A buyer who will never see your item in person decides in about four seconds, based on two things: the first photo and the title. The description is read only by people who have already almost decided to buy.
So the order is: photo → title → description.
Photos: seven rules
- Daylight, no flash. Next to a window, on an overcast day. Flash creates glare and shifts the colour.
- Plain background. A white wall, a sheet of paper, an ironing board. No carpets, no patterned floors.
- The item fills the frame. Not a third of it.
- 5–8 photos. Front, back, sides, top, connectors, label.
- The label or model number gets its own photo. It is often the single most important shot in the listing.
- Photograph flaws instead of hiding them. A scratch in a photo is proof of honesty that protects you in a dispute.
- No watermarks and no frames. Marketplaces rank those photos down.
If the background is beyond saving, registered sellers can use the photo cleaning tool, which removes the background and leaves clean white.
Never do this: do not use the manufacturer's catalogue photos instead of your own. The buyer is buying your specific item, and marketplaces treat this as misleading.
The title is a formula, not creative writing
A title is not a place for exclamation marks. It is a search string — you write it for the search engine and for a buyer who knows what they want.
A structure that works:
Maker + Model / Number + What it is + Key detail + Condition
Compare:
| Bad | Good |
|---|---|
| Amazing camera, rare! | Zenit 12XP 35mm SLR Film Camera Helios 44M-4 Lens USSR |
| Part from a BMW | BMW E46 320d Alternator Valeo 12317799204 120A |
The second version looks boring. It is also the one that gets found.
Include the manufacturer's part number (OEM) if you have it. Car part buyers search almost exclusively by it.
The description
This is where most people stop, and there is no need to. The buyer does not need fluent English. They need facts in a clear order.
A structure that fits any product:
What it is: Zenit 12XP 35mm film camera with Helios 44M-4 58mm f/2 lens
Condition: Used, good. Shutter works at all speeds. Light meter not tested.
What's included: Camera body, lens, original leather case
Flaws: Small scratch on the top plate (see photo 5)
Shipping: Ships from Lithuania (EU) within 2 business days
Five lines. No sentences, no grammar risk.
Three rules that keep you out of disputes:
- "Not tested" is a correct answer. Do not write "works perfectly" if you have not checked.
- Dimensions and weight save you ten messages.
- Never promise a delivery date you do not control. Promise a dispatch date.
When you prepare a listing on Parduota.com the description can be produced in several languages — but still read what you are publishing: an automatic translation does not know whether your lens actually works.
The category matters more than it looks
The wrong category means the listing effectively does not exist: buyers browse with filters, not with the marketplace-wide search box. Pick the deepest category that fits — not "Cameras", but "Film Photography → 35mm Cameras".
Fill in the item specifics there too (maker, model, type). They feed the filters down the left side of the buyer's screen.
What to do now
Photograph your item using the seven rules and write a title using the formula. Then put it into the simulator and see how the listing looks from the outside — free, no account needed.
The next lesson covers shipping, customs and tax: the subject that causes the most fear and carries the most misinformation.
