Super Search

[shmax]

The best kept secret (despite me always blabbing about it) on http://www.shmax.com is the power of the search engine. You already know that you can search for anything and get back exactly the results you want, but now we have something even better: special operator syntax. You can read the details over on the FAQ page:

http://www.shmax.com/view_faq#special_search_syntax

In a nutshell, you can apply simple boolean logic rules to your searches to refine them to perfection. For example, maybe you want to see how many Optimus Primes were ever made, and you want to include some of the tweaks on his name. Search for optim* and you'll get back "Optimus Prime", "Optimal Prime", "Optimash Prime", and so on. Or maybe you want to see all toys that are named "Optimus Prime", and you also want to include "Convoy". No sweat, just search for (optimus,convoy). Or maybe you're trying to identify a blue and red truck that you know is NOT Optimus. Search for truck red blue -optimus. Starting to get the picture?

Folks, you now have full access to the most powerful and comprehensive searchable Transformers database in the universe, so please make good use of it! Make lists. Identify toys and accessories. Write your book reports. Research your responses to fussy forum posts. Heck, I won't mind or anything--I'll be happy just to have the company. Enjoy, and as always please let me know about any bugs you find or suggestions you have!

[mattyc1007]

I want to say, that even though I have been on this site for a few days, you guys really do have a up to date site, and the way you can track you progress and how many you have is one of the reasons why I'lbe visiting this website everyday and beleive me I'll recomend anyone to you guys, Its nice to see a place where you see others collection aswell as their valuations.

The new search system seems pretty dang nice and very clear to see who or what your looking for. the one thing that this site can never help, is the bomb dropping of recently released figures, every few days. which will make it impossible soon to have a direct as possible search engine, but as said you guys have done a very good job, bad thing thing is shame on you guys, for making me update my collection instead of doing my college work

[shmax]

Hi MattyC, thanks for the reply. I'm not sure what you mean about the recently released figures making it "impossible soon to have a direct as possible search engine", but I can tell you that we generally have the records for new releases in the system long before they're actually released, so you should always have plenty of warning about upcoming toys!

If you enjoy the site, please spread the word!

[mattyc1007]

Hi MattyC, thanks for the reply. I'm not sure what you mean about the recently released figures making it "impossible soon to have a direct as possible search engine", but I can tell you that we generally have the records for new releases in the system long before they're actually released, so you should always have plenty of warning about upcoming toys!

If you enjoy the site, please spread the word!

I only meant in a term of speaking, that in the future, with so many repaints and new figure pouring in, what I should have said is that it will make it harder to keep track of, Kind of thinking now and not being tired, I do see there is a logical way of hunting your figures details down, as you just have to be that more specefic than normal, due to in these past 25 yrs, there been what about 2000+ figures, and if hasbro can make it thats theres another 25years+ that will bring it up around 3,4, 5000. Thats alot of entries to find or list your figure, but you guys have lsited the other thouasands of figures so why not more? so shut up matt, and let these guys get back to their work.

[shmax]

Well, you're definitely right in that cataloging all these toys is an intimidating task. But really finding any particular toy is just a matter of doing a search and including as many pieces of info as you can think of. Usually, just the name of the toy and the toyline it was a part of are enough to get you very precise results. For example, if you search for "optimus prime" you'll get way too many results back, but if you search for "optimus prime cybertron deluxe", you'll get back much more manageable results.

It can take a little practice, and we still have some work to do to tighten things up more (for example, collapsing variants), but you should always be able to find what you're looking for.