model or mannequin ??

[susanjoyce]

anyone with an ebay shop or similar notice a difference in their sales depending on whether they use a live model or mannequin to display their clothing?

 

[deniser]

Model far far better provided it is a professional model and professional photographer but there is a cost involved.

If it is not a professional set up then mannequin looks better.

 

[Coppock]

Always go for a pro photographer + model... looks much better for your own brand and image, and often sell for more!

 

[papverpoppies]

Always go for a pro photographer + model... looks much better for your own brand and image, and often sell for more!

There is someone on Ebay who fancies herself as a model and she does the modelling. How not to market your business.

If you can afford it then it does look far better - but it also depends on what sort of clothes you are selling..

If they are high end fashion, then yes, if seconds etc from chain stores maybe not so important.

Please, whatever you do, do not use one of those mannequins where their hair is all scewwhiff, they really crack me up, and it is hard from then on to take the seller seriously.

Poppy

 

[Coppock]

There is someone on Ebay who fancies herself as a model and she does the modelling. How not to market your business.

Who?

Please, whatever you do, do not use one of those mannequins where their hair is all scewwhiff, they really crack me up, and it is hard from then on to take the seller serious

How about the headless discoloured mannequins with a dimly lit grey background and part of the bottom cut off?

 

[papverpoppies]

Who?


How about the headless discoloured mannequins with a dimly lit grey background and part of the bottom cut off?

She is orange...has a large chest, large blonde hair, (she might be on here)
not sure of the sellers name, but you would know who I mean, if you found her listings.. models more bedroom attire (and not fleecy jimjams)!

You could write so many funny stories about those mannequins.

I was in Debenhams a few weeks ago, and my friend knocked into one, she turned around to say 'sorry' thinking she had bumped a person, the mannequin had fallen sideways into a bra display and was wearing one on his head...

Why do they make them in grey...is it in case aliens are looking to buy something?

Poppy xx

 

There is someone on Ebay who fancies herself as a model and she does the modelling. How not to market your business.

I've seen that also (or maybe another one) the one i saw was not exactly model material and certainly did not sell the outfit!!!!!!

 

She is orange...has a large chest, large blonde hair, (she might be on here)
not sure of the sellers name, but you would know who I mean, if you found her listings.. models more bedroom attire (and not fleecy jimjams)!

Yes thats the one!!! i've seen her in a leather bondage skirt and she's not exactly a small woman

 

[papverpoppies]

Yes thats the one!!! i've seen her in a leather bondage skirt and she's not exactly a small woman

Yep that's her.

Put me off owning a bondage skirt for life

Poppy xx

 

[susanjoyce]

haha was it as part of the package?
ive seen a few ebay ladies in rather dodgy looking poses with sky high bids for average looking second hand underskirts etc.
someone must be into it!
im experimenting with ebay justnow while im building my site so might try a couple of similar items half with a mannequin model and half real to see if theres a big difference in watchers and bids in that format and then i think with your comments models all the way for my site.
thanks for your help!

 

[Ranks]

Split testing is the way to find out what works for your customers. If you can make some 'comedy' item images on just a few listings you can really bring in decent traffic - depends on your niche though!
Jay

 

[Chunkford]

People buy with emotions, so showing items in real life situations come across with more desire than a basic shot. Of course this costs more money due to extra resources.
But what would you buy?
A) A pair of shorts on a mannequin
B) A pair of shorts on a person having fun on the beach

 

Yep that's her.

Put me off owning a bondage skirt for life

Poppy xx

I'll second that Poppy!

 

[deniser]

You could write so many funny stories about those mannequins.

As students we once came across a parked car at night with someone in the passenger seat completely covered by a blanket. All we could see was one foot poking out underneath wearing a high heeled shoe. Very alarmed, we knocked on the window to try to wake her and when that didn't work, we tried rocking the car, all to no avail. As we seemed to have a dead body on our hands we dialled 999. The police arrived sirens blaring, cordoned off the area, tried to wake her etc. They then tried to call the owner of the vehicle via their databases and his mother answered and explained that her son made mannequins and was taking this one to a party............

We were all extremely relieved, including the police and the man got a big telling off from the police when he came out of the building.

 

[Sam Boogie]

Mannequins dont need to look like human beings with plastic skin and dodgy haircuts. If you look in the windows of the more 'classy' shops they tend to use bodies without heads etc, some of these are also beautifully made and would 'stand-up' as pieces of furniture in their own right. I think they strike a good balance between showing off a garment on a flattering shape while also allowing the customer to imagine their own head on the top!

 

[papverpoppies]

Mannequins dont need to look like human beings with plastic skin and dodgy haircuts. If you look in the windows of the more 'classy' shops they tend to use bodies without heads etc, some of these are also beautifully made and would 'stand-up' as pieces of furniture in their own right. I think they strike a good balance between showing off a garment on a flattering shape while also allowing the customer to imagine their own head on the top!

But they are awful, (even if I could imagine my own head on the top) which I cannot.

There are some lifelike models (I think they are German) search Ebay, they go for about £150+ depending on the model.
They are not as rigid as the normal type, and I think you can bend them into different postions

I watched a programme where this saddo had one, and pretended it was his girlfriend

I own several, (not the expensive type) as I collect vintage clothing, they are a pain to move, arms and legs dropping off left right and centre, they have NO modelling skills at all, and short on conversation.

Poppy xx

 

[debbidoo]

As a rather 'curvy' lady, I get really pee'd off when I see clothes modelled by size 6 women. Puts me off totally, because I know that I am *never* going to look like that.

I'm also put off by models (whatever their size/shape) in ridiculous unrealistic poses. Show me what they look like walking into a room, or standing having a chat with a mate, rather than arms and legs in unnatural positions, neck all twisted, back bent beyond recognition, mouth all pouty... bleugh.

I'd rather see clothes on one of those headless see-through perspex non-mannequins, which show you what the actual garment looks like, rather than what some stick-thin, lollipop-headed, titless boy-girl looks like wearing it.

*and.... breathe*

 

[papverpoppies]

As a rather 'curvy' lady, I get really pee'd off when I see clothes modelled by size 6 women. Puts me off totally, because I know that I am *never* going to look like that.

I'm also put off by models (whatever their size/shape) in ridiculous unrealistic poses. Show me what they look like walking into a room, or standing having a chat with a mate, rather than arms and legs in unnatural positions, neck all twisted, back bent beyond recognition, mouth all pouty... bleugh.

I'd rather see clothes on one of those headless see-through perspex non-mannequins, which show you what the actual garment looks like, rather than what some stick-thin, lollipop-headed, titless boy-girl looks like wearing it.

*and.... breathe*

A friend of a friend knew someone who was a size '6', who was always saying 'do I look fat in this'?? Fat, if she stood sideways, you could hardly see her, 5ft 9ish tall and incredibly thin!

We had all gone to one of these house parties selling clothes, shoes and perfumes etc.

The size 6 lady stood up, and said 'do you have them in a size 6'?
As quick as a flash, my friend chirped in, 'your feet are never a size 6, they are huge'! To which everyone looked down at her feet, and not at her figure..

Cruel, or what?

Poppy

 

[debbidoo]

Hmm... size 6 saying "do I look fat?" sounds suspiciously attention-seeking to me. Either that, or has a psychological problem.

I don't have anything against size 6 girls per se - we are whatever we are, there's no right or wrong size/shape to be - but the pressure from the fashion industry to squeeze into child-sized clothes that make your average size 12 woman feel fat is just wrong, IMO.

Interesting too that whenever I look at clothes in shops, it's always the 6, 8 and 10s that seem to be left rotting on the hangers, long after all the 16s, 18s and 20s have been sold.

Sorry, I've taken this thread right off topic, haven't I? Soz

 

[papverpoppies]

Hmm... size 6 saying "do I look fat?" sounds suspiciously attention-seeking to me. Either that, or has a psychological problem.

I don't have anything against size 6 girls per se - we are whatever we are, there's no right or wrong size/shape to be - but the pressure from the fashion industry to squeeze into child-sized clothes that make your average size 12 woman feel fat is just wrong, IMO.

Interesting too that whenever I look at clothes in shops, it's always the 6, 8 and 10s that seem to be left rotting on the hangers, long after all the 16s, 18s and 20s have been sold.

Sorry, I've taken this thread right off topic, haven't I? Soz

I think todays fashion looks terrific on thinner girls and ladies, but there is pressure placed on young girls I agree...

What the hell is a size 0, as in the States..

To get back on topic, why do they not make mannequins in the larger sizes, as some ladies clothes go up to size 36 these days, so there is a call for the 'less petitie' (sounds so much nicer, than larger) mannequin!

You are right about the clothes size, last week in one shop, lots of sizes, 8, and 12s left on the rails, but nearly everything from a size 14 up to a 20 was almost depleted.

Poppy xx

 

[BrightIdeas]

Without a shadow of a doubt, a model looks better than a mannequin. The only site that I've seen that uses a mannequin well is Net-a-porter. But, their mannequin is semi-stylish... plus they have uber-photographers and artworkers working for them to make their images ultra polished.

But, it is more costly, of course.

I'm currently planning a product shoot for new products. Ideally, I would also shoot the products on models too (which I have done for current products). But, this is not financially feasible at the moment as it's a big expense when factoring in make-up artist/hair stylist, etc.

 

[deadgoodundies]

I can't say what works for ebay but I can say from experience that a model works so much better than a mannequin.

One of the brands we sell decided that they wanted to provide photos of their goods to their online retailers shot on mannequins. Sales took a dive on that brand. I decided to reshoot them myself but on models (slowly replacing the pics on our site as we speak) and sales shot up again to what they were.

Depending on what you are selling you don't have to get a pro photographer in. I know nothing about photography and can't get my head around F stops ISO's etc. but with a cheapish SLR camera, one studio light (although I admit I have got a lot more kit) and a background I can produce pretty good pix like this these below.
If you are looking for models then model mayhem is a good start especially if you have a good selection in your area, failing that , again depending on what you are selling , just hanging around the local gym and asking people if they want to model sometimes works