eBay Hacks

The eBay Toolbar

Expand your browser with eBay’s custom toolbar application.

The eBay Toolbar, shown in Figure 2-7, is a free add-on program that provides a handy search box, links to several key eBay pages, and two desktop “alert” features.

Figure 2-7. The eBay Toolbar provides several handy tools, primarily useful for bidders, such as two “alert” features not otherwise available to non-toolbar-equipped browsers

Provided you’re running a recent version of Windows and using a new version of Internet Explorer or an old version of Netscape Navigator, you can download the eBay Toolbar at http://pages.ebay.com/ebay_toolbar. (Users of Mozilla, Netscape 6.x/7.x, Unix, or a Mac of any kind are out of luck.)

In addition to providing handy links to My eBay, the Search pages, the PayPal home page, and other hot spots, the eBay Toolbar also has some features you won’t find elsewhere:

• The Search textbox keeps a history of the last few searches you’ve typed (up to 25), which can be a quick and easy way to save past searches (see [Hack #16]). But you have to use it exclusively, as it doesn’t link up with the My Favorite Searches list and it will not save any search typed in the site itself.

• Bid Alerts notify you 10, 15, 30, 60, or 75 minutes before the end of an auction on which you’ve bid, which is useful if you wish to return to the auction to bid again and ensure a win. Included ...