How to Search for Items on eBay

Hundreds of thousands of items are for sale on eBay at any given time. If you know precisely what you want, you can search for it by name quite easily. However, if you only have a general idea of what you're interested in (like 'women's clothing' or 'fiction books'), finding what you want can be somewhat daunting.

Things You'll Need

• Valid eBay membership
• Computer with Internet access

Instructions

1. Sign in to your account at eBay (see the Resources section below).

2. If you know exactly what you want, type its name or description in the search field provided, then click 'Search.' In order to get an even more exact result, put your search terms in quotation marks.

3. Dig deeper. If you are unsure of what you want or only have a general area of interest, click on 'Buy.'

4. Explore the categories. You will now be presented with a very long list of item categories of eBay. Look through them at length. There will be sub-categories along with many of the categories. When you spot a selection that looks promising, click on it.

5. Peruse the search results. You will be shown a list of all of the items currently for sale on eBay that fall into the category or sub-category you selected. Browse these items to see if there is anything among them that you would like to purchase.

6. Whittle down the results. When you are shown the items for sale in your chosen category, you will also have the opportunity to refine your search a bit. Depending on the category you chose, you may be able to use a series of drop-down menus to specify parameters such as age, size and color. Click 'Show Items' and your list will be narrowed to present only those items that fit your specifications.

Tips & Warnings

• If you need additional assistance in searching for items on eBay, avail yourself of the site'sHelp page.