Hmmm Carl...hadn't thot of that.  

I usually narrow things down in my searches...as in searching under
Antique/Tiles (under Ceramic)...and then a "hit" is bound to pop up.
Of course, I don't always 'hit pay dirt'...and get bummed when I strike
out.  
One trick is - to eliminate (common) terms NOT in your search, use a
dash in front of the term (key word) so those pages won't show up.

But frankly, I often get so 'far in' to a search...I can't Remember HOW
I got there (what I searched on).  Of course, one can retrace their
steps (hitting the Back key) usually...but, I don't usual bother.

Since so many historical documents are not scanned and on the
net...there is a Wealth of info to Find...that one wouldn't even Know
about in a library setting.  You can't always save the document (or
images of marks)...but, at least you can glean some info you didn't know
prior to searching.

But Carl, you must not be a True Luddite...since you Want to learn how
to use technology.  :o)

I bet Bob Skiles can help on this matter.  Unless he doesn't want to
divulge his 'trade secrets'.  Ha ha.

Google has a Patents page that can be helpful (as well as frustrating at
times; and has Lots of misspellings!).

>-----Original Message-----
>From: HISTORICAL
>ARCHAEOLOGY
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>On Behalf Of
>[log in to unmask]
>Sent: Tuesday, November 06,
>2007 3:21 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: identifying
>tiles, and more...using net
>sources
>
>Not eveyone knows the
>tricks about how to use
>Ebay to ID artifacts,
>especially Historian
>Luddites like me .
>
>Like - How would you find
>anything on Ebay if all you
>typed in was "A.E.?"
>
>I think it would be
>worthwhile and valuable for
>some skilled internet
>searcher to work up a para
>or two about searching
>strategies for this list.
>Plenty of  ID requests in
>the pursuit of the trivial
>get posted to this
>list to indicate that a
>short little primer would
>be nice to have.
>
>Carl Barna
>Lakewood, CO