1. A method, for use in a user computer system including a pointing device and a visual display unit, for providing a graphical user interface to a computer program for displaying search results from a search conducted in a hierarchical database having data elements relating to merchandise for sale, the method comprising: receiving search results from a search query of the hierarchical database; displaying on a user screen, a graphical representation of search results and parent categories for such search results, wherein individually graphically displayed search results appear within their respective individually graphically displayed parent categories, each search result representing an item of merchandise and each parent category relating to the type of merchandise included within such parent category; and providing information relating to each respective displayed search result within the graphical representation of such displayed search result, such information including at least one among the price of the item represented by the search result, time remaining to bid on the item represented by the search result and another characteristic of the item represented by the search result; providing additional information about each respective search result upon pointing to the graphical representation of such search result with the use of the pointing device.