is still representative of the item. Try to keep colors and hues as close to the original as possible. A graphics program can be used to lighten up dark pictures or sharpen images for more clarity.

Save the image as 400 x 300 pixel JPEGs. This way eBay won't reduce the photograph's resolution too much when it resizes the uploaded images.

You should consider using eBay's built-in image hosting service. It's cheap. reliable and subject to eBay's technical support. They let you list your first image for free and charge a few cents for every further image you use. This convenient service is worth investigating to see if it's right for you.

A picture is worth a thousand words, as the saying goes. On eBay, if you do it right, a picture can bring you potential buyers, increase the price of your item and make your whole eBay business much more profitable.

As a final thought, it's always best to continue your education by reading as much information as you can find. There are many other ways to increase your profits when selling on eBay, such as tweaking your item title or description.

Many people make a full- or part-time income from eBay and there is no reason why you can't be one of them.