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So . . . how are those "new category specifics" & resultant searches working out for YOU?

Doesn't it seem strange that my search under "collectibles - postcards" FOR:
 
1920 pensacola american legion armistice day parade locally published FL FLORIDA 
 
turned up ZERO results . . . yet this postcard IS posted for sale on ebay under THIS title:
 
Pensacola, FL, Am Legion & Bugle Corps at Armistice Parade WW I celebration
 
If THESE category specifics are SO GREAT (yeah, right!) why did my search turn up ZERO (0) results when the card I was searching for was listed for sale all along?
 
I also buy vintage postcards (mostly RPPCs) and vintage photos of boys dressed in Native American garb (though I usually have to search for "boys Indian") and my searches (TITLE ONLY - not including description) used to turn up maybe 10 per day. Yesterday they turned up (again, TITLE ONLY - not including description) several hundred photos of Cleveland "Indians" baseball players - none of the listings of which had the word "BOY" in the title. 
 
Yep. I could go on with maybe 2 dozen other examples of how the NEW "category specifics" have garbled all of my searches.
 
:-{
Message 1 of 14
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13 REPLIES 13

So . . . how are those "new category specifics" & resultant searches working out for YOU?

Yup, they wrecked all my carefully created searches. Now I don't bother as they are cluttered with all Chinese flea market crap having nothing to do with my searches. Ebay has flushed itself out of my wallet for the most part.

Message 2 of 14
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So . . . how are those "new category specifics" & resultant searches working out for YOU?

1920 Pensacola Post Card is all I would even think about putting in a search.. here or any search engine.

 

Less is more. 

Message 3 of 14
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So . . . how are those "new category specifics" & resultant searches working out for YOU?

So . . . how are those "new category specifics" & resultant searches working out for YOU?

Hey thanks! It's better when searching RPPCs (although now I have to do 2 searches : one for RPPC and one for REAL PHOTO under postcards) . But try searching Boy Indian under photographs - without using "search description" - and about the 10th item down and then - on & on & on - resultant photos of Cleveland Indian baseball players WITHOUT the word "boy" in the title. So then I try to minus out the word "Cleveland" in my search and - yep! - it does filter out the "Cleveland Indians" but for some reason it also filters out half the searches I'm actually looking for even though they DON'T have the word "Cleveland" in the title! It's very frustrating 😕

Message 5 of 14
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So . . . how are those "new category specifics" & resultant searches working out for YOU?

When searching photos for "Boy Indian" without searching "description" I get about 550 results. When I minus out Cleveland [ -Cleveland ] I get about 250 results. But only about 150 of those 300 less are photos of Cleveland Indian baseball players which means that ebay search is taking away a LOT more from my search than just Cleveland Indian baseball guys. I don't think there are another 150 photos of actual boys in native American garb who had their photograph taken in Cleveland and where the seller used the word "Cleveland" in the title!

 

Message 6 of 14
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So . . . how are those "new category specifics" & resultant searches working out for YOU?

Hmmm. Let's see, 1,469 results for "pensacola post card;" but something like 2250 results for the slight variant "Pensacola Postcard" which means we now have to search both variants?

Message 7 of 14
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So . . . how are those "new category specifics" & resultant searches working out for YOU?

Those Cleveland Indians photographs appear in your search because of the Theme item-specific that appears in those listings:

 

eburtonlab_0-1635121410934.png

Search keywords can match either item titles or item-specifics and appear in search results.

 

If you search using an exclusion term preceded by a minus sign (or use quotes or multiple keywords in parentheses), you bypass the default search expansion feature which can provide additional results through keyword substitution. You also bypass the keyword to category automatic navigation, so you may have to manually change the category yourself.

 

If you want to exclude Cleveland but still get many of the otherwise excluded results, try a search like this:

 

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=%28boy%2Cboys%29+%28indian%2Cindians%29+-cleveland&_s...

 

If you search without an exclusion, it is not necessary to specify those alternative keywords, as the search will automatically match either boy or boys, indian or indians.

Message 8 of 14
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So . . . how are those "new category specifics" & resultant searches working out for YOU?

I'm just mainly irritated that, as a seller, I cannot even fix the errors on my existing listings.

 

Come ON

 

Is that Topographical/ Non-Topographical thing permanent?! 

 

 

Message 9 of 14
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So . . . how are those "new category specifics" & resultant searches working out for YOU?

Wow. Thanks so much! Near perfect!

Message 10 of 14
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So . . . how are those "new category specifics" & resultant searches working out for YOU?

You are very welcome -- good luck with your searches!

 

Message 11 of 14
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So . . . how are those "new category specifics" & resultant searches working out for YOU?

They have lumped all collectible dolls into one category where there used to be dozens of specific categories.  I really hate this new search thing, it will take buyers way too much time to find my items.  I think they are trying to get rid of collectibles and just offer new stuff like Amazon.  It is killing business.

 

Message 12 of 14
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So . . . how are those "new category specifics" & resultant searches working out for YOU?

I hate the new way ebay category list can't find anything when I  for antique dolls all I see is Barbie and 1990s junk made in China!! 

Message 13 of 14
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So . . . how are those "new category specifics" & resultant searches working out for YOU?

@lavina0_1 

 

eBay is reorganizing some categories, and has removed some smaller categories.

 

Try searching using keywords, then change to the nearest category if necessary, and then use the filters on the left side of the search results page to narrow your results further.

 

Here is one potential place to start:

 

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_dcat=262346&_fsrp=1&rt=nc&_from=R40&_nkw=doll&_sacat=262346&Antique...

 

If you have trouble with too many modern dolls winding up in the search results, try filtering by material or time period of manufacture.

 

For example:

 

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_dcat=262346&_fsrp=1&Antique=Yes&rt=nc&_from=R40&_nkw=dolls&_sacat=2...

 

You can also try going to the Doll & Doll Playsets category and using the filters there to limit your search:

 

https://www.ebay.com/b/Lanie-American-Girl-Doll-Clothing-Fashion-Accs/262346/bn_96885967

 

Ignore the title shown at the top -- that should show the entire doll category.

 

Message 14 of 14
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