Sometimes, when you're browsing auction listings on Ebay an item will sound really interesting, but when you open the listing the pictures are really hard to make out.  There's something you can do that might make the pictures more useful to you!

You can save the auction picture to a folder on your hard drive and manipulate it in your picture editing software to make it more useful in evaluating the item. Sometimes it's helpful to lighten or darken the  picture, increase the contrast or make the picture larger or smaller. (Instructions for saving pictures to hard drive are below.)

I have found that lightening the picture and then increasing the picture contrast helps me to see small scratches and wear marks on antique silverplate, crazing on vintage china, and tears, wear spots and stains on upholstery and other fabrics. Sometimes you can see that a silverplated item has been replated.

Then you can "Ask Seller A Question" (link found in the top right area of the auction listing with the other seller information) to clarify what you think you're seeing in the picture. Most reputable sellers welcome questions. Ask specific questions about the item's condition such as, ''Are there any crazing cracks on the plate?'' Don't ask the seller to give you a value judgement such as, ''What condition is the item in?'' One person's ''excellent'' condition is another person's ''fair''.  

Keep those emails and keep a copy of the original picture until you have received the item from the seller, and you're satisfied that the item's condition is as stated by the seller. Pictures are taken off-line and will disappear from the auction listing at some point after the auction ends, so save them while you can! Better to be safe than sorry; you will need emails and pictures to document your case if you should encounter a problem.

If the seller doesn't respond to your questions, don't buy!!! Most sellers are perfectly honest and reliable, but someone who doesn't answer queries when they are trying to sell an item will be much harder to reach after they have your money!

As you make adjustments to the photo, remember: you're trying to get as much accurate, useful information from the picture as you can.

DO NOT increase the color saturation of the picture: You will mask any fading on the object.

DO NOT change the color balance of the picture by making the object redder, or bluer, or yellower, or greener in the picture! YOU MIGHT END UP WINNING THE BRIGHT CHARTREUSE SOFA LISTED IN THE AUCTION  -  Even though you wanted the nice dark green one you created by manipulating the picture!!!

With this technique you should be able to minimize 'surprises' when buying vintage items on Ebay.

'Save Picture' Instructions:

If you are in Netscape place the mouse pointer on the picture, click the right mouse button, and when the options box opens, left click 'Save Picture As'.

If you are in Internet Explorer, place your mouse pointer over the picture. A box with 4 icons should appear in the top left part of the picture. Click the far left icon. The 'Save Picture' box will appear.

Decide where you want to save the picture; it can be 'My Pictures' or 'My Documents' or any other folder where you will remember you put it. Change the picture name to something you will remember or recognize. Click 'Save'

Now go to the place where you saved the picture and double click on it. The picture editing software on your computer should open the picture automatically when you double click on the picture name. (You probably have some picture editing software on your computer; Windows is usually packaged with some, and digital cameras often come with some, too. I have PhotoDeluxe Business Edition which is a dandy little program! PhotoShop Elements is another.)

Please note: It is 'un-kool' to use someone else's pictures in your own auction listings or in any other published format - whether on the web or in print.