A Simple Guide To Writing Good Queries
Probably the most important thing to remember when writing search queries is that PriceMarx is not a search engine. It is an analytics engine. Writing queries that work for PriceMarx is somewhat different from writing queries for Google, Bing, Yahoo! or other search engines. This guide will help you master this art quickly.
Specific Item vs. Generic Queries
Search engines look for anything that contains text in your search query. They don't care, however, if the thing you are looking for actually exists. Unlike search engines, PriceMarx does care. Indeed, it would be pointless to try to estimate a price of a "cell phone" or a "printer" - some of them cost $30 and some cost $1000. Because these queries represent a class of items and not a particular item that can be bought or sold, PriceMarx would be unable to estimate their price.
Hence, the first rule to writing a good query for PriceMarx - it must represent a specific item.
Examples of bad queries that will not work:
Examples of good queries that will work:
Ideally, if you know the GTIN/UPC code of the item you're searching for (ISBN for books), you could start with it. This is the most precise way to identify an item. Keep in mind though that some of the data sources we use do not support GTIN/UPC code look-ups and might not return anything at all to such a query. Your next best bet is the name/model number of the item as specified by the manufacturer, as shown in the example above.
Many items that have the same name are sold in different configurations. A good example of this are smart phones. You can buy an iPhone 4S with 16GB or 32GB of storage. This difference affects the price and hence it is a good idea to be specific about what you're looking for. "iPhone 5 32GB" would give you a much more accurate price estimate than "iPhone 5".
Some of our data sources can be sensitive to how words are abbreviated. If you're not getting relevant results for "iPhone 5 32GB", try "iPhone 5 32G" or vice versa.
Do not be too verbose - only include words needed to identify the item you are looking for:
- Oki D410 - good
- Oki D410 printer - ok, but the word "printer" is unnecessary
- Nikon D7000 16MP digital camera without lens body only - way too detailed!
Bundles and Kits
Many items can be sold both by themselves, or bundled with other items. A good example of this are interchangeable lens cameras. You can buy a Canon 7D by itself (body only), or bundled with one or several lenses, a battery grip, a flash, a tripod, or spare batteries. Tablets are often bundled with cases, wireless keyboards and other accessories. Tires can be sold with or without rims. These bundled items can affect the price a lot.
When you write queries for such items, follow a simple rule: if you're looking for a bundle or a kit, include all items you want in a bundle into your query. For instance, when you're looking for a Pentax K-5II camera with 18-55mm lens, write "Pentax K-5II 18-55". When you're looking for a Pentax K-5II body only, write "Pentax K-5II". Do not be too verbose - see above!
From time to time you will be entering search queries PriceMarx has not seen before. You will be asked to narrow down your search by selecting listings that you would find relevant to your search query. Follow the above rule when making your selections - if you've entered "Pentax K-5II", do not select listings that include other items. You do have some discretion here - some of the bundled accessories may be so cheap compared to the price of the main item, that they are essentially given out for free. This is especially true for used listings - very often sellers do not need those accessories when they sell the main item and include them in the same listing. A good example of this are spare batteries for cameras.
If you are unsure about whether the bundled items would affect the price, try searching for them separately. If their price is less than 10% of the price of the main item, they can be safely considered free.
Broken/Damaged/For Parts Items
Usually sellers mark damaged goods clearly in the description to avoid legal liability.
If you are looking for an item for parts, do include the words "damaged" or "for parts" into your query. Do not include listings marked as damaged in your suggestions when you are looking for a working item. It's not the end of the world if you do so by accident - most likely PriceMarx will be able to spot such an item and exclude it from the price estimate, but we ask you not to do this on purpose.
Special Note About Cell Phones
When looking for cell phones, you will frequently encounter listings that mention Clean ESN, Bad ESN, Good IMEI, Bad IMEI. Very often the price of a "bad ESN" phone is substantially lower. You should exercise caution with these items and not include listings marked as "bad ESN" or "bad IMEI" in your suggestions unless this is what you are looking for.
GSM and CDMA phones are often sold locked to specific carriers at subsidized prices with a service contract. GSM phones, which have a SIM card, can usually be unlocked and used with a different carrier. CDMA phones do not have a SIM card and thus are tried to a specific carrier permanently.
Each phone has a unique number associated with a specific unit. Carries can see this number and block certain devices from their networks. Usually this happens when a device was reported as lost or stolen, it can also be so when the original owner of the phone terminates the contract with the carrier before it expires.
In any case, a phone with a bad IMEI/ESN cannot be activated on a mobile network. This is the reason why they cost less. In some cases it's ok, for example, you're a mobile developer looking for a development device which does not need to be activated. Those devices can be used for parts, although the main board of a CDMA phone cannot be reused because that's where the ESN is stored. GSM devices can often be activated on foreign networks.
If you're looking for a "bad IMEI" device, please include words "bad IMEI" in your search query and select only those listings that specifically mention it in their descriptions.