Oh So Many Changes at eBay

eBay has made so many changes of late, it is hard to keep up with it all.  We all know the hot issues of Feedback, DSR's and Best Match but what about the fundamental changes eBay has made to the look and feel of the site?

One change is the obvious separation of Auctions from Buy it Now (Fixed Price Items) from one another in search.  Buyers still have the option to see both on one screen, but thats a selection made in a tab at the top of search now.

I just listed a Kleinfeld Necklace and Earrings in Bridal Accessories and wanted to see how my item came up in search. With all of the complaints recently about Best Match, my hopes were not high that I would even find my item in such a large category.

Three Tabs - Easy Selection

The New Search lays it all out for the buyer - Just pick the preferred buying method (Auction, Buy it Now, or Both) and then drill down with Keywords and Categories.

Seems simple to me...

Drilled Down

I was surprised at how the search actually drilled down and found my listing by simply using one keyword and the category...

One keyword, One Category

Kleinfeld Limitation

I made no Best Match changes and of course the keyword "Kleinfeld" produced limited results, I did not use the common keywords of "Necklace" or "Earrings".

When we do search with the keywords "Kleinfeld, Necklace, Earrings" (exactly what I am selling) the immediate result brings up my item number one... Of course it is the only one available on eBay....

Kleinfeld, Necklace, Earrings

The question becomes, what is wrong with search on eBay?

Sellers are complaining about the "new" eBay search and how it confuses buyers, I don't really see anything confusing here.

I am an advanced user but this search seems more logical than anything I have ever used on eBay in the past.

Does Best match work in fixed price? Time will tell... We know that sorting auctions by Best Match makes little sense to buyer or seller, but when the two methods of listing are separated, eBay Best Match may just be OK.

Now I wonder... whats coming in September with the next iteration of Search?

I also question how long eBay Auctions will be viable when "Fixed Price 30 days" goes into effect next month.