To me, the WORST thing a seller can do is put up crappy CELLPHONE photos! I don't care what you're trying to sell, use a real camera! And I don't want to hear about how good cellphone cameras have gotten, they'll never get close to a good DSLR camera with REAL lenses. Even most pocket digital cameras are better than any cellphone.
And I agree about the background stuff as well. You're trying to sell the ITEM, not the pretty background. Use a neutral background, like a gray backdrop cloth or gray paper backdrop. Gray won't affect the exposure of your item as much as something light like white. Most cameras will try to make a white background gray anyway, which makes your subject darker.
Taking artsy photos for your own use/pleasure is one thing, but for selling something, you want the item itself to be the eyecatcher, and that means proper exposure, sharp focus, good lighting, and highlighted details. The back ground shouldn't even be noticable.