Read inspection photos like a checklist
A photograph shows you a surface at one angle in one light. That is useful, but it is not a guarantee. Working through a fixed order of checks stops you staring at the overall shape and missing the detail that decides the purchase.
A fixed order of checks
Look at the same six things every time, in the same sequence: overall silhouette, colour, stitching and edges, hardware, interior or lining, then labels. The order matters because it moves from the largest impression to the smallest evidence. Start with the label and you will miss a warped base; start with the silhouette and you will miss a mismatched zip pull.
Do this with the item's own page open beside the photograph, not from memory. Your job is to compare what the photograph shows with what the listing claims, and to write down any difference.
Colour and lighting
Colour is the least reliable thing in any photograph and the thing buyers complain about most. Hard directional light lifts texture and deepens shadow; a soft box flattens both. Two images of the same black bag can read as charcoal and jet. Record the colour name exactly as listed, plus a plain description of what you see: warm black with a slight brown cast, cold grey with a blue undertone.
If the listing includes an image on a plain white background and another in a styled scene, compare them. When the two disagree, treat the discrepancy as unconfirmed rather than picking the one you prefer.
Labels and tags
A label photograph is the single most valuable image for a second-hand or resale listing, because it carries composition and care text you can copy into the sheet. Check that the label is legible, that the size marking matches the listing, and that the care symbols are visible. If a seller shows a label but not the size tab, ask for the size tab — they are different labels and one does not confirm the other.
The recorded checklist
Use the same list for each candidate and record a short result for each line, not a tick alone. "Stitching — even along the top edge, single row, no loose thread visible" is a record. A bare tick is an opinion.
- Silhouette: does the shape match the described style and stated dimensions?
- Colour: named colour noted, plus your own neutral description.
- Stitching and edges: evenness, density, edge paint, any visible repair.
- Hardware: finish, markings, whether the metal looks plated or solid.
- Interior and lining: material shown, pocket count, any staining.
- Labels: composition text, size tab, care symbols, legibility.
- Wear: scuffs, creasing, sole wear, discolouration at handles.
- Photo set completeness: which angles are missing.
Writing the limits down
A photograph cannot tell you how heavy something is, how it smells, whether a zip runs smoothly, or how a fabric feels against the skin. It also cannot confirm that the item pictured is the exact unit you will receive. Write those limits into a notes column as questions, for example "request a photo of the sole and the interior base" or "confirm whether the strap is detachable".
Once the visual record is complete, line it up with the measurement fields from recording measurements and sizes and the composition notes in recording materials and care. Then write the purchase conditions — including anything about returns — in saving purchase and return conditions, so the visual evidence and the terms sit together.
With the checks done, return to the hipobuy spreadsheet home page and price the shortlist with the budget tool. The tool only computes what you type in; it does not verify condition, authenticity or availability.
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