Spotter OtterSpotter Otter is in testing. Photo search and AI review are coming back soon. Until then, Spotters match the exact keywords you enter.
First, know exactly what you’re looking for
When a product is discontinued, its replacement often has an almost identical name. Search by name alone and you’ll mostly find the new version. The fix is to find the identifier that only the old one has:
- Model number or MPN (manufacturer part number): on the back or underside of electronics and appliances, and on the box.
- UPC: the 12-digit number under the barcode. Each size, color and version has its own, so it pins down exactly one product.
- Shade name and number: on the sticker on the bottom of makeup. The number matters because brands reuse shade names across product lines.
- Version or generation: running shoes and electronics change every year or two, so the version number (a 14 rather than a 15) is the whole difference.
If you’ve thrown out the packaging, check your old order confirmation emails or your account history with the store. They usually show the full product name, and often the model or item number.
Spotter Otter can take some of this work off you. Paste the link to the product page, even a sold-out one, or to an eBay listing for the same thing, and it starts a Spotter for that item. If all you have is the empty bottle, the old compact or the box, take a photo: Spotter Otter reads the brand, label, model number or shade it can see, uses eBay’s image search for clues, and writes a description for you to check before it starts. The photo isn’t stored; it’s sent to OpenAI and eBay to identify the item.
Check the places that sometimes still have it
eBay isn’t the only answer, and it’s worth ten minutes on these first:
- The brand: its product page or customer service can tell you whether the item is discontinued for good or just between production runs. A back-in-stock signup usually means it’s coming back. Customer service will sometimes name the closest replacement too.
- Outlets and off-price stores: brand outlet sections and stores like T.J. Maxx and Marshalls often get discontinued beauty, kitchen and home goods.
- Other locations: a store that’s sold out online may still have one on a shelf. Use the store’s in-store stock check.
When none of that works, eBay is where the rest goes: people clearing out cupboards, small shops selling old stock, and collectors trading up.
What to look for, by type of item
| Item | Search with | Check before buying |
|---|---|---|
| Discontinued makeup shade | Brand, product line, shade name and number | Unused or “swatched once”? Age, from the batch code. The open-jar symbol shows how many months it lasts once opened. |
| Discontinued perfume | Name, concentration (EDT, EDP, parfum) and bottle size in ml | “Tester” usually means the same perfume in a plain box, sometimes with no cap. “Decant” and “sample” are small amounts poured from a bottle. Older bottles may be an earlier formula that smells different. |
| Shoes | Brand, model, version number, size and width | Foam and glue age even in unworn pairs. On pairs several years old, ask about crumbling midsoles or soles separating. |
| Electronics | Exact model number, including any suffix letters | Revision and region, missing chargers or remotes, battery health, and whether it’s listed “for parts or not working.” |
Price it before you wait for it
Search eBay for the exact product and turn on the Sold items filter. That shows what buyers have actually paid recently, and how often it sells. A discontinued product can sell for more than it cost in the store, so don’t assume the old retail price is realistic. If only a handful sold in months, plan to be patient. If it sells every week, you can afford to hold out for a good one.
Pick a maximum price you’d be glad to pay before shipping, and stick with it. A Spotter only alerts you to listings at or under that price, so you won’t be tempted by the overpriced ones.
Set up a Spotter that ignores look-alikes
- Item keywords: brand, product name and the identifier, the way sellers write titles. Leave out “discontinued”: plenty of sellers don’t say it.
- Must include: the detail that separates it from its replacement, such as the shade number, the version or EDP.
- Exclude: the look-alikes. Dupe, inspired, compatible, similar to, plus the newer version’s name. For perfume add decant, sample, empty; for electronics, case, cover, for parts.
- Condition and price: new if it touches skin or has to be perfect, any condition if a good used one will do, and your maximum price.
- Create the Spotter. Each new listing that matches is emailed to you once and saved on your Alerts page.
Example: you want the older Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones, not a newer model. Item keywords Sony WH-1000XM3. Exclude XM4, XM5, case, ear pads. Sellers also write the model without the dash, so make a second Spotter for WH1000XM3.
Or describe it in a sentence with your maximum price: Brooks Ghost 14, men’s 11 wide, new or barely worn. Luna, Spotter Otter’s AI, turns that into a search and a list of must-haves for you to confirm. The version, size and width are checked the way a person would read a listing, with the wordings sellers use, so a listing that says Ghost 15 or a different size is left out, and one that doesn’t say gets a Maybe match for you to judge.
Before you buy
- Look for photos of the actual item, including the shade sticker, label or model plate. Stock photos alone aren’t enough for something long discontinued.
- Ask for the batch code or manufacture date on makeup and perfume, and choose sealed or unused for anything that touches your lips or eyes.
- Be wary of plenty. One seller with lots of identical “new” units of something discontinued years ago, at a low price, is a common sign of counterfeits.
- Read the return policy. eBay’s Money Back Guarantee covers items that don’t arrive or don’t match the listing, when you pay through eBay checkout.
Good to know: Spotter Otter watches eBay in the United States (ebay.com) and only alerts you to listings posted after a Spotter starts, so search eBay once yourself on the first day too.