Abstract
In this research, we extend online auction theory by considering set theory in terms of a staged buying process. Success of online auction marketplaces depends on the efficacy of individual buyers searching for and finding desired items for bidding. Searches that lead to consideration sets with too many or too few options may result in a suboptimal choice. Results from this study suggest that certain personal characteristics may impact the number of auctions considered when filtering the awareness set to the consideration set. The findings suggest that design and management of online auction marketplaces should be refined to facilitate these individual traits such that individual search strategies are maximized.