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TomFolio.com FAQ: Searching for Items
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How do I use the TomFolio.com search form?
You can use any one or a combination of more than one search criteria.
A few things to remember:
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Capitalization is unimportant. The search engine does not
distinguish between upper case (capital letters) and lower case.
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Spelling is extremely important. The search engine cannot correct
your spelling. If you obtain no results, check your spelling. If you are
unsure about the spelling, try one of the options below.
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The search engine also ignores "noise words" such as "a," "an," "the,"
"to," "of," and so forth. You do not need to include them.
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Less is sometimes more: the more options you fill in or select, the
fewer results you will receive. Start with a more general search, then
narrow it down with additional search criteria.
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Each page returns only 35 entries. If numbers appear on the bottom
of the page, it means that there are additional pages of returns
for you to view. Just click on the numbers in blue to see more.
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To start a new search, click the "reset" button and the information
you entered previously will be cleared from the fields.
What is the difference between Tight and Loose Match?
Tight Match
will return only words spelled exactly as you have
entered them. For example, if you enter "Dark Horse" in the title box
and select "Tight Match," you will find listings for titles such as
"The Dark Horse," "Dark Horse" (by several authors), "White Horse,
Dark Dragon," "Ride a Dark Horse," and others that include one or both
of these two words.
Loose Match
will return all titles in which the words "dark" and
"horse" appear, including variations such as "darkness" and "horses."
Use Loose Match if you are not sure of the exact spelling of a particular word.
There are still too many matches, even using tight search. How can I find the
exact book I want?
If you know the author of the book, enter the name in the author field.
You can enter first name first or last name first. If you’re uncertain
how to spell one of the names, use only the one you’re certain of. For
instance, if you are looking for "The Dark Horse" by Will James, enter
the title on the title line using "Tight Match" and enter "will james"
(or "james will" or "James, Will") on the author line.
First Edition:
Click this box if you only want books that are
"First Editions". Read the descriptions carefully, because you
may see first trade paper editions, first illustrated editions,
and other versions in addition to actual first printings.
Signed:
Click this box if you only want books that have been
signed by the author. Read the descriptions carefully to be sure
that the "signature" cited is that of the author, and not someone
else such as the illustrator, the editor, or a previous owner. Also
look for variations such as signed by author or Inscribed/signed by
author to a particular person or with a significant message.
Binding:
You may select between hardcover, softcover, or periodicals (magazines).
Just use the pull-down box and highlight your preference, or leave at the
default selection of ‘any binding’. The selection of 'any binding' will
return results of hard cover, soft cover, periodicals, and books for which
the bookseller has not included the binding of the book within the description.
Prices:
You may enter minimum and maximum prices for your item. TomFolio's prices
are in US Dollars for this search feature. Leaving these boxes blank will
return all matching items regardless of price.
Added Past 24 Hours:
You may use this field to limit your search to recent entries; only those added
to the TomFolio database within the past 24 hours.
Results in Order By:
You may use this field to sort the results by date of entry, price, or dealer
name and then use the 'ascending' or 'descending' selection to further refine
your search results.
ISBN Number:
If you know the ISBN number of the book you are seeking, you may enter it here.
Be aware that not all booksellers include ISBN numbers for their entries, so
you may be limiting your returns.
What if I don't know an Author or Title but I want to find books, periodicals
or ephemera on a certain subject?
There are two ways to look for books and other materials by topic:
Keywords and Category Browse.
Keywords:
Success in locating a topic by keyword depends on whether the individual
bookseller has entered that keyword in his or her listing. Try to think
of the most common terms for the subject you’re seeking – the ones a
bookseller would most likely think of when entering keywords. "Railroad,"
for instance, will return every listing for which booksellers entered the
term as a keyword. "Railroad ephemera" will return only material for
which booksellers have entered both of those words.
Category Browse:
TomFolio’s Category system is unique. Click on the
"Browse by Categories"
option and you’ll see a long list of Categories such as Agriculture, Photography,
Home Repair and Decorating, Sports, and so forth. Click on any of these topics
that are relevant to your search, and you’ll find a long list of subcategories
that helps you narrow down your search. For instance, if you are looking
for real photographs, you can go to the Photography category and choose
from a long list of real photo types, including Cabinet Cards, CDVs, Interiors,
Snapshots, and various kinds of Stereoview. The category system also depends
on booksellers entering their listings in the subcategories. You may have to
use the more general "loose search" function to locate additional entries.
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