AW Daily - Tips & Tactics - During the Auction: Finding What You Want

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Logging on to one of the large online auction services such as eBay, Yahoo Auctions, or Amazon.com Auctions can be a bit overwhelming. All three sites have a bewildering array of main categories and subcategories, containing hundreds of thousands of items. So that you don't feel like you're looking for a needle in a haystack, sites offer a variety of services designed to help you quickly find what you are looking for. Here's an overview of a few services, some of which you might know, and some you might not.

Search
When you want to separate the wheat from the chaff, try the service's search engine first. Unless you've been living under a rock and have never used the Web, you're probably familiar with the process. Plug in the name of the item you are looking for. Your keyword(s) will be matched with other words in the service's database, and you'll be given a list of results.

Be aware that the larger sites often have category-specific searches, which can greatly reduce the number of unrelated results returned. Most, if not all, services also have advanced searches, which let you set preferences. For instance, it's common to search by starting or closing auction, seller, auction number, and even the location of the seller. This will restrict your search to a more specific pool of items. In fact, searching by seller is a great way to find auctions of interest once you identify trustworthy people who sell items in the categories that interest you.

Featured Auctions
Although sellers pay for featured auction real estate, they are useful for buyers on category indexes. Often, they underscore the quality of items in that category. They also help identify what types of items are actually for sale in that category if the category name is somewhat ambiguous (which is not uncommon). However, it's another story with the featured auctions on a service's home page. These listings tend to be devoid of logic, often showcasing both niche and generic items side by side.

Personal Pages:
If you plan to use online auctions frequently, it's a good idea to create a personal shopping page, such as eBay's My eBay, Auction Universe's My Universe, or Yahoo Auction's My Auction. Such pages will not only show the current auctions you have listed and bid on, but also provide direct links to the listing pages of your favorite categories. Many even provide your account information.

Notify Now
Most services offer email notification systems. These include CityAuction's Notify Me, Excite Auctions' Cool Notify, and eBay's Personal Shopper. After answering questions, setting preferences, and submitting forms, the auction site will do an automated search and email you the results several times a day. The email will feature the auction's seller name, location, and current price. Click on the included link and you'll jump right to it.

About Me
If you are a newbie looking for trustworthy people as well as hot deals, you should see if a service allows its users to create bio pages. These creative personal pages give people the chance to address the community in their own way, outlining their interests, passions, policies, opinions, merchandise, and more. It's a good way to hook into the community and find some high-volume, high-profile sellers in your areas of interest. Of course, check their feedback before bidding on their auctions. Examples include Yahoo Auction's Profile Pages and eBay's About Me option.

Performing Better Searches
Evaluating Sites
Making Informed Bids