AW Daily - Tips & Tactics - Before the Auction: Performing Better Searches

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Some buyers like to browse endlessly while others prefer to get down to business right away. If you fall into the latter category, then you probably rely on using an auction site's search engine. Just type in what you're looking for and voilà--instant listings. Sounds straightforward enough, right? But there's more to searches than you might think. Here are some tips designed to help you perform better and more effective searches.

General Searches
It's a relatively simple process even for Net newbies: in the search box, which is usually situated prominently on a site, enter the name of the item in which you're interested and the site's database generates a list of the auctions that match your keyword(s). But don't go rushing in without giving any thought to search techniques; if you do, you're likely to be bombarded with too many listings that aren't applicable to what you're really looking for. For instance, it's a good idea to use quotation marks ("") for multiword searches or searches for phrases; that way, the search will be done for the words in a specific order and each word isn't searched for separately. Here's an example:

Say you're a fan of the rock band The Who. If you march right in and do a search on eBay for The Who (type in: The Who), you'll certainly get lots of listings--about 1,630, to be exact. That's because the search engine crawls all auction titles that include the words "the" and "who." So along with that coveted out-of-print gold disc version of Quadrophenia, you'll also have to sift through a lot of irrelevant merchandise, like an autographed picture of Who's the Boss star Katherine Helmond and a handbill for Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. However, if you use quotation marks (type in: "The Who") you'll be much happier with your results. The total number of matches will be significantly reduced to 521.

Category-Specific and Advanced Searches
Another way to avoid an onslaught of listings is to do a category-specific search. Most sites will allow you to perform searches from within a particular category of interest (Beanie Babies, sports memorabilia, antiques, etc.). In general, this is a great way to cut down on the number of unrelated search results. However, keep in mind that items aren't always listed in their proper categories; by using a category-specific search you run the risk of missing out on some misplaced gems.

The vast majority of auction sites also offer advanced searches, which allow you to set multiple preferences. Advanced searches usually give you the option of searching by auction title or auction description. Obviously, the latter will yield far more results. But if you're unsuccessful in your initial general search, you might want to consider broadening your scope by doing an additional search for auction descriptions as well. Advanced searches also let you search by seller, the seller's location, auction number, and starting or closing auction.

Choosing Keywords
First of all, be as specific as possible. Don't just do a search for "books" if you're looking for a Stephen King novel. And if you're hunting for a Ricky Martin poster, then it's more efficient to do a search for "Ricky Martin poster" as opposed to just "Ricky Martin." Furthermore, if you're in the market for merchandise from a particular time period, you should specify that as well: For example, it's best to search for "Life magazine 1950s" rather than a less comprehensive "Life magazine." You can get even more granular by including the wildcard sign. By typing the asterisk symbol (*) at the end of a word, you can search for items with multiple endings. So searching for "Life magazine 195*" will search for issues of Life published from 1950 to 1959.

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