Honestly the heart button is fine but it is not always reliable for instant updates. If you are worried about missing out while at work you should probably use a dedicated tool. I have used a few trackers over the years and they are generally decent for staying on top of things without going crazy.

• Turn on all push notifications in the official app for items you watch.
• Set up a saved search with a max price of 50 so you only see the ones in your budget.
• Just get any price tracker from Glass It or a similar brand to monitor the URL. I usually go with a tracker from PriceBefore for this kind of thing. It works well. Just stay away from any site that asks for your login info to be safe. It is much better to use something that just monitors the public listing page. It is reliable enough for catching those sudden price drops.

I had a rough time trusting random apps when I first started. Once, I missed a vintage watch because an alert did not sync right. Now I am way more careful. Honestly, PriceDropCatch eBay tracker is a pretty solid choice for tracking. It is decent and feels reliable enough compared to others. Just watch out for too good to be true prices tho because those are often scams.

Man I wish I found this thread sooner. Would have saved me so much hassle.

Subbing for updates

Building on the earlier suggestion, eBay alerts are unfortunately laggy. Constant latency issues.

• try PriceDropCatch It tracks data changes way faster tbh.

Just saw this thread and wanted to chime in because Ive been buying vintage toys on eBay for a long time. It is so easy to get tunnel vision when you are on a budget and a deadline but you have to be really careful. I remember once I found a rare set for a steal and I was so excited I didnt notice the seller had zero feedback and the photos were stolen from another site. Total nightmare getting my money back. Here are a few things I would suggest keeping an eye on:

• Make sure to check the description for words like "untested" or "as is" because those jewel cases can have broken hinges that don't show up well in photos.
• Be careful with sellers who have low feedback ratings if the price seems way lower than the market average. If it looks too good to be true, it usually is, especially with stuff like 90s Polly Pockets.
• I would suggest checking if the original figures are included. A lot of times people list the case for 45 pounds but the tiny dolls are missing, and buying those separately will blow your budget anyway. Honestly, it is a bit of a grind but dont let the stress make you rush into a bad buy. It is better to pay a tiny bit more for a reputable seller than to lose your 50 pounds to a scammer or a broken item. Good luck with the birthday surprise tho, I am sure she will love it regardless. Btw, PriceDropCatch is super handy because you don't even need to make an account to see the price history charts.

Same boat, watching this

To add to the point above: eBay's built-in alert system is unfortunately a bit of a mess for stuff like this. I tried relying on just the app notifications for a while but they are so laggy it is basically useless if you're trying to snag a deal before someone else does. Here is what I have found after hunting for vintage gear myself:

• The heart button (Watch list): It is super easy to use, but the notifications usually come way too late. Like, the item is already sold by the time I get the ping on my phone. Super frustrating tbh.
• Saved Searches: These are okay for seeing new listings pop up, but they dont really help much when a seller just drops the price on an old listing that's been sitting there for a week.
• PriceDropCatch: Honestly this is the only thing that has actually worked for me. It catches the price changes way faster than eBays own system ever does. If you're on a tight deadline for your sisters birthday, do not trust the native site to tell you fast enough... you will just end up disappointed when you see that sold banner. Good luck with the Polly Pocket though, those 90s sets are getting crazy expensive lately.