Ebay searches-interesting technicues or searches

[gademsky]

I learned an interesting thing today about eBay searching. The last few months I have been using the wrong spelling for Mul-T-Lock and not getting all the results. I learned a good lesson.

??? Now I am going to ask all the members if they would show me some of the interesting searches they do on a regular schedule, or maybe some tricks they use to narrow the results. My lock interests change from week to week and so sorry that today I can't pin point specifically what I am willing to spend my money purchasing today.

[GWiens2001]

Ummm...

If we are regularly searching for something we want to buy on eBay, why would we want to encourage other people to look for the same thing? Then we get into bidding wars and/or have the price shoot higher than we would otherwise pay.

Things that I no longer search for, but have looked for in the past and have subsequently already purchased would be:

-Sezam
-Fichet F3D
-Medeco Pin Kit
-Folger Adam Lock
-PGL&C padlock
-Yale Push Key Pin Tumbler
-DOM Diamont
-BiLock Pin Kit
-HPC Cutter Wheel
-Emhart Pin Kit
-Rotolock
-Herty Gerty
-Gougler
-Abloy
-American Barrel Lock
-American 747
-American 748
-Locksmith Display
-Knox Box
-Sargent & Greenleaf Padlock
-Schlage Primus Finger Pin Kit

Well, I better cut it off there, as the list could rapidly get extremely extensive.

As for search terms, using the "-" (minus) symbol can really help eliminate unwanted results. Try looking for "cutaway lock", and you will find the same plastic practice locks listed 50 different ways. You will end up adding things to eliminate, such as "cutaway lock -crystal -transparent -kit -color -visible" and so forth. Then save your searches when you have it narrowed down to a reasonable number.

If you are searching for a particular lock, you may try looking at the eBay site specific to that country. If you want to find a BiLock, you can go to http://www.ebay.com.au to narrow your search to Australia. If you want a RotaLock or Chubb, go to http://www.ebay.co.uk for the site tailored for the United Kingdom. If you want a Gerda or Sezam, try http://www.ebay.pl for the Polish website. The same goes for France, Germany, and any other country that has an eBay site of its own. But beware of sites that immediately as you other things or to click on stuff without you ever seeing the eBay logo. There are scam sites for people looking to find other contries' eBay sites and will try to hijack your info. If you don't see the eBay logo on the page, then close that tab and try another variation. It will help to use a translator to find the words for lock, key, padlock, and so forth.

Hope this helps.

Gordon

[cledry]

I made an interesting lock related purchase by mistake last week. I was looking for a hole punch for leather and in my search results popped up a listing for a "watch band hole punch". I immediately recognized it as a Best CD517 capping press. The buy it now was $76 with reasonable $25 shipping, so I snapped it up. These sell for over $1500, so I am quite pleased with my accidental find.

[GWiens2001]

I made an interesting lock related purchase by mistake last week. I was looking for a hole punch for leather and in my search results popped up a listing for a "watch band hole punch". I immediately recognized it as a Best CD517 capping press. The buy it now was $76 with reasonable $25 shipping, so I snapped it up. These sell for over $1500, so I am quite pleased with my accidental find.

Sweet mis-listing, Cledry!

I had one that was mis-listed. Was browsing on Poland's eBay site, but my Polish is pretty much non-existant. So used cut and paste from a translator (probably Google). Thought I typed "lock", but accidentally typed it as "clock". It gave me "zegar'. Put it into Poland's eBay site, and found an item listed as a "zegar" (clock) under the jewelry section. Go figure. Normally something like that you just ignore. But it was not a listing I'd ignore. Just about had eyes bug out of my head.



Nowhere in the listing did they use the word "zamek" "(lock), nor "Sezam" which I had been searching for for years. Certainly worked to my advantage. Bet if he had used "Sezam", he would have got more than the roughly $35 I paid for it since I was the only bidder. Don't recall if that included shipping. If you want to see more about that lock, there is a post on it here.

So there is always the accidental find.

Gordon

[Squelchtone]

set up email alerts when something you are looking for comes up.

+1000 on using the - minus sign to reduce the noise when looking for things. When I look for safe locks, so much TSA luggage padlock, high school locker, tin piggy bank stuff that comes up, I use something like this:

safe lock -TSA -luggage -travel -electronic -digital -piggy -tin -coin -biometric -locker -sentry -sentrysafe

and as I scroll the results, if a bunch of garbage starts coming up that doesnt match, I look at something in the title of the items showing up and I add that to my minus list and refresh the search until I get from 10,000 items down to a few hundred that I dont mind scrolling through.

Medeco is often spelled Medco so try that, Medico and Medaco as well.

very technical locksmith terms will yield less fluff, so something like "high security rim cylinder" is a good search , or "mortise cylinder", "group 1", "group 2" , "greenleaf padlock" etc.

If you are looking for Abloy locks, type in Abloy -assa or you will get every ebay action with Assa Abloy in the title

like wise if you are looking for ASSA locks, do a -abloy

for safe books and tools I use the terms "locksmith manipulation" or "locksmith safe"

the best tip I can give you is sort your results by TIme: Newly Listed

I dont trust ebay's algorithm to give me what they call the Best Match.

Squelchtone

[jwrm22]

Ummm...
But beware of sites that immediately as you other things or to click on stuff without you ever seeing the eBay logo. There are scam sites for people looking to find other contries' eBay sites and will try to hijack your info. If you don't see the eBay logo on the page, then close that tab and try another variation.
Gordon

Can you backup the claim? I've happily used a search region free tool without issues.
When I find something I like I get the Ebay link.

I'm currently looking at eBay almost every day.

[gademsky]

Thanks I learned a few tricks already. I buy a few things, but sometimes its fun to just look and see what is for sale. Time is always my issue, I have more things that I want to do than time and so these short cuts help me become more efficient. It would be interesting to see how large a group lock pickers, collectors and enthusiast are. Not including professional locksmiths, as they must always be buying materials and tools for their jobs.

I mean take something like a herty gerty. What is the market for these.... How big is the market for old padlocks? How many guys like Jeff Moss are there?

How big a $$ market exists for most of this stuff?

[jeffmoss26]

lol there are many collectors with pockets MUCH deeper than mine.

[GWiens2001]

Ummm...
But beware of sites that immediately as you other things or to click on stuff without you ever seeing the eBay logo. There are scam sites for people looking to find other contries' eBay sites and will try to hijack your info. If you don't see the eBay logo on the page, then close that tab and try another variation.
Gordon

Can you backup the claim? I've happily used a search region free tool without issues.
When I find something I like I get the Ebay link.

I'm currently looking at eBay almost every day.

Easily. try browsing to www.ebay.com.pl You will not get to any eBay site. It will jump you to another site trying to sell you 'security software'. The actual site is www.ebay.pl But if you are trying to find if there is a site for that a country, beware if there is no eBay welcome screen.

Gordon

[jwrm22]

Ummm...
But beware of sites that immediately as you other things or to click on stuff without you ever seeing the eBay logo. There are scam sites for people looking to find other contries' eBay sites and will try to hijack your info. If you don't see the eBay logo on the page, then close that tab and try another variation.
Gordon

Can you backup the claim? I've happily used a search region free tool without issues.
When I find something I like I get the Ebay link.

I'm currently looking at eBay almost every day.

Easily. try browsing to http://www.ebay.com.pl You will not get to any eBay site. It will jump you to another site trying to sell you 'security software'. The actual site is http://www.ebay.pl But if you are trying to find if there is a site for that a country, beware if there is no eBay welcome screen.

Gordon

I might have missed half of the conversation. Let me scroll back.
Ebay.com .pl promised you to search on .pl ebay?

Caution is always advised online. There are fake websites and scammers out there...
Lets take a look at www.geo-ship.com it's a perfectly find and functional website that links you to the Ebay page where you can view the item.
Is there any reason to believe it's a scam?

[GWiens2001]

Never saw the site you linked before - it is great!

I was referring to things like www.ebay.com.pl, which automatically forwards you to another site wanting your information. Actually, have had it try sending me to three different sites so far. None of which have anything to do with eBay, nor do they even say eBay on the pages they link you to. Someone grabbed the domain name and is using it to do something else entirely. Frequently the sites are scams.

Gordon

[gademsky]

International eBay sites and eBay related sites.

So the international sites offer a whole new facet to eBay. I have looked at them in the past, but haven't spent much time on them.

Is there a complete list of all the international eBays somewhere? Yes I know there is.... I am just too lazy to Google and figure someone here will send me right to the list!

Are there any other sites members use to buy locks? Like goodwill.com, etsy, or any other good online sites.

[GWiens2001]

International eBay sites and eBay related sites.

So the international sites offer a whole new facet to eBay. I have looked at them in the past, but haven't spent much time on them.

Is there a complete list of all the international eBays somewhere? Yes I know there is.... I am just too lazy to Google and figure someone here will send me right to the list!

Are there any other sites members use to buy locks? Like goodwill.com, etsy, or any other good online sites.

Have bought several locks from Goodwill, but don't often shop there online because the fees tacked on after the sale can be outrageous. Think it was something like $30 in fees added to a $35 auction buy. And you don't know the full price until you have won the auction and are trying to pay. Still, the three locks I won in a lot from there included a Fichet padlock with their "H" keyway with two working keys. So it was well worth the price.

Gordon