Finding Avon Collectibles on eBay

(see a very important change about "Best Match" sorting  in paragraph B below)

A.  Searching Options

If you search for "Avon Bottle", "Avon Bottles", "Avon Decanter", or "Avon Decanters" using the All Categories option, you will see only a fraction of what is available.

1. Sellers have the following optional categories in which to list:

Collectibles, Decorative, Brands, Avon

• Bottles
• Decanters
• Other Avon Items
• Figurines
• Candle Holders
• Bells
• Soap Accessories

Collectibles, Vanity, Perfumes and Shaving

• Perfumes
• Other Items
• Vanity Accessories
• Powder Jars, etc.

One seller might call an item a bottle while another will classify it as a decanter.  As you can see from the above list a seller could list items as decanters in the decanter category and you wouldn't see them when you search for "Avon Bottle" or "Avon Bottles" and vise versa.  You would also miss items listed in the remaining categories above.  However, if you search "Avon", you will pull up Avon products, Avon jewelry, and Avon collectibles.

So what is a good searching method when you don't want to see all available listings? Start at "Collectibles, Decorative, Brands, Avon" which includes all sublevels below it and type in item specifics such as Avon's original name or generic identifiers such as vase, car, cat, candle holder, plate, soap dish, etc.  If sellers have given enough defining information in the titles of their listings, their items will be included in the search results.

The same searching method in the "Collectibles, Vanity, Perfumes and Shaving" category will display additional Avon collectible listings.

2.  There are three tabs above the search bar:  All Items, Auctions, and Buy It Now

• All Items - will display items listed only in the auction section of eBay including fixed price items (Buy It Now)
• Auctions - will only display items listed as auctions
• Buy It Now - will not display any auction items but will display the fixed price items in the auction section first followed by items listed in eBay stores.  Many shoppers miss the eBay stores where three fourths of the available Avon collectibles are listed because the "All Items" tab is set as the default selection.

There is a wide range of prices in the stores, and you will often find an item priced below the starting auction price.  It is worth checking.  Many storeowners have additional items that are not listed and would be delighted to list them for you if you email them asking about items that you cannot find.  Another advantage of shopping the stores is that the sellers may have larger inventories and can offer discounted shipping on multiple purchases.

3.  There is an option below the search bar that when checked will also search the description area of the listing.

B.  In addition, there are several sorting options available.

"Best Match" is now the default sort after a search because eBay has determined that will give more buyers the results that they want.  So what does that mean?  Listings will be displayed in an order that is tied to customer satisfaction as reflected in a combination of Detailed Seller Ratings (DSRs) denoted by the stars in feedback, Feedback, and complaints filed, if any.

If the "Best Match" sort is used for a whole category of items such as "Collectibles, Decorative, Brands, Avon" the resulting list of items may be confusing. On the other hand, if you are searching within that same category and use specifics such as the Avon's original name of the item, or generic names such as car, cat, or train, you will narrow your results but will miss listings in which the seller identifies the item differently.  When sellers give you 5-star service, it is vital that you leave them 5-star ratings because of the impact that DSRs have on the "Best Match" sort.

If the "Best Match" sort is not providing you with the results that you want, select one of the other available sort tabs such as:

• Time:  newly listed
• Time:  ending soonest
• Time: ending today
• Price + shipping: lowest
• Price:  highest
• Distance: nearest

C.  Avon collectibles are also offered on eBay Express as Buy It Now listings.

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