Are you frustrated by eBay photographs that look like they were taken at dusk, in a fog, by a nap-deprived toddler?  Do you gnash your teeth when you search for jewelry and see the word "neckless"?  Are you turned off by items with obviously exaggerated, and sometimes downright silly, descriptions or titles?

If you answered Yes to any of these questions, and if you also sell on eBay, here are 5 tips to help you make the most out of your eBay listing:

1.  Sadly, too many sellers have no talent for photography.  What they do have, though, is an abundance of talent for making excuses -- right in the listing!  "We bought this new digital camera and I can't, for the life of me, get it to focus!"  Or, worse, the item being sold sits in a shadow or is obscured by a busy background.  TIP FOR SELLERS:  If you cannot get your camera to work properly, or if you don't know how to take a decent picture, find somebody who can.  A good, clear photo is an essential sales tool for most eBay items.

2.  Some sellers try to help potential buyers determine scale by picturing their item beside a coin.  However, I find that all too often, the resolution is so poor that you cannot tell if the small, round comparison object is a penny or a personal pan pizza.  TIP FOR SELLERS: If you're going to use a coin or a ruler, be sure that the markings are distinct enough to help the buyer determine scale.  Look at the photo as it appears on eBay: if you weren't familiar with the item on auction, could you judge its size by a comparison with the object (coin, hand, finger, dollar bill, person)?

3.  Attracting buyers to an item by using an accurate and interesting title is essential.  Some sellers are fond of tossing words in their titles such as  L@@K or CHECK THI$ OUT.  Others use exaggerated terms of endearment (AWESOME!!! INCREDIBLE!!! SUPERCALAFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIOUS!!!).  TIP FOR SELLERS: Few buyers, outside of Mary Poppins, will search using any of these terms.  Using specific, searchable words (plate, figurine, camera, book, etc.) in your title is the best way to draw in potential buyers.

4.  Any successful eBay seller knows the importance of an accurate description -- including flaws.  But as a buyer, how seriously can you take a seller who says the doll "...isn't really balding but just has a temporary case of alopecia"?  Or that the antique linen handkerchief for sale "...only came into contact with mucous membranes once, and its previous owner was a non-smoking little old lady who was up-to-date with all of her immunizations."  TIP FOR SELLERS: It's fine -- actually essential -- to mention flaws, but don't get carried away.  Just stick to the objective facts.  Or better yet, describe the flaws and include a clear photo that shows them.

5.  Finally, let's talk about the dreaded S-word: Spelling.  I find it difficult to take a seller seriously when she's selling a pair of  in very "godd condition."  The third word blunder I can forgive as divine -- maybe -- but doesn't this seller know that the correct misspelling is "sox"?  TIP FOR SELLERS: Please spell-check your descriptions before posting your listing.  After all, would you want your buyer to wind up with a pair of socks when he was actually trying to purchase "scocks"?

I hope these 5 tips will help eBay sellers get the most out of their listing descriptions and photographs, and help minimize the number of "knew and unuscual" items on the auction block.