This is what we are dealing with???
I have a vintage California ashtray & decided to do a search in sold items using only those 3 words. On the first page with 60 listing, not one single item was an ashtray of any kind. Mostly parts for vehicles. Buyers are expected to find what they are seeking when the site offers that sort of nonsense? BTW - the active listings were very similar in findings. Maybe 2-3 ashtrays on page 1. What a joke!
45 comments
animal-house-8
·1 year agoCalifornia pottery ashtray, California glass ashtray and vintage California ashtrays, California ashtray came up with the same listings, nothing but ashtrays for me. Some nice ones too.
simply-the-best-for-you
·1 year agoI am also seeing 2400 or so actual vintage ashtrays, no car parts on page 1 anyway.
Post a screen shot @sakic92710 with your search criteria & results. I wonder if you accidentally have the category limited?
ETA: I'll save my breath b/c @eburtonlab said it all but just to add to it, this is why keyword spamming is important. Search has NO WAY to know if a keyword is there intentionally or if it's being spammed as they often are in car parts. After all that search is equally viable for car results, someone could be looking for a vintage ashtray in California for a car. The search just does exactly what it's told! When people try to MANIPULATE the Search, there's no way for it to know. That's whey KWS is a form of Search Manipulation.
adamcartwright
·1 year ago@sakic92710
I ran the search and got a mix of relevant and mostly irrelevant results on the first page, including:
MONROE BIG MOTHER SUPER 500 SHOCKS - VINTAGE ORIGINAL VINYL DECAL STICKER
^^^^^this^^^^^^
when i need o-rings i shop home gym equiptment
point is... Buyer and Shoppers .... they don't want to waste time figureing out eBay's corrupted search and move on ... ebay sucks is often murmurred....
gloryglorygifts
·1 year agoYup. The search on here absolutely stinks. I posted about this a few weeks back when I was looking for my glow in the dark (holy water) font. The listings that came up were for glow in the dark condoms and another glow in the dark thing. So the SEO word of the day was glow. 😀. I can't handle this place today.....
eburtonlab
·1 year agoI posted about this a few weeks back when I was looking for my glow in the dark (holy water) font. The listings that came up were for glow in the dark condoms and another glow in the dark thing.
In that thread it was pointed out to you that you were searching using a specific keyword that was nowhere in your listing. You still have not added that missing keyword to your listing, so your item will still not appear in a search for glow in the dark font.
gloryglorygifts
·1 year agoIt doesn't fit. Getting views anyway but thanks for your 2 cents and the is not a keyword.
eburtonlab
·1 year agothe is not a keyword.
The is certainly a keyword for anyone searching for glow in the dark.
luckythewinner
·1 year agoHere's what I got with a best match search in all categories:
The first 25 were all vintage California ashtrays. I have no idea why you did not see any.
kensgiftshop
·1 year agoJust did a search for vintage california ashtray, then after 8 listings, had this message:
"Picked For You
Top selling items from trusted sellers | Sponsored"
Most are probably single item's so how can they be the top selling items if they are still listed for sale?
...there you are... I see that sort of thing all the time!
BTW: to see streamlined search results it's your fault. You checked some box some where
sis boom bah shakin' my ebay pom poms
oaktoncardinal
·1 year agoI searched for Queen Sheets from a specific popular vendor and I got more King and Full sheets than anything else and not from the vendor specified . I changed search words use the check boxes everything... I found what I was looking for elsewhere.
SEARCH IS BROKEN - EBAY DOESN'T CARE
eburtonlab
·1 year ago@oaktoncardinal
I searched for Queen Sheets from a specific popular vendor and I got more King and Full sheets than anything else and not from the vendor specified .
How were you searching? If you provide a link to your search results, someone may be able to make some suggestions to allow you to get better results.
Or try this as a starting point for your search:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/20460/i.html?_nkw=queen+sheets&Size=Queen&_dcat=20460&_sop=10
oaktoncardinal
·1 year agoHere's the issue... a simple search should be successful unless EVERY casual user gets a lesson is 'how to find stuff on ebay' - who is going to volunteer for this mission?
A simple search should work without having to use magical, secret, advanced, or super specific search criteria - please think of all the casual users coming to ebay that can't find what they are looking for... maybe they leave ebay and find what they are looking for on amacrap or walmart
This is NOT a user error - this is a SEARCH error
And trust me -I know what tech ebay uses and how to search it probably better than you - every search on ebay is frustrating.
eburtonlab
·1 year agoA simple search should work without having to use magical, secret, advanced, or super specific search criteria
The problem is that different individuals have different ideas of what "working" means when it comes to a search. Two people can search using the exact same keywords and have vastly different expectations of what they want to see.
Until eBay learns to read minds, someone is going to be disappointed, no matter what results eBay actually delivers.
The thought of users that search once, don't see what they want to see and then give up and go elsewhere may keep you up at night, but what is your solution? Saying that "eBay should just show everyone what they want to see" is not an actual solution.
The folks who can search and find things on eBay are not some ancient wizards that know magic spells or have arcane knowledge that others lack. Very often they are just folks like you that are simply willing to try more than one thing if the first thing doesn't work.
please think of all the casual users coming to ebay that can't find what they are looking for... maybe they leave ebay and find what they are looking for on amacrap or walmart
You say that as if what I think has any bearing on what results eBay actually delivers. It doesn't.
If you know some magic trick that will force eBay to make searches work the way you think your buyers want, please share it.
oaktoncardinal
·1 year agoI don't need your suggestions on how to search, but thank you... and I don't need a link on queen sheets, like I said I resolved my issue with a purchase on another platform LAST WEEK because ebay did not, would not, could not show results that met my search criteria. My point is search should be successful without someone like you that generously provides a link (it is SEARCH that should do this) unless of course you plan to provide this service for every search on ebay.
That's the issue - this is NOT A ONE OFF situation. This is not stupid users/searchers. This is the result of using SEARCH. How is it I can go to other vendors using the same search and find what I'm looking for?
SEARCH IS BROKEN
stainlessenginecovers
·1 year ago@oaktoncardinal
You stated you searched for Queen Sheets ON A VENDORS listings (or site, or store or??)
Once you are on a listing and you've clicked 'see other items'; then when there, you put 'queen sheets' in the bubble right above their listings (where it will say something like 'search 140 listings) and NOT at the very top search page (which would take you OUT of that sellers stuff and back onto the full ebay)
So to clarify, were you in the sellers store or listings and searched ONLY their listings?
eburtonlab
·1 year agoI resolved my issue with a purchase on another platform LAST WEEK because ebay did not, would not, could not show results that met my search criteria.
If you can convince eBay to change the way search works to suit you better, that's fine.
If you are happy searching elsewhere, that's fine, too.
If you just want to vent about how eBay is without actually changing anything, knock yourself out.
But if you are still searching on eBay and you are not finding what you are looking for, I am suggesting that perhaps you might be able to make a very minor change to the way you are searching to get much better results.
stainlessenginecovers
·1 year agoworked fine for me; 4300- most all ashtrays, all said 'vintage' and most with either cities in Cali or said 'Cali' etc.
tobaccocardyahoo
·1 year agoI did the search first page looked like your but the order of the listings was slightly different.
Since Best Match takes into account the searcher's history, perhaps the OP and some of the other posters with odd results are often looking for auto parts .
sakic92710
OP1 year agoI never search for auto parts.
theteamsetguy
·1 year ago@sakic92710 ,
I got what @stainlessenginecovers got 4,300 ashtrays. Must be operator error? If you go car parts.
hartungcards
·1 year ago"Must be operator error?"
Yes, well, consider the source.
hartungcards
·1 year agoI did a search for vintage Lions Club banners sold, and all I got were results for vintage California ashtrays.
sakic92710
OP1 year agoDid you ever do a search for self-help books on repetitiveness?
theteamsetguy
·1 year ago@sakic92710 ,
Did you ever do a search for self-help books on repetitiveness?
Huh?
sakic92710
OP1 year agoThere was 1 time when I had a post about Lions Club banners & ever since then, this "comedian" thinks they have a wicked sense of humor by answering any of my posts with a comment about those items. They have only been doing it for, I believe, over a year now. I think, after they hit 'reply', they roll on the floor with laughter. Not sure what else they get out of it. lol
hartungcards
·1 year ago"this "comedian" thinks they have a wicked sense of humor by answering any of my posts with a comment about those items. They have only been doing it for, I believe, over a year now."
I believe it's been over two years now, which is still about eight years less than you've been threatening to leave eBay.
sakic92710
OP1 year ago"I believe it's been over two years now."
Thank you for proving my point.
powell-collectibles
·1 year agoIn fairness to @hartungcards, you can't beat a Lion's Club banner joke. Those do make me chuckle.
sakic92710
OP1 year agoActually, you can beat it. With ANYTHING that is funny. 😛
Search on Google.....
buy on eBay (if you find it).......
go to VISA (or your other card provider) for Customer Service.......
yep... the new eBay.....
Search is horrible - did you try standing on your head with one eye closed?
meme6253
·1 year agoThis is & has been a Major problem for sellers & customers alike, I don't think it will ever get corrected.
vintage-camerastuff
·1 year agoI put in "vintage california ashtray" and all I got was 1300 calif. ashtrays. No car parts that I could find.
44012
·1 year agoDid you use the " quotes?
The quote marks always help assist a good search 🙂
eburtonlab
·1 year ago@44012
Using quotes around the phrase would only match results with that exact phrase -- which would certainly knock out a lot of car parts but might also knock out lots of ash trays that were not listed using that exact phrase -- which is most of them, I would guess. In the Collectibles category, quoting the phrase returns two active results as opposed to 2,000+ without the quotes.
Using quotes around any single search keyword would prevent any keyword substitutions, but would also prevent automatic category navigation, so would likely ensure that results were shown in all categories unless a specific category was chosen after the initial search.
In this case, choosing a Collectible or Glassware category is more likely to provide the desired results for this search.
44012
·1 year agoWell thank you!
When I was back in college as an older adult in the dinosaur days when the internet first became a thing my instructors always said to do this when researching.
And "Cite your sources" lol......actual quote (no pun intended).
Have a super Sunday!
eburtonlab
·1 year agoYou are very welcome -- good luck with your searches!
short_circuit.lineman61
·1 year agoebay disabled the ability to use quotes and wildcards in search years ago.
Correction, they just ended wildcards
dhbookds
·1 year agoI see this in one of the automotive listings......note the last word
short_circuit.lineman61
·1 year agothis has made searching for car parts on ebay a joke. I can not understand why they would not put a reasonable character limit on a field intended for a part number??
eburtonlab
·1 year agothis has made searching for car parts on ebay a joke. I can not understand why they would not put a reasonable character limit on a field intended for a part number??
eBay should definitely do that, but in the mean time you can still filter out keyword spammers from your results by excluding any spam keyword from the spammer's list. Most keyword spammers are exceedingly lazy and just copy and reuse each others' keywords. In the automotive category, pick a year, make or model that is totally unrelated to your own search, exclude that, and all the spammers' listings that include that keyword will vanish from your results.
alcoforever
·1 year agoI tried that search also: 'vintage california ashtray', sold items and got 2100+ results. There were a few cal ashtrays on page one but it was mostly car parts. Go figure!
Ebay ain't what it used to be.
susanb1872
·1 year agoI did the same search but I did get real ashtrays and not car parts. Go figure...
eburtonlab
·1 year agoIf you do not specify a category, lots of automotive results are shown. Possibly this has something to do with automotive sellers stuffing item-specifics in the those categories with lots of spam keywords.
On the other hand, if you select the Collectibles category, lots of reasonable looking ashtray results in the active listings:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/1/i.html?_nkw=vintage+california+ashtray&_sop=10
And in the sold listings:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/1/i.html?_nkw=vintage+california+ashtray&_sop=10&rt=nc&LH_Sold=1&LH_Complete=1