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Getting Down with MatchMaker: A Step by Step Guide - By Thomas McKinney MatchMaker matches. By Tom McKinney This month I'm writing a step-by-step guide to the AE premium service MatchMaker. If you're already a premium member and don't use the service, maybe this will make it less intimidating! I've included a screenshot thumbnail at each step—click the smaller image to open a larger one. So, first, getting to MatchMaker. There are a few ways, but the simplest, is to click on the Premium Services link in the lefthand menu bar (visible on every main AE page, just not pop-ups). See screenshot below. From the Premium Services page, scroll down to the bottom where it says AE Services. See screenshot below. Click MatchMaker. See screenshot below. Below is what your MatchMaker page looks like before any wants are added. There is a small explanation of the service near the top, and each button/link in it - like those to create or review wants - is live in that paragraph. So you can use those links to interact with MatchMaker, or use the same buttons located further down the page. A "want" is either a specific subject of interest based on keywords or a specific Author/Title that you are interested in buying. Wants are very specific in that the terms you define them with all have to be present to show up. Usually, you cover a larger subject by having many specific wants related to it.
Getting Down with MatchMaker: A Step by Step Guide - By Thomas McKinney Entering keywords. Keyword Wants To add your first keyword want, click "Add/Review Keywords," either in the explanation paragraph, or down further below. See the screenshot below for the two locations highlighted. As you'll see below, I've taken one of my own wants from my actual collecting as an example of a first want. I'm fascinated by Native Americans; especially tribes of the Great Plains. So, the general subject I'm collecting is Native Americans, or even Native Americans of the Great Plains, but rather than just making a want for "Native Americans," and "Great Plains." I'm searching more specifically. My first example want is made up of: "indian," and "dakota" along with a date range. My real life examples that follow search individual tribes, like Sioux, Commanche, Pawnee, and even more specifically, different sects of single tribes! This is like looking for the difference between Oglala Sioux (Crazy Horse's group) and Hunkpapa (Sitting Bull's group). Once the information for a want is inputted, clicking "Add Keyword Wanted" completes the adding process and refreshes the window to show your new want. Rinse and repeat! Author/Title Wants This is a similar process to adding Keyword wants. The main difference is that this type of MatchMaker search is intended for people who already know the name of an Author or a specific item that they want, and the fields differ. Back on the main MatchMaker page, directly under where it says, "Right now you have the following matches," it shows Title Matches, and to the right of that, Review Wants. Click that link. See screenshot below.
Getting Down with MatchMaker: A Step by Step Guide - By Thomas McKinney Now we're at the Title Wants management pop-up window. In the upper right corner is a link to "Create Your Own Wants." See screenshot below. The page for adding a Title want is relatively straightforward. You've got your standard fields: Author, Title, Place Printed, and Year Printed. The first thing on the page, however, is a field called "Category" and it contains a drop-down menu. This is for organizing your Title Wants when you have a lot of them! For beginners, there is one category, General. Screenshot below. Reviewing Matches & Deleting Once your wants are added, MatchMaker will search overnight (PST), and each night after, for matches to your wants. If you have matches, you will receive an email from AE letting you know. You can then view them either directly from your member control panel, or from the MatchMaker page itself. Below is what my control panel looks like, my matches shown near the bottom. To manage your matches, you can view your results, and then individually select items for deletion. See screenshot below. OR, You can delete an entire category of matches (i.e. Live Auctions, eBay Auctions, Abebooks, etc.) by going to your MatchMaker page and selecting the applicable, "Delete all" link. See screenshot below. Preferences The last thing I want to touch on about MatchMaker is the ability to set preferences for each listing site that is searched. You can access these controls by clicking the link for "MatchMaker Preferences," shown below. Now you're looking at the MatchMaker preferences. From here, you have the option of entirely disabling the search of specific listing sites, the option of opting in or out of receiving a notification email, among other things. See below for the entire shebang. And that's MatchMaker, in its entirety.

Getting Down with MatchMaker: A Step by Step Guide

- By Thomas McKinney

MatchMaker matches.

By Tom McKinney

This month I'm writing a step-by-step guide to the AE premium service MatchMaker. If you're already a premium member and don't use the service, maybe this will make it less intimidating! I've included a screenshot thumbnail at each step—click the smaller image to open a larger one.

So, first, getting to MatchMaker. There are a few ways, but the simplest, is to click on the Premium Services link in the lefthand menu bar (visible on every main AE page, just not pop-ups). See screenshot below.

From the Premium Services page, scroll down to the bottom where it says AE Services. See screenshot below.

Click MatchMaker. See screenshot below.

Below is what your MatchMaker page looks like before any wants are added. There is a small explanation of the service near the top, and each button/link in it - like those to create or review wants - is live in that paragraph. So you can use those links to interact with MatchMaker, or use the same buttons located further down the page.

A "want" is either a specific subject of interest based on keywords or a specific Author/Title that you are interested in buying. Wants are very specific in that the terms you define them with all have to be present to show up. Usually, you cover a larger subject by having many specific wants related to it.

Getting Down with MatchMaker: A Step by Step Guide

- By Thomas McKinney

Entering keywords.

Keyword Wants

To add your first keyword want, click "Add/Review Keywords," either in the explanation paragraph, or down further below. See the screenshot below for the two locations highlighted.

As you'll see below, I've taken one of my own wants from my actual collecting as an example of a first want. I'm fascinated by Native Americans; especially tribes of the Great Plains. So, the general subject I'm collecting is Native Americans, or even Native Americans of the Great Plains, but rather than just making a want for "Native Americans," and "Great Plains." I'm searching more specifically. My first example want is made up of: "indian," and "dakota" along with a date range. My real life examples that follow search individual tribes, like Sioux, Commanche, Pawnee, and even more specifically, different sects of single tribes! This is like looking for the difference between Oglala Sioux (Crazy Horse's group) and Hunkpapa (Sitting Bull's group). Once the information for a want is inputted, clicking "Add Keyword Wanted" completes the adding process and refreshes the window to show your new want. Rinse and repeat!

Author/Title Wants

This is a similar process to adding Keyword wants. The main difference is that this type of MatchMaker search is intended for people who already know the name of an Author or a specific item that they want, and the fields differ. Back on the main MatchMaker page, directly under where it says, "Right now you have the following matches," it shows Title Matches, and to the right of that, Review Wants. Click that link. See screenshot below.

Getting Down with MatchMaker: A Step by Step Guide

- By Thomas McKinney

Now we're at the Title Wants management pop-up window. In the upper right corner is a link to "Create Your Own Wants." See screenshot below.

The page for adding a Title want is relatively straightforward. You've got your standard fields: Author, Title, Place Printed, and Year Printed. The first thing on the page, however, is a field called "Category" and it contains a drop-down menu. This is for organizing your Title Wants when you have a lot of them! For beginners, there is one category, General. Screenshot below.

Reviewing Matches & Deleting

Once your wants are added, MatchMaker will search overnight (PST), and each night after, for matches to your wants. If you have matches, you will receive an email from AE letting you know. You can then view them either directly from your member control panel, or from the MatchMaker page itself. Below is what my control panel looks like, my matches shown near the bottom.

To manage your matches, you can view your results, and then individually select items for deletion. See screenshot below.

OR, You can delete an entire category of matches (i.e. Live Auctions, eBay Auctions, Abebooks, etc.) by going to your MatchMaker page and selecting the applicable, "Delete all" link. See screenshot below.

Preferences

The last thing I want to touch on about MatchMaker is the ability to set preferences for each listing site that is searched. You can access these controls by clicking the link for "MatchMaker Preferences," shown below.

Now you're looking at the MatchMaker preferences. From here, you have the option of entirely disabling the search of specific listing sites, the option of opting in or out of receiving a notification email, among other things. See below for the entire shebang.

And that's MatchMaker, in its entirety.