Importing from Auction information

[natbaker]

I've developed an eBay auction database for myself and I'd like to be able to extract or import the information from my auctions at eBay to use in my database.

Where do I learn this? Is this an import feature or a web publishing feature or a script? Where do I begin?

Thanks,

Nat

[LiveOak]

My best guess is that this is not about FileMaker. Accomplishing what you want really depends upon how ebay is able to provide the information to you. I've not auctioned items, so I don't know what addition access methods ebay might provide for sellers. For buyer information, ebay send html information to your browser and sends you email. I suppose it might be possible to parse information from either the html code sent to your browser (after saving a page as text) or to parse the emails they send you (which you could receive using FM). Neither is a straight forward process.

As to where do you learn this? If it is possible at all, I'd start by talking to the tech support people at ebay for their opinion on how this could be done. Such things as: do they have a database you can access via ODBC over the internet? Make no mistake, this is not some standard feature of FM you just use. This is probably inventing a complex process that involves the interaction of a bunch of different pieces of software (really bleeding edge stuff!). -bd

[dmi05]

I just joined so I don't know if you've worked anything out with this.

I've found the easiest way to import Ebay auction information is to use Turbo lister to list your auctions. Then you can view the activity log from TL, save and then import to your fm database. This has worked great for me. No more copying and pasting auction information in. I had to create a field to change TL's date (it includes time) and a script to import with only a few simple steps.

[dmi05]

Oh my, just noticed the YEAR. Way late!