The auctions are dated as being posted within a few days of the clue being given out. Sometimes, a couple of days early; sometimes, only a couple of minutes before the clue is shared with the users.
All auction titles of the secret items have had a small green camera icon in search results (no gallery image)
The theme of the question or answer is patriotic about half of the time
eBay's Treasure Hunt sellers have names of mixed letters and numbers: n45x8io35j2ioj
The sellers have a feedback of 0 and were created on February 11th
The items can sell for any amount, including US$ 0.99 and US$ 49.99
The titles of the auctions are 3 to 6 words in length, and do not contain marketing language.
If you see ALL CAPITALS in a search result, avoid it! It is not a winner.
If you see exclamation points or backslashes, avoid the auction, as well! You will only waste time checking it.
Winning items seem to be Buy It Now items.
When doing searches, check the Search Buy It Now Auctions Only checkbox to the left of the eBay search results, then do the search you need. This will eliminate items you don't want.
If you find a winning item, it will contain a huge graphic (below). DON'T BOTHER READING IT! Read it now to learn what it says, but don't actually waste time reading it if you find it inside an auction.
To seal the win, press the Buy Now button and confirm it as soon as possible.
You will NOT have to pay for the auction. In other words, you won't have to do the CHECKOUT. Just click the Buy Now button and confirm it.
If there is a scam or misleading auction that you accidentally committed to buy, that claims it is affiliated with the Treasure Hunt and wants you to pay, contact eBay. eBay will take action against any sellers that have fake or misleading auctions to prey on Treasure Hunt players.
