What Can You Change About Images?
If you come across an image that's too dark, too light (overexposed or oversaturated), or possibly too sharp, you can take a few simple steps to draw out some of the details hidden in the poor photography. Take a copy of the image by right-clicking on it, selecting "Save Picture As," and saving the image to your desktop or a designated folder. Then open it using any of the common image editors (such as Photoshop, Picture It!, or PaintShop Pro). Using the editor's filters, fiddle with brightness, contrast, hue, color saturation, and edge softeners. Often you can elicit critical details that were otherwise obscured.

Just remember that the image you've downloaded is not rightfully yours to make further use of. Unless you have the seller's permission to reuse the photo, it's best to delete it from your PC's storage.

It Ain't No Big Thing
Size matters: Sometimes images can be so small that it's often impossible to get a good look at the item. Understand that small photos will conceal moderate wear or damage because of the compressed size. There's not much hope for enlarging the image using an editor because the image doesn't contain the inherent detail that would be visible upon resizing--it only will be a blocky mess. Don't risk the eyestrain or the chance that the little image is masking a bigger problem.

What Are Words For?
One of your best tools for inspecting images is the written description that accompanies it. Read descriptions carefully and look for text that speaks to the details that you can (or possibly can't) see in the resident image. If the written facts don't support the visual clues, there might be reason to question what you're seeing and/or reading.

Question the Questionable
And don't forget your most powerful tool: communication. Send an email message to a seller to inquire about an image of which you can't make heads or tails. Ask whether the seller can provide additional written description or possibly send along or post more detailed images. If the seller offers only what you see ("is what you get") without offering you much more information, you're probably better off to skip this auction and to wait for the next one.

Remember, with the amount of activity at online auctions these days, there's usually plenty more from which to choose--which frees you from taking a risk on an item that just doesn't paint a very pretty picture in your mind.

Bidding on a Budget Performing Better Searches Playing the Waiting Game

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