Showing defects in listing photos: wide shot, close-up, scale

A photographed flaw is a disclosed flaw

Every used item has something: a scuff, a pulled thread, a chip on the base. Sellers sometimes worry that showing flaws will cost the sale. More often, it saves it, because the buyer who sees the flaw before buying can't later say the item wasn't as described. A flaw you hid is the one that comes back as a return.

This guide covers how to find, light, frame and describe flaws, using guidance from eBay, GOAT and Amazon checked November 8, 2026.

What the platforms say about flaws

Step 1: Find every flaw before you photograph

Inspect under bright light, turning the item slowly. Check the places flaws hide:

• Clothing: underarms, cuffs, collar, hem, seams, inside lining, care tag.
• Shoes: heel counters, toe box, midsole edges, insoles, outsole tread.
• Homeware: base, rim, handle joins, inside surfaces.
• Electronics: corners, screen edges, ports, battery cover, feet.
• Books: spine, edges, corners, page margins.

Make a list as you go. The inspect and test manual has category checklists.

Step 2: Light the flaw so it reads

Different flaws need different light:

The lighting guide covers soft and raking light.

Step 3: Frame with context and scale

A close-up alone can confuse: is that mark large or tiny, and where is it? Use two shots per significant flaw:

1. A wider shot showing where the flaw is on the item.
2. A close-up of the flaw itself, with a ruler or coin beside it for scale, as eBay suggests.

In this chosen example, a leather bag has three flaws. The seller takes six flaw photos: for each, a whole-side view with the flaw area visible, and a close-up with a small ruler showing a 1.5 cm scuff, a 3 mm scratch on the clasp and a light mark on the base.

Step 4: Don't exaggerate or minimize

Shoot the flaw as it looks in normal light. Don't use extreme close-ups that make a tiny mark look huge, and don't angle the item so a scratch disappears. The goal is that the buyer's reaction on opening the parcel is "yes, that's what I saw."

Step 5: Describe each flaw in words

Photos and text should agree. Amazon's guidance to give measurements and locations applies everywhere. For the bag:

• "Scuff about 1.5 cm on the lower front corner (photo 9)."
• "Fine scratch about 3 mm on the clasp (photo 11)."
• "Light mark on the base, not visible when carried (photo 13)."

Referring to photo numbers helps buyers match text to images. The condition descriptions manual has wording for common issues.

Step 6: Order the photos sensibly

Put the main photo first, then overall views, then details and labels, then flaws. Flaws don't need to be first, but they must be there. eBay's first photo appears in search, so it should show the whole item clearly.

Step 7: Keep the flaw photos after the sale

If a buyer opens a not-as-described claim, your listing photos show what you disclosed. Keep copies in your own records too, named by SKU. The photo file system guide covers this, and the return arrives manual explains how to document an item that comes back.

How many flaw photos?

There's no fixed number. Photograph every flaw a careful buyer would care about. For items with many small marks, such as well-worn boots, one photo of each area showing the general wear, plus close-ups of anything significant, is usually clearer than twenty separate shots.

Mind the photo limits: eBay allows up to 24, Poshmark 16 and Mercari 12. On Mercari, that may mean combining several small flaws in one frame.

Common mistakes

• Photographing the good side only.
• Close-ups with no scale or location.
• Lighting that hides scratches.
• Describing flaws in text that don't appear in photos, or the reverse.
• Deleting flaw photos after the sale.

Show it, measure it, name it

Every flaw a buyer would care about should appear in a photo, with scale, and in the description, with its location. That's what turns a potential return into a satisfied buyer.