This guide if for those who are interested in selling second hand or vintage shoes and want some handy tips. Some of the tips will apply to selling new shoes too.
- The photograph you submit is your shop window. Some shoes and boots look better when modeled others look great without, so experiment. Good lighting and a plain background really helps. You can get a good shot by putting on the shoes, lying down indoors and shooting your feet against a white ceiling!
- Do make sure if you are having the shoes modeled that the feet are the right size for the shoes, CLEAN! and with a good pedicure. The sight of varicose veins and hard skin ain't gonna get buyers racing to buy your wares.
- Make sure the shoes you are selling are clean and polished. A little silicone spray will give them an instant face lift. No one wants to see chewing gum or worse on the soles so take the trouble to clean them too.
- Be honest in your description about the condition - used shoes for example often have marks on the heels which I like to call 'glitches'. 'Worn out' should mean 'have been worn outside' not ' completely knackered' so choose your terminology with care!
- Re-heeling shoes can be very expensive so don't even bother listing an average pair if they need this doing, as the new owner isn't likely to want the expense (except for a pair of Jimmy Choose perhaps!)
- List the manufacturer in the title. The name may not mean a thing to you, but people will be searching by label and will be prepared to pay several times more for a designer brand in good condition.
- Don't forget to list the width measurement across the ball and the inside length too. Advise customers to measure a similar styled pair that fits them to determine the fit. Even so, you may wish to mention in your terms that you can't guarantee correct fit and think about your returns policy.
- In photos, folk want to see the front view, a side view showing the profile and a shot of the heels (front and side can be in a single frame to save money on the listing).
- Sticky price labels inside or on soles should be removed by peeling off slowly, or try putting a hairdryer on them to loosen the adhesive.
- One way to brighten up shoes for the photo is to insert some colored tissue paper into the toes - it makes them look well cared for too. If the shoes are a bit shapeless, try putting shoe trees in overnight before photographing (remove before you take the shots).
- Try and advertise the shoes as boxed. The shoe box need not be the original (state if it isn't though) and it will make the shoes look far better presented.
- Wipe inside the shoes with an antiseptic baby wipe or similar if you are concerned about hygiene and odors.
- Give UK, EU and US sizing where possible.
- Be aware of suspicious correspondence from people posing as would-be buyers but who are foot fetishist. They tend to ask for several shots of ladies high heels being modeled.
- If the shoes have leather soles, do mention this in the ad - cheap shoes usually have synthetic soles so this can be a good indicator of quality.
- Ladies court shoes look fabulous when modeled with seamed stockings. It's worth keeping a pair for the purpose.
- Finally, when you have prepared your ad, take a look at the preview. Think 'would I buy these shoes, based on this ad?' If the answer is 'Yes, possibly' then you may be onto a winner
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