Best Ebay search phrases?

AllYourBassAllYourBass
in Help Wanted!

Is there any search phrases in particular that you guys use on Ebay that have been helpful to find good things? Is there any 'secret' terms that have gotten you good results, that one normally might not think of? Or, do you have any secret Ebay searching tips that take you to good finds? What's your strategy?

Just searching for "NES" gets way too many results...

Comments

  • dangevindangevin
    Secret #1 - misspellings aren't worth it.



    Every two-bit reseller haunts misspelled items, and I've seen them go for far more than generic listings/lots, simply because they get more eyeballs from people thinking they'll get smart and get lucky. It doesn't happen.



    #2 - Don't rely on your search. The best laid plans...if you search by category, you'll miss juicy things listed in Collectibles, Toys and other odd places. If you search solely by keywords like NES, you'll miss a great deal of stuff that's just listed as "Nintendo" with no other console identification. Or just as "Video Game"!



    #3 - Pick your fights. Choose a few games that you really want to go after, and find all of the listings that contain them. Just search for that game's title. Choose to search in the body of listings, so you get hits on more than just title. Keep track of them in your watchlist, and fire off cheap bids on a few of them. You'll get one or more at a good rate, and if you wind up with a double - just sell it for a profit since you got it cheap.



    The NES collection is too large to try to tackle all the big stuff at once. Pace yourself, and don't get caught up in bid wars.
  • dangevindangevin
    ^ I should note, I just bought tons of lots up until my last 100 or so games, then I targeted specific games, one at a time, until I finished my set. #3 is the most important thing you can remember - search for one game at a time. I can tell you - my saved searches are almost all for individual titles right now.
  • superNESmansuperNESman
    As Dan said, I was just discussing today how don't even botehr with Mispellings. Everyone who is looking a little by now knows about sites like Fatfingers.com, and you won't see a Nintend or Nitnendo listing go without several views and watchers. Now if you're looking for a specific game then that's a different story, you'd probably look for different spellings of that title, but don't rely on that for games like Stadium Events or any super-rares.



    Also, most people won't be giving away their "secret" search words. I'm sure many of us (including me) have key words we search that have given us luck, and giving them away would just be stupid, for it would ruin our chances. I know you want to know them now, but you just have to learn after time.
  • OzNEScollectorOzNEScollector
    i dont really type anything that anyone else may not, and mispells definately are pointless but once every couple of months i try the old "nitendo" to see if anyones listed something decent - i do it more for a laugh than anything else image



    nitendo worlsd champonship 11990
  • dr.robbiedr.robbie
    nitendo worlsd champonship 11990

    that's been in my saved search forever. just wait until ebay notifies me about a hit image

  • OzNEScollectorOzNEScollector
    no, me first image
  • dangevindangevin
    Really, the best secret is that the auctions that end in plain sight, tend not to do well sometimes.



    Any R6 or R7, even the odd R8 will have bad days at a .99 NR auction.



    Like I said, pick your fights, keep at it, and don't get caught up in bid wars. There's hundreds, thousands of EACH of these games out there. If one goes by, don't cry, and don't throw money at it.



    One of my final five games was, of all things, The Great Waldo Search. I was determined not to pay more than $5 for it, and eventually I got what I wanted...but I was looking for probably a month or more.



    But the one I got was .99 with $2.99 ship, no reserve, and just ended quietly with me as the only bidder. It was listed very well, title said NES Nintendo, had the name spelled correctly.



    That's the biggest secret, guys. Nothing sexy like a magic password. Just mundane.
  • OSGOSG
    Yes, I will concur that the biggest secret is just patience.



    But F5 is the other big secret image



    "nes lot" is probably the only search term I use if I'm not looking for a specific game. I'm usually looking for a specific game.
  • DainDain
    Dan put together a mini how-to for search phrases as well, here:



    http://www.nintendoage.com/faq/rules_forum.html#pck



    It's not exhaustive, but using their search symbols can really help weed out unwanted listings.
Sign In or Register to comment.