Does anyone know what specific search filters or keyword combos actually work for finding legitimate low-cost items on eBay anymore because the standard lowest price + shipping sort is completely broken for me right now. Ive been flipping vintage tech and analog camera gear out of my place in Chicago for over six years now so I usually know my way around the advanced search tools but lately the algorithm feels like its actively working against me.

Every time I set a max price or use the under $20 filter I just get bombarded with those annoying multi-variation listings where one tiny accessory is cheap but the actual unit I need is way over budget. Its driving me insane and wasting so much of my sourcing time for this Canon AE-1 rebuild I need to finish by Sunday. I used to use price + shipping lowest first but now its just filled with dropshipping spam from overseas that takes a month to arrive.

Are there better ways to exclude those multi-choice listings or maybe some Boolean operators I should be using? Ive tried:

• excluding certain keywords with the minus sign
• ticking the US Only box to avoid the slow shipping stuff
• searching for untested or for parts specifically

But I still end up scrolling through pages of junk just to find one decent deal. Is there a hidden setting I missed or did they just ruin the search engine recently?