Looks like auction search results are sortable by highest and lowest # of bids .... again?

[gurlcat]

I just noticed this while doing a round of source scouting, pretty sure I never saw it before.  So I searched the topics here in the Community and from what I can tell this was a sorting option that existed in the past, but was eliminated in 2016 (about 2 years before my time as a seller).   The couple of posts about it weren't super active, but there were some really unhappy about it. 
Me, I can't figure out what would be useful about it, unless you could sort by 'fewest bids' and 'ending soonest' simultaneously, but you can't.  And why would you want to see the auctions with the most bids other than for purely spectator reasons?  

[wastingtime101]

That's been there a while, hasn't it? It's there when you filter your search results to show auction format listings exclusively.

Why search by fewest/most of bids? As a seller: to see what has the most demand and the least demand.

[nobody*s_perfect]

I've been using it consistently for years, but mostly when searching for a listing that a poster here has mentioned ("my item has two bids but..."). I don't think it ever went away, but as stated it's available only if you have clicked on the "Auction" tab in the search results.

[gurlcat]

I sort by 'auction' on the left and by 'ending soonest' on the right, all the time.  I'm pretty certain I would have noticed if these bid quantity options were there before. 
And there were posts about it when it went away in 2016.  Here's one.
 sort by number of bids thread

[wastingtime101]

eBay got rid of it in 2016 and was inundated with complaints so they brought it back fairly quickly if my memory is correct. And I'm sure I've seen @nobody*s_perfect reference using it on multiple occasions over the years.

Here are threads from 2017 and 2018 where people talk about using it:

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Unannounced-change-in-auction-format/td-p/27657981

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying/How-do-I-scroll-through-auctions-for-my-category/td-p/28922890

[gurlcat]

Thank you.  Huh, this is so weird.  As many auction search/sorts as I've done since 2019, I swear those 2 options were never given to me before.  I know it may seem like I just stopped seeing the things I don't use (since 'ending soonest' is how I normally sort auctions when I'm on the hunt).  But the reason I'm so convinced those weren't there before is because it was the length of the list that stood out immediately this time, the sheer size of the window caught my eye like a sore thumb.  In fact the list even runs off the bottom of the window, and a right-side scroll bar appears if you scroll there.    


Another thing -when I'm looking to buy, my alternate strategy is 'Buy It Now', sorted by 'Newly listed'.  That way I can find any listings underpriced enough and new enough that someone would have snatched them if they'd seen them yet.  And Buy It Now (for ME anyway) has always had the same 5 sorting options as Auctions.  


Sorry to keep harping about something that really isn't important.  I just value whatever quantity of sanity I do have, and its' reputation.  😆  

[wastingtime101 · Accepted solution]

Fixed price listings will not have the # of bids sort. Mix of fixed price and auction will not have the # of bids sort. Auction exclusive search will have the # of bids sort.

Depending on your browser, your zoom settings, and other factors - you may see the entire list, or you may see a shorter list and have to scroll. Since the options are at the bottom, if they were cut off from your view by the scroll then you wouldn't have seen them if you're always choosing a sort option from higher up the list.

I tend to zoom out rather than zoom in on my browsers so I've always seen it when I filter to auction format.

Hope that answers it for you @gurlcat .

[gurlcat]

What would I do without you?  
-I actually DID have my search screen zoomed (in or out?) -in such a way that everything was smaller than usual.  -I did that a few days ago to get everything within the screen to take a screenshot, and then just left it I guess.  Now I've adjusted it back to the bigger-font (etc) that I normally have, and sure enough, the sort menu does not show the bid count options.  -They're still there, but you have to actively scroll down to see them.  But I never do because 'ending soonest' is at the top. 
Wow.  Just wow.