Avoid being too specific. Sometimes being too specific limits your search results too much, and may exclude what you're looking for because of one small difference. Instead of searching for a 1902 U.S. Officer's Sword, try searching for 1902 or just Officer's sword.
Punctuation. Sometimes punctuation marks can affect your search results. If you don't find what you're looking for when searching for officer's, try search for officers too.
Check your spelling. A lot of failed searches are a result of improper spelling. If your results are coming up low or empty, make sure you're searching the correct spelling before giving up.