Looks good! Seems to me that the coffee is not going to be poured until everyone can sit down and have a fresh cup of hot coffee poured for them.

Looks like a magazine photo shoot -- wonder what kind of interest you'll get from CL :-) Good luck!

You might consider adding a picture of the table 'un-staged" so that the lines of the legs, finish of the top are not obscured by the chairs etc. Love the table and the way you have presented it.

What a fabulous idea to stage your sale items.

As jmck nc mentioned, also show the table without the chairs and breakfast.

BTW- I didn't notice that you had no coffee in the mugs. I was too focused on your host/hostess chair positions. One of my pet peeves are chairs that are pushed up too close to the table when not in use.

Yes, the end chairs are too close (I thought I was the only one who gets bugged by that).

It looks great but it is guaranteed to confuse people.
We've tried to sell things with multiple photos and measurement listed and people will send emails wondering what it looks like and how big it is. I think there might be too much information in that picture--you'll probably get offers on the dishes, the chairs, and the chalkboard wall.

Sorry but there are a lot of really shtoopid people out there.

If you're just selling the table, you are showing too much in your pretty pictures.

Craigslist shoppers don't always appreciate 'staging'.

Good luck.

ML

Too much work. You're selling a table, on CL, not a meal.

I guess I just don't understand how end chairs could be 'too close'. I'm not looking for an explanation. I've always subscribed to the theory (probably from being raised to 'PUSH THE CHAIR IN!!!!!!!!' from multiple generations) that when a chair is not in use it is to be pushed in. All of the way because that would just be silly to have it 1/2 way out. If a chair is somewhat pulled out then it would be in a position of neither being pushed in nor pulled out for someone to sit on. ?

Anyways - I was essentially posting my thought process which is what I found to be amusing based on GW CL & Blog Pet Peeve threads.

Staging is in my blood. Can't fight it. Won't fight it. CL isn't my ultimate place to sell but it works as a stop gap until I get my stuff up to my mom's retail space. If I don't have to haul it on a 3 -4 hr drive - Bonus! More space to take additional stuff to sell!
Thanks for the nice comments! It's always nice to hear!

This post was edited by TheFoxesPad on Thu, Sep 25, 14 at 18:22

I went to catholic school. It was built in 1951 and the library had blond maple or birch furniture that was probably the Heywood Wakefield stuff made for schools, and every year we got a lecture from the librarian about how to push the chairs in. It involved pushing them in with your hands between the back of the chair and the edge of the table so that they never touched each other, but were about 1.5" from the table edges. So 20 odd years old, and the finish on everything was flawless.

If you didn't push it in enough you got yelled at. If you dared bang it into the table, you got punished. I still find myself pushing in chairs this way.

One picture of the table staged is ok (but not as the one showing in gallery view where you can quickly scan 100 listings.) I want to see the condition of the table and style of the legs. I've even emailed some sellers who cover the table with a tablecloth asking them what's going on since you can't even see the table top. Yours isn't that bad of course, and really adorable, but please remember to show it completely unadorned as your primary picture and definitely with dimensions.

Oh my gosh.

I caught the humor aspect of your post - you have us all in your head as you process through tasks - I do the same thing!

However..... as someone who has sold quite a bit of furniture on CL, you may be missing your best market. The only things I've ever had trouble selling are things I have been unable to isolate in photos. When all else fails I'll tack up white sheets to make a backdrop. I realize this is a test run for you so if you do decide to only use your staged photos, I hope it works well - let us know.

Hey TheFoxesPad...I am sorry to offend you. ;)

The reason the H/H chairs caught my eye was because the other chairs are placed back from the table. The H/H chairs are really jammed up against the table. Could put a crease in the fabric and scuff the paint finish of the table.

I remember those library AND cafeteria and classroom lessons for placement of the chairs. Only our rule was a fist width away. My chairs at home are about 2 fist away. I guess it depends on how much room one has in the room.

Anyway, I do like your style and I wouldn't change a thing about your listing. If I were looking through CL, your ad would attract my eye and I would take a look at your listing.

Looks like you are not the only one staging a table.

Here is a link that might be useful: CL listing

This post was edited by newhomebuilder on Fri, Sep 26, 14 at 8:34

Newhomebuilder, no worries, you didn't offended one bit!

I'm just always amazed at how when people haven't asked for ideas, thoughts, suggestions and/or opinions on how something looks or what they should do, they just want to share something, how they are told what they need to do, how they should change what they've done, etc....And even then when advice for change isn't asked for but is tossed into the ring it's so often in a manner that isn't "Might I suggest?" or "What about......".

I try to gloss over it as much as possible but sometimes, well just 'Dang!' as my son would say.

I just wish we could more often stay 'On point' to what the original poster posted.

And it has nothing to do w/ 'If you don't have something nice to say....', it's just staying on topic to what was posted. And if you really see something that could be tweaked, just approaching it in a more 'affable' way and quite frankly asking the poster if they mind first.

GW threads have been down this road before........................I get it, but I don't buy into it.

I really like the picture you took! It reminds me of firsthouses_mp's inspiration picture with the chalk board in the background. Nicely done, and Houzz worthy... great job with saving that table!

So, guilty. I went off on a tangent about pushing in chairs after someone else brought it up. Honestly though I didn't notice the chairs or where they were because you were talking about the table.

But maybe since people are noticing everything else but the table the reality is that your pictures are too complicated for their purpose. They look nice but they aren't conveying the message.

This is why tear sheets for furniture are often a BW photo or muslin covered piece on a white background. How often do you look for something shown in Pottery Barn on to find out it's styling and not something they sell?

So I reread the original post and l'm really not sure what "on point" is for this thread... no suggestions at all? What are the comments supposed to be? Usually , with the exception of finished kitchens some sort of constructive criticism is the norm. And generally there was a lot of critique in the initial stages.
I'm not trying to be cranky or obtuse, but I guess you need to say what "on point" actually is here

As long as you include measurements and info, I can see the table just fine. You did a fab job of staging. Looks great!

Very cute TheFoxesPad! Did you carry it to another location for the photos or is that in your home? I love the chalkboard background.

My unsolicited observation about staging and CL, at least locally, is that the staged furniture goes for a higher price than those that are obviously photographed in front of a garage or storage building door.

This summer I sold an antique pasting table. After listing it with just a plain picture and no calls, I set it out in the yard, draped a pretty cloth across it, and placed a basket of freshly picked produce on top. It then sold within 24 hours. I don't know if it was the staging or just the right buyer finally came along.

I'd like to know how quickly this sells and how much negotiation from the buyer. (Because I have a table and chairs I'd like to sell too.)

I love it! You did a fantastic job! I wish more things on Craigslist would show up in my area like your pretty table. I have a few furniture items to sell, and you have inspired me to stage them. Again, I love what you did, and I'm sure it will sell fast.

I agree with marti8a that a staged, or nice setting, sells a piece quicker than a piece that is shown in a room already full of junk or with junk on top of it. My favorite are when people are featured in the photo. haha

This isn't a furniture example, but I consider it a good example on how to sell on CL.

Here is my latest CL purchase...a puppy! She was listed on CL for 1 week before I finally deciding to go take a look at the poor puppy. There was also a reduction in the rehoming fee. Viewed the listing a few times before, but the puppy looked so scrawny and living conditions looked bad. However, she was the small dog that I had been looking for, so I caved.

Now, had the owner set the puppy up in a staged environment for her photo shoot (like my AFTER photos), I would have called about her the first time I saw the listing.

Top 2 photos are from the CL listing. Bottom 3 are taken at her new home with me. I sure am glad that I took that second look. ;)

TheFoxesPad - Let us know how the listing turns out!

This post was edited by newhomebuilder on Fri, Sep 26, 14 at 14:58

Homebuilder, I have to admit that the second set of pictures show a much happier dog, so maybe those first pictures tugged on your heart strings a lot more. Seems to have worked :)

Oh newhomebuilder, what a cutie!

After the way she has acted tonight, I am ready to give her back! Any takers? LOL

Newhome~
There are professional photographers who donate their time to visit dog rescues .
They have found that a good pic was instrumental in getting people in the doors to view the pets.
Sorry for the side note.
Just thought it was a wonderful thing to do.

That is nice! ;) Our local animal shelter could use their help. I was interested in another puppy at the AS. The photo was blurry, and the puppy was being held and half covered by an employee. I called the shelter to tell them that I was interested in the puppy "June" and asked if they could send me another photo. There was some discussion about the puppy in the background, and then the person that I was speaking to came back on and said that the puppy could not be photographed again. I told them that I would come see the pup in person the next day. The next thing I knew, the puppy was taken off the website. Odd.

TheFoxesPad - Any news on your CL listing? Sorry to get this posting off track again.

TheFoxesPad, I don't often look at Craigslist, but when I saw your photos my first thought was, I dig those painted chairs!

Love the photos.. you have such a great touch for staging. I am always amazed with what you do with what you have-- not just for this ad but in so many of your projects. I so respect that when you begin a project, that you already own and can repurpose. You have a great eye and I so admire how you can get an idea and make it come to life.

And I love that you hear us in your head! LOL.. what a hoot! There are worse people to have in your head!

TFP, I think it is nice that you did something different, in trying to bring a little class to your CL ad. Good for you!!

Did you sell it?

(It looks great by the way!)

Did you sell it?

(It looks great by the way!)