What is NeedToFind? +

NeedToFind is a reverse marketplace. Instead of searching through other people's listings, you post what you're looking for and the people who have it get in touch with you. It works best for the hard to find: a discontinued part, a vintage model, or something that never seems to get listed.

Who runs NeedToFind? +

NeedToFind is built and run by Gray Penguin Development, a small independent software company. You can reach us any time through our contact form.

Is it free? +

Yes. Posting a wanted ad, responding to one, and messaging are free, with no listing fees and no commissions.

How do I post a wanted ad? +

Create a free account, choose Post a Wanted Ad, and describe what you need: a title, a category, a description, and optionally a budget and a location. You can add up to 4 photos. A clear picture of the item, or of the part you need help identifying, makes it much easier for a seller to recognise what you mean.

What can I ask for? +

Anything reasonable and legal. Ads go in one of these categories: Electronics, Furniture, Clothing & Accessories, Vehicles, Musical Instruments, Sports & Outdoors, Tools & Hardware, Boats & Marine, Collectibles & Antiques, Books & Media, Toys & Games, Other. Ads that are spam, scams, or offensive can be removed by a moderator.

How long does my ad stay up? +

30 days. You can extend or renew it from the ad page whenever you like, and close it as soon as you've found what you need. Expired ads drop off the site but stay in your dashboard.

What happens when someone responds to my ad? +

You get an email, and the response appears on your ad with the seller's message, their asking price if they gave one, an optional photo, and how to reach them. You can reply in a private message thread right there on the ad page, and you'll get an email when they answer.

Who can see the responses to my ad? +

Only you and the seller who wrote each response. Other members and visitors can see how many responses an ad has, but never what they say, who sent them, or how to reach them.

How do I complete a deal? +

NeedToFind doesn't handle payments, shipping, or returns. You and the seller agree the details between you. Read the safety tips below before you send money or meet anyone.

How do I mark my ad as found? +

Open the ad, choose Edit ad, and set the status to Fulfilled. That closes it to new responses.

How do I respond to a wanted ad? +

Open the ad and choose I have this. Describe what you have, say how the buyer can reach you (it starts as your account email, and you can change it), and add an asking price and a photo if you like. You can send one response per ad; delete it if you want to send a new one.

How can I hear about new wanted ads? +

Set up an alert. On the Alerts page you can save keywords, a category, or both (every keyword must appear in the ad), and we'll email you when a matching ad is posted. You can have up to 10 alerts, and each alert sends at most 10 emails a day. Every alert email has a one-click way to stop them, and stopping keeps your saved alerts.

Why can't I see other sellers' responses? +

Responses are private between the buyer and the seller, so you compete on what you have, not on what others offer.

Is my contact information public? +

No. Your email address is never shown on ads. The contact details you put in a response go only to the buyer you're responding to. Your name appears on the ads you post.

Do my photos reveal where I live? +

No. We resize and re-save every photo you upload, which removes hidden information such as the GPS location many phones embed in pictures.

How do I report an ad? +

Sign in, open the ad, and choose Report this ad. Pick a reason and add details if you can. The person who posted the ad is never told who reported it. A moderator reviews every report; ads are not removed automatically.

How do I avoid scams? +

• Be wary of anyone who asks you to pay by gift card, wire transfer, or crypto.
• Don't send money for something you haven't seen, unless you're comfortable with the seller and the amount.
• Meet in a public place, and bring a friend for larger purchases.
• Be careful if someone pushes you to leave the site straight away, or offers far more than your budget.
• Share only what you need to: no ID numbers, bank details, or passwords.
• Report anything that feels wrong.

What information do you keep about me? +

Your name, email address, and password (stored scrambled, never in plain text), the ads, responses, and messages you write, and any optional answers you gave when signing up, such as your location and how you found us. To help protect accounts we also keep the IP address from sign-ins and sign-up attempts for up to 180 days. Photos you upload are stored on our server. The full details are in our Privacy Policy.

Can I use an AI assistant with NeedToFind? +

Yes. NeedToFind works with AI assistants that support MCP, such as Claude. Once connected, an assistant can post a wanted ad for you, search the board, check who has responded, reply to sellers, and manage your alerts, all from a normal conversation. Create a token on your profile page, then add the server address https://needtofind.app/mcp to your assistant with that token as its credential.

Is it safe to give an assistant a token? +

A token lets an assistant act as you, so treat it like a password: create one per assistant, never share it, and revoke it from your profile page the moment you stop using it (you can have up to 10 at a time). The assistant only does what you ask it to, and everything it does appears in your account like anything else you do.

How do I change my email address or password? +

Go to your profile page to update your name, email address, location, and password.

How do I delete my account? +

On your profile page choose Delete account and confirm with your password. That permanently removes your account and everything on it: your ads, photos, responses, messages, alerts, and API tokens. It can't be undone.

How do I contact you? +

Use our contact form, and a real person will reply by email. We read everything, and it's the best place to tell us about a problem or an idea.