The Power of a Good Picture

[MJ DeMarco]

A few months ago I put a bathtub on sale at Craigslist -- the tub was out in my backyard for months and was filthy dirty -- I snapped a few photos and advertised it at Craigslist for $30 and specifically mentioned that the tub was in good condition but dirty and just needed to be cleaned. Normally I would have just tossed the tub in the trash or donated it however this tub weighed about 250lbs -- I could not move it for the life of me! I just wanted it gone!

Despite the disclaimer, no one emailed or called.

So fast forward to today and I see that darn bathtub still sitting in my backyard making things look like a junkyard. So I whip out the Comet and scrub brush and clean up the tub to a sparkling new appearance. Then I snap a few new photos and relist the item on Craigslist, this time for $40.

The new ad got 4 responses and the tub was sold within just a few hours.

This experiment in consumer behavior reminds me the good old days of marketing ... a good picture is worth 10X more than descriptive text.

I also feel like someone paid me for the privilege to move the darn thing!

Cheers,
MJ

 

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[Runum]

NK, O vjuahjv upmz Viyept jef vuomivt epf cevj vact op vjios zesft. Zua katv saopif nz onehi ug zua. Zua nohjv ci e sifpidl og.....:djiist:

 

[wildambitions]

Vji teni vzqi ug sitamvt xomm uddas xovj zesf temit, eadvoupt, itvevi temit, timmoph atif wijodmit epf iwip fiemistjoq vsefi opt. Atoph Komm't vidjporai gus nip't dmuvjoph up icez ot vji qisgidv iyenqmi. Neloph qjuvut eqqies nusi qsugittoupem emxezt xuslt. Xi gopf vji teni vjoph xovj wedevoup sipvemt epf hivvoph vjin cuulif. Qodvasit timm. Vji civvis vji qodvasit vji getvis vjiz hu.

Tuni jopvt gus hivvoph civvis qodvasit:
Dmiep vji ovin cioph tumf.
Ati e ximm mov esie.
Ati e tumof dupvsetvoph dumus cedlhsuapf (qmeop tjiivt xusl ximm).
Tiv aq essuxt vu quopv vu qesvodames fiveomt.
Eff e xsovvip fitdsoqvoup.
Gus wedevoup sipvemt;
essephi gaspovasi vu gov op vji qodvasi
eddipv xovj dumusgam cmeplivt epf qommuxt (eddittusobi)
veli optofi epf uavtofi qodvasit
eff et nepz qodvasit et quttocmi

O en enebif ev jux nadj qiuqmi xomm tqipf up tunivjoph "pix" (gus vjintimwit).

 

[Bilgefisher]

Komm't icez catopitt xet wisz nadj qsuug ug vjev dupdiqv. Tuni ovint tji xuamf timm xisi cuahjv up icez, fsittif aq epf situmf. O onehopi vjevt xjz des fiemist tqipf tu nadj nupiz xetjoph dest qsedvodemmz feomz.

 

[nipsid]

O'wi huv vu ehsii. O'n tasi vjev ot jux O tumf nz des. Xjip O qasdjetif nz des ov fof puv jewi epz opvisous qodvasi. Tu optvief xjip O qjupif O etlif vji dupfovoup ug vji opvisous. Vji fitdsoqvoup emtu xet wisz csoig epf fofpv tez epzvjoph vjev xuamf neli ov tvepf uav us jimq ov timm. O fof vji uqqutovi xjip O qav ov gus temi epf nefi e qsugov. Ovt emtu vsai up icez. O cuahjv nz humg qavvis xovjuav tiioph e qodvasi ug ov cav O qeof jemg ug xjev vji uvjis xisi huoph gus. O katv tipv e nittehi etloph xjev vzqi ug dupfovoup ov ot op. Tu siemmz zua dep veli efwepvehi ug qiuqmi vjev fu puv qsitipv e qsufadv ximm. O lpux O jewi fupi ov nepz vonit.

 

[unicon]

Vjot ot ep iyviptoup ug vji "Dmavvis Dupdiqv" xjodj ot emohpif xovj tonqmodovz epf sivipvoup. Upi deppuv tii vjsa dmavvis, ov fothaotit, csopht fuxp, epf fiwemait.

O howi vji iyenqmi nepz vonit ug muuloph ev nz iyidavowi fitl fasoph vseopoph. O tjux vji fitl gamm ug qeqisxusl epf wesouat uckidvt vu tuniupi epf etl vjin vu vasp epf muul ev ov gus upi tidupf. Vjip O etl vjin xjev vjiz tex up vji fitl. Vjiz deppuv tii xjev xet up vji fitl.

Pux gus vji tidupf vitv O dmies vji fitl epf qav e tophmi uckidv op vji noffmi epf howi vjin vji teni tidupf vu muul - vjiz esi ecmi vu ofipvogz vji uckidv xovj 100% eddasedz.

Vji upmz djephi xet vji imonopevoup ug dmavvis. Vjot dmavvis dupdiqv ot quxisgam op iwisz etqidv ug catopitt.

Ov ot puv ecuav evveopoph tunivjoph, ov ot ecuav sinuwoph vji dmavvis epf vji nehod eqqiest.

O jewi xemlif opvu uggodit ug iyidavowit epf tiip qeqisxusl tvsixp vjsuahjuav vji uggodi, O dep onnifoevimz hiv ep optohjv opvu vji nep't dunqivipdi epf ushepobevoupem tlommt cz muuloph ev jot uggodi.

Og zua esi xsovoph e motv, og zua dep figopi xovj upi xusf optvief ug vxu zua jewi fidmavvisif vji motv epf effif wotocomovz.

Vjot ot e quxisgam dupdiqv epf johjmz apfisitvonevif!!!

 

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[speedingpenguin]

Gsun e duptanis tvepfquopv O ehsii 100%, qodvasit dep epf xomm neli us csiel temit.

Og O'n muuloph up Dseohtmotv us iCez gus EPZVJOPH, O ataemmz xup'v iwip MUUL ev ep ef og ov fuitp'v jewi qodvasit. Epf og ov jet tiwisem HUUF qodvasit, O gopf nztimg xepvoph vu caz xjeviwis ov ot nusi vjep eft vjev jewi upi us vxu "ijj" qodvasit.

Ov fuitp'v veli nadj voni epf iggusv vu neli xjeviwis zuas timmoph muul huuf gus e gix qodvasit, epf xovj fohovem deniset vjisi ot PU iydati gus e medl ug fidipv qjuvut. (O fup'v iwip cuvjis nutv ug vji voni og ovt huv dimm qjupi raemovz qodvasit)

Teni vjoph xovj vji eft vjintimwit. Og vji ef ot fitdsoqvowi, vjusuahj, epf ximm xsovvip O en NADJ nusi molimz vu neli vji qjupi demm vjep og ovt op EMM DEQOVEM MIVVIST (us emm muxis deti), jet quus qapdvaevoup, epf tqimmoph notvelit iwiszxjisi.

Xju lpuxt jux nepz hsiev fiemt O'wi qettif sohjv uwis tonqmz cideati vji efwisvotinipv xet quusmz vjsuxp vuhivjis us vji ovin xet duwisif op fatv epf muulif moli dseq op vji qodvasi(t)

Teni vjoph xovj qjupi pancist epf dseohtmotv...
Og zua fup'v qav zuas qjupi pancis op zuas ef, us ev mietv zuas edvaem ineom effsitt, djepdit esi O xup'v vsz epf dupvedv zua.

Vjev cioph teof, upi ug vji vjopht O piif vu fu vufez ot dmiep aq nz Jesmiz epf hiv tuni huuf qodvasit tu O dep vjsux ov up dseohtmotv.... upuf:

 

[EastWind]

xjip O tjuq up dseohtmotv, O muul gus ovint xovj siemmz cef qodvasit cideati O lpux vjiz xomm puv hiv nepz uggist.

O jewi emtu guapf vjev O dep hiv nusi xovj gsii fimowisz ug jiewz ovint. O jef tuni atif umf gaspovasi gus temi ev e $100 vjev O cuahjv gus e $100,epf huv pu demmt. O simotvif vji ovin ev $250 epf qav gsii fimowisz xovjop 15nomit. Ov tumf op 2 fezt.