Face it, not everyone on Ebay majored in English at Yale.  As much as buyers may lament the lack of higher learning on the web, you can very much turn it to your advantage in obtaining great deals.  Here's how....

When you are looking for a specific item, say a Tommy Hilfiger sweater, try a search of "Hellfigure".  Go ahead and laugh, but you will be amazed at how often people list items under misspelled brand, designer or even item names.  Recently I was the sole buyer on a Coach wallet which the seller listed under "Cooch".  Some more examples:  The designer Ann Taylor does not have an 'e' at the end of her first name, Wallet is spelled with an 'e' not an 'i', designer Marc Jacobs spells his first name with a 'c' not a 'k', Mary Poppins has 2 'p's in the middle, and Brother Bear is an animal not a nude sibling.

So with all deference to Mr. Hellfigure, try some simple, common misspellings in your searches.  You may very well be surprised with what comes up and how little competition there is for some very nice items.