The box to exclude words from searches is still there; at least I found it. I think you missed it because the "refine search" link is way over to the right, so you have to scroll right to see it or have smaller type on the monitor.

You just click the 'refine search" link, which is to the right of the "search" button. Then you see the exclusion box on the new page. (It seems that the 'refine search" link is sometimes on the far right, and other times not so far right.)

http://collectibles.listings.ebay.com:80/Chips_Individual-Collectible_W0QQfromZR11QQsacategoryZ63749QQsocmdZListingItemListQQsocolumnlayoutZ3QQsocustoverrideZ1

http://search.ebay.com:80/ws/search/RefineSearch?from=R11&sacategory=63749&socolumnlayout=3&socomparecolumnlayout=0&sofindtype=1&sorecordsperpage=200&sosortorder=2&sosortproperty=2

Robert