Write a Secondhand Listing That Matches Your Own Photos

Check what you can confirm about one item

Before drafting a listing, take out one item you own and look at its current condition. Check the overall shape, visible marks, and what you will hand over; measure it yourself if dimensions matter. Old purchase photos or memory alone may no longer match the item you are photographing today.

This example prepares photos and text for a small non-electrical bookshelf. It does not assess safety, authenticity, or market value, or predict a sale. Start with what you can confirm now instead of guessing untested performance or materials.

Plan photos for the whole item, marks, and included parts

The item and measurements below are original fictional examples created by the editorial team. Photo 1 shows the empty bookshelf from the front. Photo 2 shows a scratch near the bottom of the right side, including the surrounding surface. Photo 3 documents the measured width of 42 cm, depth of 18 cm, and height of 30 cm. Photo 4 shows the bookshelf body and its one fitted divider, the parts being handed over. An optional photo 5 can show the bookshelf in use with books and a plant; label those props as not included.

Replace a draft saying “Almost new” with “There is a scratch about 2 cm long near the bottom of the right side. Photo 2 shows its location.” If the light makes a mark hard to see, prepare both a contextual view and a close-up. The cabinet in this article’s cover is an illustration, not an actual sale photo of the fictional bookshelf.

Draft a listing that matches the photos in four steps

1. 1

   Check the current condition and included parts of an item you own. Mark unknown information instead of guessing.

2. 2

   Take your own photos showing the whole item, mark locations, dimensions, and included parts. Write one line identifying the fact each photo supports.

3. 3

   Build a title from the item’s name and confirmed features. Describe marks, dimensions, contents, and unknowns, then compare every claim with its photo.

4. 4

   Check props and personal information before keeping the draft. Confirm the price, transaction terms, and current rules separately in the service where you actually list it.

A complete title and buyer-facing description

The original fictional draft has the title “Small bookshelf with one divider, 42×18×30 cm.” Its description begins: “A small bookshelf used at home. I measured the outer dimensions at approximately 42 cm wide, 18 cm deep, and 30 cm tall. There is a scratch about 2 cm long near the bottom of the right side; photo 2 shows its location. Photo 1 shows the whole item.”

Continue by making the contents clear: “Included are the bookshelf body and the one divider shown in photo 4. Books and the plant in the optional lifestyle photo 5 are not included. I have not confirmed the manufacturer or exact purchase date.” This completes the item-description draft. A real listing still needs a separately chosen price and transaction terms; the example has not actually been posted.

Reread unknowns and marks the photos do not show well

If you cannot remember when you bought it, write “Purchase date unconfirmed.” Do not infer a wood species or authenticity from a photograph. Use “approximately” for your own measurements and show which direction you measured so the numbers have a clear meaning.

Keep known marks in the description even when they are difficult to see in a photo. Describe the location and appearance, then consider how to improve the photo. Before publishing, check for shipping labels, addresses outside a window, and faces in reflections. Make any necessary crop or redaction yourself in a separate editing tool without concealing or misrepresenting the item’s condition.

Separate a private preparation draft from a posted listing

Save your own item photos and draft title and description in a personal Pogaem entry so you can reread the words beside the same pictures. Choose the date you checked the condition. If a new scratch appears later, add a new photo and observation and bring the draft up to date before posting.

A draft saved in Pogaem is not automatically published on a secondhand marketplace. Enter the listing, price, and transaction terms yourself in the service you use. Note a publication date only after you actually post it, and do not record a preparation draft as a completed sale.