Ebay search software

[Grey Doffin]

Hi guys,

I have an idea for software to make searching ebay easier; do any of you know if the software exists? Would any of you like to write the software and give me a copy in exchange for the idea?

What I have in mind. To start I type in words I want to search for: Japanese, Samurai, sword, etc. Click on go and I'm taken to the results: about 3 or 4,000 sales. If I find multiple listings of fakes from one seller I right click on the seller's name and an options box opens. I click on 'Never show this seller' in the box and click on save. Same goes for words I want to exclude from my results. Right click on Ninja and I'm given the option to never see Ninja swords again (adding, rather than excluding words is just as easy). And the Holy Grail of search options: I can exclude countries. Wouldn't it be great to see everywhere except for China?

Every time I make one of these choices I'm refining my search. Eventually I've excluded dozens of sellers and a hundred or so words. Since all choices are saved I don't have to start at the beginning next time I log on. I know I can do some of this with ebay's search options but they are clumsy and limited (I can exclude only 10 sellers and I can't exclude a country).

Wouldn't it be great? Not that I want to encourage people to search ebay for Nihonto; it's a dangerous way to buy and I don't need the competition :-)

Any of you know of anything?

Grey

[Brian]

I would pay for that software :D

Thought about it a long time ago, but not sure how third party software could be made to interact with eBay.

I would love to be able to exclude certain countries and certain sellers.

Also, eBay has just gone backwards in my opinion. I used to be able to filter items that will ship internationally. I have no idea why they removed that option. Why must I look at items that won't ship to me anyways?

Yes..their filters are clumsy and generally useless. I have maxed out my excluded words.

 

Brian

[jlawson]

I have done something similar already. However it was done for a different purpose several years ago. The API for interacting with EBay exists from a developer standpoint in regards to searches and is fairly easy to use. What you have mentioned would be something that would take a talented and motivated programmer 4-5 days to accomplish. Unfortunately there is little to no viability of that in a commercial sense and likely not worth the effort for someone to do financially. However as a labor of love I am sure someone would do it.

[Jean]

One of the key point could be to select sellers with 100% of positive feedbacks.

[rkg]

I don't know about that - time is money and this would save a lot of time for anybody who trawls ebay for stuff...

 

rkg

 

 

I have done something similar already. However it was done for a different purpose several years ago. The API for interacting with EBay exists from a developer standpoint in regards to searches and is fairly easy to use. What you have mentioned would be something that would take a talented and motivated programmer 4-5 days to accomplish. Unfortunately there is little to no viability of that in a commercial sense and likely not worth the effort for someone to do financially. However as a labor of love I am sure someone would do it.

[jlawson]

Try this http://www.searchdome.com/ebay/ 95% of what you are looking for including the ability to exclude specific sellers and enhanced search etc. Very close.

[b.hennick]

It looks good have you tried it?

[jlawson]

No, not personally just found it via search. However there are several out there that offer similar functionality. Google and you will find them. Hope that helps a bit.

[eternal_newbie]

While we're on the topic of eBay search software, FatFingers (and Eaby for Android users) is also useful for finding misspellings that might otherwise go unfound in a typical search (e.g. "samauri sword" or "kattana").

[Brian]

Try this http://www.searchdome.com/ebay/ 95% of what you are looking for including the ability to exclude specific sellers and enhanced search etc. Very close.

According to the "available to" or "located in" search options...South Africa doesn't exist.

Should I panic? :?

 

Brian

[Adrian]

Only if the site was made by Nostradamus' grand-grand-nephew

[Pete Klein]

Don't worry Brian, it's probably just a problem with sign language interpretation...

[Curran]

James has answered the question very well.

 

Perhaps not for Nihonto, but for some other collecting interests I will see what use I can make of those programs.

Thank you.

[kusunokimasahige]

For me its simple.

 

Search preference : Japanese antiques. Worldwide

 

Keywords : Katana, Wakizashi, Yoroi, Kabuto Sode and so on. I also use various languages if needed.

 

(Once found an A11 USAAF flight helmet for only 30 Euros because it was an advert in German)

 

Search list 200 items per page.

 

Bob's your uncle.

 

KM

[Brian]

Don't worry Brian, it's probably just a problem with sign language interpretation...

That's not the finger I was thinking of....but it will have to do.

 

Brian

[Stephen]

this is the one i used many moons ago, still some repos come in but alot of tsuba and real swords show up....prob overlooking some too... i can never find the treasures like Chris and others.

 

http://www.ebay.com/sch/Other-/73466/i. ... 82%2C20081