Seller guide · Louisiana
Photographing a reel for a buying review
Six photographs taken properly will do more than sixty taken quickly, and the difference is mostly about light and distance.
Guide 01
A review works from evidence. The evidence for cable is the tag, the print, the conductor, the reel and the place it is stored. Each needs a different photograph, and most lots arrive with none of them done properly.
The six that matter
- The tag, flat and legible, filling the frame. If it is faded, take two: one straight on and one at an angle in raking light.
- The print on the jacket, with the cable lying straight for at least two feet.
- The cut end, close enough to see the conductor colour and stranding.
- The reel from the side, so the flange condition and remaining diameter are visible.
- Any damage: a crushed flange, a water line, a cracked jacket, rodent damage.
- The storage location, wide enough to show whether it is indoors or outdoors.
Practical technique
Daylight is better than a warehouse flash, and a phone camera is fine. Fill the frame with the subject rather than standing back, keep the camera square to a flat tag to avoid glare, and put something for scale beside a conductor end if the size is not printed.
Send the photographs at full resolution. A compressed image of a tag is worse than no image, because it looks like evidence and cannot be read.
What photographs cannot do
They cannot prove footage, and they cannot prove that medium voltage insulation is sound. Those require measurement and testing. A photograph is evidence of identity and condition, and it is very good at that.
Photograph the tag before you move the reel. Tags fall off in handling more often than anywhere else.
Start here 01
Have a lot that matches this guide?
Send the construction, the quantity and the storage. If the tag is gone, say so and send a photograph of the print instead.
- One desk for the whole state
- Buyers, not sellers
- No obligation before written terms
Photographs of reel tags and jacket print can follow by text to 614-715-3047 or email to saleselectricalbuyers@gmail.com.
Send the lot details
Six details are enough to start.
Questions —
Questions this guide raises
How many photographs should I send?
Six to twelve per lot: a wide shot, the tags, the print, any damage. More than that is usually repetition.
Can I text photographs?
Yes. Text them to 614-715-3047 with the company name, or attach them to the form's follow-up email.
Do I need to unwrap a reel to photograph it?
No. Photograph the outside and the visible end. Unwrapping a sealed reel reduces its value, so do not do it for a photograph.
Next step —
Ready to have a lot reviewed?
Send the construction, the quantity and where the material sits. A buyer replies with questions or an offer basis.
Request a wire quote
A buyer reviews the lot and replies with questions or an offer basis.