eBay Archive Auction Listings

Tips on How to Search

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From time to time, buyers and sellers may want to review an eBay listing for an auction that has already closed. Sellers may want to see how they listed a certain item in the past, while buyers may want to consult a listing they won if the item they received does not match the description they remember.

In either case, eBay does archive auction listings. Only listings that have ended within the last 90 days, however, are available through the eBay website. After 90 days, auction listings are removed from view and can only be accessed through official eBay channels. Usually, this occurs only when needed as evidence in legal matters. Occasionally, though, customer service may be willing to provide information or copies from such listings.

To access archived listings, you can use either the My eBay system or search by item number if you know the number of the listing that you want to see.

Accessing Archives Using My eBay

To access archived auctions using the My eBay system, follow these steps:

  1. Click on the words "My eBay" at the top of any eBay website page.
  2. On the sidebar at the left side of the page, click on the link that describes your relationship to the auction listing in question:
    1. Click "Won" if the listing is for an item that you won.
    2. Click "Didn't Win" if the listing is for an item that you didn't win.
    3. Click "Sold" if the listing is for an item that you sold.
    4. Click "Unsold" if the listing is for an item that you listed but that did not sell.
  3. In the "Won," "Didn't Win," "Sold," or "Unsold" section of the next page, select the "Last 60 days" option from the "Period" drop-down list at the right side of the display.

You should see your item in the list and can click on its title to view the listing. If you don't see it on the list, you will need to search for the item by number.

Accessing Archives by Item Number

Accessing archived items by item number is relatively simple. Enter the item number into the search box at the upper-right of any eBay website display and click "Search." If you do not know the item's number, then you can find it if either the buyer or the seller left feedback in the transaction.

Simply visit your own feedback profile or the feedback profile of your trading partner in the auction and locate the item in the list. The item number for each auction in the feedback list is shown in the far-right column and can be entered into the search box at the upper-right of any page. To find your trading partner's feedback profile, enter their eBay User ID into the Find a Member tool, part of eBay's Advanced Search system.