eBay’s home page has a simple search box, which works fine for simple searches. Just enter your keywords, click the Search button, and view your results. It’s pretty easy. For more sophisticated searches use eBay advanced search feature. From there you can:
Search by keyword
Search by auction item number
Restrict your search to a specific category
Search by both title and description
Search completed listings only
Sort your results by time, price, distance, or payment method
Personalize how you want your search results displayed.
The Find Items page isn’t the last word in eBay searches. When you click the Advanced Search link on the Find Items page (not to be confused with the similar link on eBay’s home page), you’re taken to eBay’s Advanced Search page. In addition to the options present on the normal “Find It Now” page, this page offers the following advanced search functions:
Choose to search for all the words in a query, any of the words in a query, an exact phrase, or an exact match for the query
Exclude specific words from the results of a search
Narrow your search to items within a specific price range
Include or exclude items from specific sellers
Narrow your search to items located in or available to specific countries outside the U.S.
Limit your results to items listed in a specific currency
Search for items offered in multiple quantities or lots
Narrow your search to items offered with the Buy It Now option
Limit your results to items that can be paid for via PayPal
Show only those items that display a Gift icon
Limit your search to items ending within a specified time period
Narrow your search to items located a specified distance from a given location
Display only those items that have a specified number of bids
Display only those items that offer eBay Anything Points
Limit your search to those items listed by nonprofit organizations
The bottom line is that you can use the Advanced Search page to conduct very targeted searches, using just about any criteria you can think of. Given the huge number of items listed on eBay on any given day, this ability to generate more targeted results is welcome.