Pictures!

Taking my own photos of my own products isn’t as easy as it looks.

Rip’s Picks, the store, they allow one photo for each product listed. The thing is,
people who buy collectibles of any sort need more than one photo. They want to
see the top, all four sides, and the bottom. That’s where Rip’s Picks the blog
comes in.

Rip’s Picks, the blog, can have twenty different pages with all the photos needed
to highlight each product. I can put the product’s listing at the bottom, and link to
the store so folks can actually purchase something.

That’s where I’m at now. I’m working on the photographs for all twenty products,
working on writing the listings, which include measurements, and getting things
ready for what I would call my grand opening. As soon as I get everything
finished, hopefully without mistakes, I’m open for business.

One thing about taking the pics is, I need a different background depending on
what color the product actually is. The idea is to make the product more appealing.
My three base background colors are white (bed-sheet), red (wine-red bed sheet),
and brown (diningroom table). I can stack books under the sheets to raise things
up for a display.

Like working with a live model, I have to work the item from all angles, and play
with the lighting, which consists of two table lamps and the overhead light of my
diningroom table, and/or letting the camera do its thing with the flash.

Glass can be a bitch.

I have to take three to five photos from each angle, making subtle adjustments to
lighting and distance, and look for that one good shot from each angle. I want
people who come to buy, understand that what you see is what you get.

Nice patina or not, flawless or with flaws, dusty or dusted, what you see is what
you get.

Because this isn’t my first rodeo (I did eBay years back, and hated the auction
format. I didn’t have enough sales to open my own store, plus those outrageous
listing fees sucked all the fun out it.), I get to take my time to do things right. I
may outgrow my FreeWebStore.com storefront, but it might take a year, or maybe
even two.

The whole idea behind this is to find cool products and collectibles, pay as little as
I possibly can for them, and double my money with each sale. That’s the only time
an auction format works to my advantage.

$100.00 in products, becomes $200.00 in sales. $200.00 in products becomes
$400.00 in sales. $400.00 becomes $800.00, and on and on and on and on.

If I can get a 300% return on a product, I’m going for it.

I once bought a black-leather Harley jacket, young toddler size, patched, pined,
and flagged, and it came with a set of small, black, fingerless gloves. I bought it at
a garage sale for $13.00, and I sold it for $65.00.

You can figure out the profit margin yourself. My prices will be competitive with
other products of similar quality, but now you see what’s really possible.

Imagine what’s unique to your home decor. Ireland, France, India, anywhere in the
world you live. Who out there would buy your stuff.

There are things that you could sell, things you could make and sell, or even buy
and sell other’s crafts.

If you can read these words, have a phone camera or other digital camera, products
and the funds to ship them with, by yourself or with help, you too can start a store.

What I’m doing is handing you the keys to the kingdom. Most people, even when
handed the keys to the kingdom, don’t bother to open the door. No shit. They
would rather feel sorry for themselves than open that door when real opportunity
knocks.

It’s so much easier to collect a paycheck, than to make your own paycheck. With
this store type shit I’m blogging about, you can do both at the same time. It takes
work. A lot of hard work. Are you up for the challenge?

Sure, I’m a little slow getting thing up and on, but I’d rather take my time to do
things right.

Christmas is coming up, in less than four months. My shopping is already done.
That’s just me. Is your shopping done? Maybe I’ll have something you need?
Like? Or want?

My next post will be in a few days to a week, because I’ll actually be getting
things up and running. All twenty products up and on with descriptions, purchase
links included. Lots of work to do. In the meantime become a follower, buy me a
cup of coffee, read my story on Wattpad, vote, leave a comment, buy a book.