1. A method for electronically searching for an item, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a search request comprising a requested category and one or more requested attributes of the item; storing the search request in a search index based on the requested category and the requested attribute(s), wherein the search index comprises one or more categories and each category is defined by a taxonomy of attributes; searching the search index for any previously stored search requests that match the requested category and the requested attribute(s); determining a result of the search; and sending a search response comprising the result of the search.