How to take Great eBay Photos & how much should I pay myself?

Dear eBay Queen;

I am renting a two story house and have severe arthritis in my knees. The best place for me to take photos is in the upstairs bathroom. The bathroom counters are large, and the light fixtures mixed with the daylight, makes my lighting perfect! My problem is I end up carrying my eBay items upstairs to photograph and list, and then downstairs to store and ship. When my knees are really hurting, I just store the stuff up there. The upstairs is my children’s domain, and they get a little annoyed with me and my eBay stuff in their bathroom. Do you have a solution for this?

Laura in Phoenix

Dear Laura;

Many other eBayers, myself included, have had a hard time finding the photography sweet spot in their house. When I first started selling on eBay, I photographed everything in my kitchen. I had the best lighting, and sunlight came through those windows through-out the day. I would set up my ironing board up against my pantry cabinet, tape white fabric on the pantry and let it drape over my ironing board. My photos always came out clear, and no one ever knew what kind of studio I had.

You could also purchase a photo cube. These are portable and most fold up quickly and can be stored in an area that is smaller than a lap top. Currently eBay has photo cubes ranging in price from 11.99 to 100.00. When buying a photo cube set up on eBay you need to make sure your purchase includes the lighting. If you are unsure about how a photo cube will work for you, you could always make your own for very little money. http://reviews.ebay.com/DIY-Ebay-photo-studio_W0QQugidZ10000000004241893 eBay user osuna_ruben has created a step by step (with photos) guide on how to make your own photo cube with only 6 household items.

If none of the suggestions work for you, I would have my kids lug the eBay items up and down the stairs for me. My first thought when you contacted me with your dilemma was “what about those kids”? You have some cheap labor right there at your finger tips! I have five children, and sometimes they complain about helping with eBay stuff. Most of the time they love helping out, and I’ve learned they enjoy feeling like they are a part of something.

Dear eBay Queen;

I am trying to make a go at eBay as a full time business. I'm curious about how I should give myself a salary. I need to figure the best way to pay myself and the best method for giving a percentage to an organization that I regularly support, (not through eBay's Giving Works, but independently). Also, how much do you keep for buying new product? I’m sure everyone does it differently, but I’d like to get a few ideas.

Jenna; Gardner, KS

Dear Jenna;

I know some people pay themselves a weekly or monthly salary, and others treat each of their sales like it was a consignment sale by taking a percentage of each transaction. If your eBay sales are not consistent week to week it would be hard to pay yourself on a low sales week. If you chose to pay yourself a percent of each eBay sale, then you would not need to worry about a slow week. You could also build into your paycheck the percent you give your charity.

When it comes to buying product, everyone has a different amount they spend weekly or monthly on items to sell on eBay. I have friends that allow $200.00 a week to go to estate and garage sales, and another that spends 5000.00 a month when he buys product from a wholesaler. Keep track of your spending, over a couple of months in a notebook. That should give you a good idea on how much money you will need to spend every week/month on acquiring new product.

Strange eBay item of the week: eBay item 190204777046 (enter this number in the eBay search box in the top right corner of the eBay homepage). I knew people collected old padlocks, but I never knew they would sell for this much. Wells Fargo and CO. Padlock SOLD $3000.00 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAP.dll?ViewItems&item=190204777046