Ebay Search Filters?

[leon bee]

Is there any way to troll ebay for anything useful? What I mean is: if I type in 1953 Buick there are 19,742 results. At least 19,500 of these are items I care nothing about, many not even having anything to do with Buick.

 

I've watched ebay for 14 years for BSA motorcycle parts, that's not so bad. Not that many people even know what a BSA is. Triumph is a little harder, they built more, there are Triumph autos, and a new "Triumph" line being produced.  I also watch HD Ironhead Sportster parts, again fairly manageable.

 

But Buick? How many pages of fake antique signs, made in China wheel cylinders, car covers, toys, Ipod adapters, flame decals, and totally, totally irrelevant items does a man have time to look at in a day?

 

I'm kind of an ebay fan, have gotten many great deals over the years from good guys. Been cheated about once. Also sold quite a few items. So this question would be directed at ebay non-haters, and if anyone has any suggestions, Thanks!!

Edited January 7, 2016 by leon bee (see edit history)

[oldstyle]

Same problem everyone has. You can use a "-" to exclude items. 

 

buick -fits -signs   

 

Or something like that.

Edited January 8, 2016 by oldstyle (see edit history)

[Ttotired]

Minus fits and minus billet are 2 I use, gets a lot of them, but sometimes you miss out on something good because the seller says it fits this model and that one

 

Being in Australia, ebay is about my only parts source mostly, unless I am searching for a specific part

 

Mick

[Smartin]

Here is my normal search term:

 

1960 buick -fits -cover -key -manual -book -article -photo -accessory -keychain -chip -chips -postcard -postcards -watch -print -brochure -chart -spec -specs -kit -magazine -catalog -charts -ad -advertisement -keys -mat -mats -decal -filter -sunvisors -shocks -list -module -muffler -exhaust

 

And that still comes up with over 1500 items.  I just look at the auction items, and it brings it down to 100 or so.  I usually do a quick search of all the BIN items once a month.

[39BuickEight]

I search "1939 Buick" daily and simply sort by newly listed.  When I get to things I saw yesterday, I know I'm done.

[60FlatTop]

Ebay thinks themselves the king of customer satisfaction and I use them less all the time.

 

This is funny, but sad: 1960 buick -fits -cover -key -manual -book -article -photo -accessory -keychain -chip -chips -postcard -postcards -watch -print -brochure -chart -spec -specs -kit -magazine -catalog -charts -ad -advertisement -keys -mat -mats -decal -filter -sunvisors -shocks -list -module -muffler -exhaust. As a customer I should not have to go to such lengths to avoid everything in the world that fits any car, including O2 sensors for a 1953 Jaguar or a book about upholstery. So I don't.

 

It's pretty simple, the only thing of value I have for Ebay or sellers is my money. I kept it.

Bernie

[smithbrother]

We can hate Ebay day in and out, but truth is, IT HAS BEEN GOOD FOR OUR HOBBY, IMO.  Without it, many would never be able to finish their piece.

 

Don't YOU wish your invented EBAY?

 

Dale in Indy

Edited January 7, 2016 by smithbrother (see edit history)

[39BuickEight]

eBay can't possibly keep up with the ingenuity that sellers use to list their items.  It's a never ending battle where the sellers list things so they show up while eBay tries to run a intuitive site. 

[60FlatTop]

I don't hate Ebay. I just prefer not to be bothered by its methods. I don't hate TV car shows, but I find myself less inclined to stop at businesses that look like them. Just responding to the topic post. Since the hobby began, over 70 years ago, it has been affected by many things. Ebay had a good run for the hobby from about 1998 to 2005, It's not so good or influential anymore. That's just an opinion, mine.

 

Actually, I don't wish Ebay had been my idea. If I had done one single thing different in my life I might not be sitting here wasting time writing to the forum when I should be working. The sun is shining and I will probably get my '60 Buick out and run up to town for lunch. No thank you, alternative wishes not taken well here.

 

Now it really is time to do some billable work.

Bernie

[95Cardinal]

For my 1958 Caballero search, I use: "1958 Buick Century -LED -Stereo -billet"

 

The search results are under 300 and, like 39BuickEight, I only need to look at a few newly listed items each day.

 

I agree that eBay has become MUCH more costly for sellers, but it still is often the best and most efficient way to locate and sell parts.

[RivNut]

From what I can tell over the past number of years that more and more vendors think that just because it fits came off a '65 it will fit any model three years prior, even though there never was a '62 Riviera, or three years after, even though the nailhead disappeared from the line the year after.  It's also turned into a retail store "buy if now" for some ridiculous price rather than an auction.  No one seems to be satisfied with the market value, they seem to know what the value is and they wind up sitting on it for months at a time.  I do get some good deals every once in a while when the seller will let you make an offer.  I've low-balled a couple of things and the offers have been accepted.

 

Ed

[leon bee]

Thanks guys. I have to confess that even after all this time I didn't know about that minus minus deal. I'll mess around with that some.

[Dan O]

1949 buick -sign -bulbs -racing .  Also, be sure and save the search and get daily updates of new items by email as previous poster stated.  I usually have no more than 50 new listings to view.  I have found some sellers leave out BUICK and just use ROADMASTER in the title so on days when I have more time I search that way but then I get all more stupid stuff like the steering column flashlight brackets and aftermarket turn signals. But I love eBay! I've sold all manner of things on it over the years to people all over the world.  Shipped an Edsel to New Zealand and an Eldorado to Australia - that was interesting.

[Ttotired]

Dan

 

I am curious what you had to do as a seller of a car to someone here in Australia

 

We have pretty strict quarantine laws/standards here, so I know second hand cars must have a pretty good cleaning, but I was wondering  how the whole thing went

 

Mick

[Guest BigDogDaddy]

I may have missed it, but I don't think anyone mentioned that there is a line that says advanced search. That is what you click on and there will be an area where you can type in the words that you want excluded. I generally just type in Fits. That eliminates most of the useless junk that has nothing to do with your car. I have found that because most sellers have no idea what they are selling, they have creative or strange ways to list their item. That is why I don't want to be to restrictive in the search eliminations. Therefore, I only eliminate the word fits. 

For example, in addition to my regular search listing of 1953 Buick, I also search under Buick Anniversary and come with items that may pertain to the 53 model year. 

[leon bee]

BigDogDaddy: I wonder if I subconsciously stole your idea of an avatar picture? If so, didn't mean to. I had to send some pics to Hagerty Insurance and my avatar pic was one of them.

 

Everybody: This is a real minor example of why I love the internet and these forums. I did that minus minus minus thing and got down to a manageable ebay category I can check every day or so.

[Thriller]

I've gotten away from checking eBay on any kind of a regular basis. Right now, with the Canadian dollar dipping below 70 cents US, everything bought in USD now has become considerably more expensive. Hard to find a deal from North of the border right now...dreading buying US cash for an imminent trip south.

[Guest BigDogDaddy]

Leon Bee, it's cool. I like your pic too. 

 

By the way, if you like pics of dogs in cars and are a member of Facebook, there is a page called Vintage Photos of Cars with Dogs. Yeah, you can find anything on the internet.