What Is This Take a Picture: How Image Recognition Changed My Reselling Game

Introduction: The Random Lamp That Started It All

It was April 2021. I was at a yard sale outside Philadelphia when I stumbled on a strange brass lamp with no markings. No brand. No barcode. No clue.

Normally, I’d skip something like that — identifying unknown products used to eat too much time. But that day, I opened Google Lens, snapped a photo, and in less than 5 seconds it showed me the exact product name, its average resale price on eBay, and recent sold listings.

I bought it for $6. Sold it for $84 two weeks later.

That’s the moment I realized how powerful image-based product identification can be for sourcing, reselling, and even everyday buying decisions.

What Is “Take a Picture” Technology (And Why It Matters for Sellers)

Here’s where it gets interesting.

When people say “what is this take a picture” online, they’re usually talking about visual search — snapping a photo of something and having technology tell you what it is. The most well-known tool? Google Lens.

This technology:

Identifies products visually, without a barcode or SKU
Surfaces product names, prices, and sometimes even stock levels
Cross-references eBay, Amazon, Etsy, and other marketplaces
Speeds up sourcing — especially for vintage or unmarked items

For resellers, this removes one of the biggest bottlenecks: product research time.

What’s Google Lens Used For (In Real Reselling)

I use Google Lens almost daily, but not just to ID products. It helps me make smarter, faster sourcing decisions.

Here’s how I use it step by step:

Open Google Lens in the app.
Snap a photo of the item.
Review similar listings and historical prices.
Decide whether it’s worth buying.

Real example:
In July 2023, I found a pair of vintage Ray-Ban sunglasses for $20. Google Lens identified them instantly. Sold in 3 days for $110.

It’s become my go-to move at:

Thrift stores
Flea markets
Yard sales
Estate cleanouts
Wholesale pallets

(And yes, sometimes even my own attic.)

When Lens Got It Wrong

This tech isn’t magic.

In late 2022, I scanned a vintage-looking jacket and Lens matched it to a $250 luxury brand item. I listed it high… but it sat for months. Eventually, I learned it was a knockoff with similar design cues.

Lesson learned: image tools are fast, but human verification still matters. Always double-check labels, seams, or serial numbers.

What Not Selling? Using Visual Search to Diagnose Slow Listings

People often ask me why some of their items aren’t moving. That’s where this ties into what not selling on marketplaces.

When a listing doesn’t move, here’s what I do:

Snap a photo of the item again.
See what similar listings are priced at today (not 6 months ago).
Compare titles and photos to mine.
Adjust accordingly.

Quick anecdote:
I had 17 “dead” listings in Q4 2023. After re-checking them with Lens and updating keywords + pricing, 11 sold within 30 days. The other 6? They were just duds. But now I knew why.

Why Can’t I Boost My Marketplace Listing?

If you’re trying to push a Facebook Marketplace listing and keep seeing “boost not available,” here’s the truth: sometimes it’s the content or category that’s holding you back.

Common culprits I’ve run into:

Using generic images instead of actual product photos
Listing restricted or ineligible items
Vague or missing product details
Poor keyword matching (yes, Marketplace has an algorithm too)

Using image-based tools like Lens ensures your product is accurately classified — which dramatically increases your chances of being boostable.

1 1 Reselling: How Image Recognition Supercharges Flipping

The phrase “1 1 reselling” often refers to sourcing individual items for resale, not bulk pallets or wholesale boxes. And here’s where image search is a game changer.

When sourcing one-off items:

You don’t have SKU data.
You often don’t know exact brand or model.
Time is money.

Before I used Lens, I averaged 8–10 sourcing decisions an hour. Now I average 20–25. That compounds fast.

In 2024, over 38% of my profitable flips came from single, identified-on-the-spot items. Many of which I would’ve skipped before.

Tools I Use to Make This Whole Workflow Work

I don’t rely on just one app. Here’s my current tech stack:

Google Lens — instant product identification.
Closo — automating listings once I’ve sourced.
eBay Seller Hub — pricing and sell-through tracking.
WatchCount — real-time demand trends.
Pirate Ship — shipping savings on one-off items.

These five tools work together. Lens gets me the intel. Closo gets it listed. Seller Hub gets it priced right. WatchCount confirms demand. Pirate Ship keeps profit intact.

Thinking Tools Would Replace Strategy

When I first started leaning on Lens, I thought it would solve everything.

It didn’t.

I scanned items that technically “sold before,” but I didn’t account for velocity or seasonality. A product that sold in May might sit forever in December.

That’s when I started combining visual search with trending data and timing analysis. That’s what turned decent flips into a business.

Pre-Lens vs. Post-Lens Sourcing

Metric	Pre-Lens (2020)	Post-Lens (2024)
Avg sourcing speed	10 items/hr	25 items/hr
Avg profit per item	$14	$22
Misidentified items	High	Low
Time spent on research	3 hrs/day	1 hr/day
ROI on single flips	35%	61%

This is why I tell new resellers: time is a cost. Lens helped me claw a lot of it back.

People Always Ask Me: “Is Google Lens Always Accurate?”

No — and that’s okay.

Lens is a starting point, not a verdict. It’s accurate about 80–85% of the time in my experience. For mainstream retail products, it’s nearly flawless. For vintage or obscure collectibles, I double-check.

Common Question: “Can I Use Lens to Source Inventory at Scale?”

Yes, but with a strategy.

When I source at flea markets, I move fast — Lens gives me a baseline. But I still use:

eBay sold listings to confirm price floors
WatchCount to see if anyone’s actually buying
Closo to list immediately while on the go

That combination is lethal in a good way. I’ve done $3,200 weekends at flea markets using this method.

Common Question: “What If I’m Not Good at Identifying Products?”

That was me in 2019.

Lens leveled the playing field. I didn’t need niche knowledge to start flipping. I learned by scanning, comparing, and watching real data. It’s like outsourcing product knowledge to your phone.

Using Visual Search Beyond Reselling

This feature isn’t just for sellers. I use it in:

Home renovation projects (identifying vintage fixtures)
Personal shopping (finding better prices elsewhere)
Repair sourcing (finding parts for appliances)
Checking for fakes (especially sneakers and watches)

And honestly? That utility compounds if you’re already living in resale mode.

Snap, Scan, Decide, Flip

What is this take a picture might sound like a casual phrase, but it’s reshaped how thousands of resellers source inventory.

I went from skipping unknowns to making them my best flips. But it’s not magic. You still need pricing data, timing sense, and listing discipline.

I use Closo to automate crosslisting and pricing after sourcing with Lens. It saves me about 3 hours weekly — time I reinvest in finding the next weird lamp to flip.