for an item I was interested in and there were so many gimmicks - a dial to find out how much the discount would be, a note that said "only 3 left," etc. Decided not to buy as I started to distrust.

Obviously too overt, lacking in subliminal appeal. You need something that speaks to the gut without being noticeable, something that juices the saliva and pleases the mind like a good meal after a 10 day fast. It's sex and soul appeal without ever showing the flesh that just screams to the inner wisdom "gotta have it!".

Interesting conundrum.

most sellers ignore this part of their listing
Sometimes I go full "J Peterman" with an item and write a really long funny story, anecdote, or whatever.
They get people involved and buying.

My pageviews have plunged. eBay filters reused listings for many many reasons. Many, maybe 1/3 or more of my listings get no pageviews in 2 weeks. Zero. Some are similar to things I sold 5 years ago for decent money. Now you can't give them away.

I do notice that things of higher value sell. eBay is pushing items for say $15 and up or $40 and up and ignoring low priced items. Somehow I manage to sell $1-200 a month despite what they do. But there is no growth no matter what I list or how I price it. SEO puts you in a slot and keeps you there.

I set a moderately high 'buy it now price' and the offer option with a 10-15% limit that's inline with the price others have bid and won on.

To answer your question, some terms people try to use are "rare," "one of a kind," "gently used."