Learn to buy and sell antiques and collectibles

Finding eBay Keywords For Old Items

This is the 3rd in a series of articles about eBay Keywords. Previous articles are eBay Keyword Rules, and Selecting eBay Auction Categories And Keywords.

Finding eBay Keywords

I decided to do this as an exercise so you can figure out what these are on your own. Don't read too far ahead.

Before we get started, one IMPORTANT note: As I was preparing this article I noticed that many of the prices listed on completed search pages are LOWER than the price shown in the auction. Because of this error, you need to always look at the auctions.

You should be looking at the auctions anyway to identify keywords, categories, and insure you are looking at the same items.

First lets consider items that are easy to identify.

For example consider this toy train:

Lionel 50 gang car

It clearly says Lionel 50 on the side so we'll use those as keywords.

If we search completed auctions on eBay we get a whole list of items including many similar items.

Lionel 50 on eBay

Prices for items that look just like this range from $10 to 40.00. We can also see most auction titles call this a gang car, and many people refer to this as a postwar train. So if we were going to sell this item we'd use a title like "Lionel 50 Gang Car from 1950s Postwar". (To the title we'd also add condition statements like runs, works and Excellent as appropriate to let buyers know more.)

That wasn't hard.

Now for one a little harder. A Stangl Bird:


This is a neat little pottery bird. The bottom is marked Stangl Pottery Birds with some initials and a small "3276D"

I don't know much about birds so I cannot guess the type of bird. So we'll just search eBay for Stangl bird.

That brings up 170 completed auctions. Scrolling through the list, I found one auction calling this a double bluebird. That one sold for $29 plus $10 shipping.

It turns out the number on the bottom is a mold number.

Using the keywords we've found our title would be "Stangl Pottery Double Bluebird 3276D"

Let's try something a little harder. How about a Plastic Horse?

This is a plastic horse. It has no markings on it. The saddle is removable and is made of vinyl. It's just under 10 inches tall to the top of the ears.

If you'd purchased this, you'd have some background on it which might help you with your research. I got it with a bunch of toys made in the late 1950s.

Let's try a simple eBay search for 10 plastic horse. We leave out the word inch because some people might abbreviate it as 10 in. or 10".

That search does bring up a result, but only one. The seller identifies the maker as Hartland.

Let's try searching for the keyword phrase "1950s plastic horse."

The completed auctions search doesn't bring one up, but active auctions brings up something similar. This time it's attributed to Breyer.

We have enough keywords to sell it on eBay. You'd just list it as a "Hartland Breyer 1950s plastic horse w/ saddle." That's the headline I used to sell this horse's sister. She sold for about $30.

Note: we don't use the word "or" between Hartland and Breyer in the title because this violates eBay's keyword rules. It's not an infraction that is frequently enforced, but can cause problems. In the description we'd say we think it's from either maker so it fits under the comparison or "use with" exemptions.

As an exercise can you figure out who the maker really is? It is one of the two companies mentioned, and one detail will point out the maker. See PS for answer.

Here's one more that is quite a bit harder. A Cast Iron Horse:

This is a 10 inch cast iron horse. It has no markings, looks old, and has slotted screws holding the two sides together. Dating Hint: Phillips head screws were invented in the early 1930s, and weren't widely used on cast iron toys until the late 1960s.

First lets search eBay for the keywords: 10 cast iron horse.

No results that look like this horse.

Take the 10 out and search for cast iron horse we get thousands of results. EBay suggests we limit our search to the Toys & Hobbies - Vintage, Antique Toys - Cast Iron category.

That search brings up almost 400 results.

Quickly looking at the results many of the auctions are for banks, and/or include wagons. We can remove those keywords from our search by using this string: horse -bank -wagon

Now we have a manageable number of results.

Note: when looking at these horses, the legs are different on the cheaper ones. This horse has thin legs. The position of the legs, the tail, and the head should be the easiest way to find a similar horse.

In the search above, I found two of these horses. Both were in a set with a foal on a board. Both were also attributed to Hubley.

A search on eBay for Hubley horse brings up a similar horse that sold for $156.

Looking at the searches we'd also see many people refer to these cast iron figures as doorstops. That's a word we would use in our title. Doorstop.

This is a "Hubley Cast Iron 10" Doorstop w/ Original Paint"

Looking on Google for Hubley horse Doorstop reveals a whole site about doorstops. This horse is shown as a Hubley 345. That page gives estimated values of $250 - $375.

The best way to learn how to do this quickly is to start researching items. Recently I gave Fran a few little blue roosters with the advice that people collected roosters and they might be worth something. She quickly found roosters like them that had been sold at Sotheby's for $200 each.

We have about 100 apple boxes full of old china from an estate. Just finding a few expensive items charged her up enough to look most everything up. The more interesting stuff she finds - she was excited this afternoon about a $600 rabbit!- the more she enjoys looking things up.

Part 4 explains how to use Keywords in eBay Titles.

Terry

PS there is an article on the website explaining why some things are worth more than other. You can read it at:
Researching antiques values.

PPS The plastic horse is a Breyer because the mane is on the left side of the neck. Hartland horse have their manes on the right.

"The IWantCollectibles Guide to Ebay Sales"
is now available for immediate download.


Many of the articles and free reports here on IWantCollectibles were originally sent to readers of my Antiques and eBay Newsletter. Not all articles make it onto the website, and readers also get notices of free reports and special offers.

Ted at his desk.

Most Popular Articles on IWantCollectibles
  • Finding Products To Sell On eBay
    How to find products to sell on eBay is the most common question I get from my readers. This page has links to all the articles and reports I've written about finding eBay products.
  • How To Be An Antique Dealer
    The best way to start an antiques or collectibles business. Part 1 of a five part series on being an antiques dealer.
  • Understanding eBay Changes 2011
    This page covers eBay changes and has links to all articles on IWantCollectibles about working within the changes. Sign up for my free newsletter for articles covering new changes as they are announced.
  • Tips for Starting an eBay Consignment Business
    Selling on consignment is the perfect way to start on eBay. This article is an introduction to consignment selling, and explains what you'll need to be successful. First in a series on eBay Consignment.
  • Shopping For eBay Products At Garage Sales
    Thirteen tips for garage sale shopping. Part one of a two part series on garage and yard sales.
  • Finding New Products for eBay
    If you want to sell new products you need to concentrate on items others are not selling. You need to find sources other sellers are unaware of. That is not hard to do. Here's a list of articles to get you started on the right path.
  • eBay Auction Category, Title And Keyword Advice
    A series of articles about getting your items found on eBay. Covers category selection, eBay keyword rules, and researching keywords. Finally you'll learn how to write an informative, keyword rich title.


The IWantCollectibles Guide to Ebay Sales
is now available for immediate download.

Free Antiques and eBay Newsletter
Get 9 Free eBay Ebooks
Free emailed newsletter includes free ebooks, interviews with eBay sellers, and helpful articles. You can unsubscribe at any time.

 
More Newsletter Information

eBay Questions and Answers

About .

Contact Terry

Free eBay Ebooks


eBay Advice

Antiques Advice

Antiques and eBay Reports

Antiques Articles

How To Sell Antiques On eBay

Learning Antiques Values

How To Be An Antique Dealer

A Few Quick Buying Stories

Resources For Buying On Craigslist

Search Craigslist Across Cities and Categories

How To Sell Antiques

How To Learn About Antiques

How To Act At Antiques Shows

Selling At Antique Shows Versus On eBay

7 Habits Of Successful Antiques Dealers

Tools of A Successful Antiques Dealer

Finding eBay Keywords For Antiques

"Storage Wars" and Mini Storage Auction Tips

Should You Be Selling With Fullfillment By Amazon Too?

Sorting Antiques To Sell Them

Avoiding Common Mistakes Made By Collectors And Dealers

Are You An Expert On Collectibles?

27 Ways To Find Antiques To Sell On eBay

Buying Antiques At Garage Sales


Antiques Reports

Finding Profitable Hidden Bargains at Garage Sales

Get Into Estate Sales Early For The Best Deals

Negotiating When Buying Antiques and Collectibles

How To Sell At Antiques Shows And Flea Markets

Buy Collectibles With Terry's Proven Strategies

Learn How To Spot Fakes, Frauds, and Forgeries

Start Your Own eBay Consignment Business

Buying Antiques and Collectibles In Stores And Malls


eBay Articles

Finding Products To Sell On eBay

What to Sell On eBay?

How eBay's Best Match Search Works

How To Sell On eBay For Beginners

The Drop Shipping Myth Explained

Dealing With eBay Changes 2018

Overcoming Common eBay Seller Frustrations

27 Ways To Find Antiques To Sell On eBay

Advice for Writing and Selling Ebooks On EBay

Selling Antiques On eBay

Using Facebook and Pinterest to Promote eBay Auctions

Tips for Starting an eBay Consignment Business

eBay Title Tips

Selling At Antique Shows Versus On eBay

Buying eBay Products at Yard Sales

Finding eBay Products At Garage Sales

23 Tips For Taking Better eBay Pictures

Finding Wholesale Products To Sell On eBay

How To Use eBay Listing Upgrades And Options Efficiently

Does An eBay Store Make Sense For You?

Minimizing eBay Fees

19 Ways To Quickly Improve Your eBay Auctions

eBay's Detailed Seller Ratings Reexamined

The Fixed Price Listing Trap

Finding eBay Keywords For Old Items

Adding Youtube Videos To Your eBay Auctions

Commonly Used eBay Abbreviations

How To Drive Traffic To eBay Auctions and Websites

Selecting The Best Category And Keywords For Your eBay Auction

Finding eBay Products By Finding People

Identifying eBay Products People Want

Signing Up People For Your eBay Consignment Services

Motivating eBay Auction Visitors To Bid

Getting Started Selling On eBay

eBay Keyword Rules Explained

How To Add Free Pictures To eBay

eBay Selling Tips

Free eBay Shipping Calculator

Shipping Advice for eBay Sellers

eBay Packing With Paper

eBay Arbitrage Profits

Figuring eBay Consignment Fees

How To Have Negative Feedback Removed For Under $500

Finding Antiques And Collectibles To Sell On Ebay


eBay Reports

Setting Your Ebay Business Up For Growth

Start Your Own eBay Consignment Business

Finding Profitable eBay Niches

Finding Profitable Hidden Bargains at Garage Sales

Finding Wholesale Products To Sell On eBay

Secret eBay Product Sources

Selling Public Domain Items on eBay


BMO Harris Mortgage Brokers Lie

The Resentful Consumer
© Copyright 2001-2020 Terry Gibbs
IWantCollectibles LLC
IWC LLC PO BOX 842, Mesa, AZ 85211