posted on April 5, 2001 12:38:14 PM
Any thoughts on which is better...a long, very complete item description - or short..to the point with 3-5 photos... thanks
posted on April 5, 2001 12:43:45 PM
The longer the better as long as every paragraph and pic makes the buyer think he/she desperately wants or needs the item.
posted on April 5, 2001 12:44:08 PM
I try to make my descriptions long enough to answer any questions a potential bidder might be wondering about. Also, by giving a complete description it allows you to "implant" several words that will be found by searches.
posted on April 5, 2001 01:43:04 PM
Ive found that I prefer descriptions that are more concise , yet informative regarding
size age condition color shipping costs
I try and use compounded adjectives e.g. narrow-banded ,lace-edged , instead of 'with a thin band of.." or " there is lace on the edges" wherever possible, and not describe absolutely every inch of something that can be clearly seen e.g " This cute vintage Easter postcard shows a pink bunny , with a yellow chick behind him on a swing , and an owl up a tree , and a bigger chicken in the front of the picture , and lots of flowers; some daffodils , some tulips , some daisies and what looks like roses but I can't quite make them out on the green grass , they may even be violets as they are a purple color....."
The exception would be clothing , where the more inches , styling and fit you describe , the better !
posted on April 5, 2001 01:57:13 PM
I agree with uglimouse, as a buyer I don't want to wade through eternally long paragraphs about what's obvious in the pic.
I want the basics,size, any flaws, defects or any markings and anything that doesn't shop up in the photo. I can decide for myself also, if it's "cute" or "perfect for my collection" Enough info, but not too wordy!
I also hate those that "threaten with a neg if not paid within xx days" I know there are a lot of goofs out there, but I find it insulting. It has to be a real special item for me to bid on those.
the above are, of course, my own preferences and opinions
posted on April 5, 2001 02:35:00 PM
More often than not I find myself laboring to write long descriptions, trying to put in a lot of detail. I recently sold a guitar that had a l-o-n-g description but I didn't get one single email asking questions about it either. Told every important detail, measurement and characteristic that I could think of. It did OK--didn't set the world on fire, but did OK. Nobody complained about the length.
On the other hand, some items I feel very comfortable giving a short, one paragraph description, or even a few sentences.
I suppose it boils down to the item. Short is more than adequate for this, long for that.
Sometimes I wish I sold new knife sets or new pots and pans. One description fits all. But I like the profit margin of vintage stuff better.
