diff --git a/app/controllers/items_controller.rb b/app/controllers/items_controller.rb
index b5e12c80..37006fd2 100644
--- a/app/controllers/items_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/items_controller.rb
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ class ItemsController < ApplicationController
         else
           per_page = nil
         end
-        @items = Item.search(@query).alphabetize.paginate :page => params[:page], :per_page => per_page
+        @items = Item.search(@query, current_user).alphabetize.paginate :page => params[:page], :per_page => per_page
         assign_closeted!
         respond_to do |format|
           format.html { render }
diff --git a/app/models/item.rb b/app/models/item.rb
index 7c426deb..608f8109 100644
--- a/app/models/item.rb
+++ b/app/models/item.rb
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ class Item < ActiveRecord::Base
 
   scope :sitemap, select([:id, :name]).order(:id).limit(49999)
 
+  scope :with_closet_hangers, joins(:closet_hangers)
+
   def closeted?
     !!@closeted
   end
@@ -118,7 +120,7 @@ class Item < ActiveRecord::Base
     @supported_species ||= species_support_ids.blank? ? Species.all : species_support_ids.sort.map { |id| Species.find(id) }
   end
 
-  def self.search(query)
+  def self.search(query, user=nil)
     raise SearchError, "Please provide a search query" unless query
     query = query.strip
     raise SearchError, "Search queries should be at least 3 characters" if query.length < 3
@@ -146,7 +148,7 @@ class Item < ActiveRecord::Base
           limited_filters_used << condition.filter
         end
       end
-      condition.narrow(scope)
+      condition.narrow(scope, user)
     end
   end
 
@@ -616,6 +618,7 @@ class Item < ActiveRecord::Base
     name = name.to_s
     SearchFilterScopes << name
     LimitedSearchFilters << name if options[:limit]
+
     (class << self; self; end).instance_eval do
       if options[:full]
         define_method "search_filter_#{name}", &options[:full]
@@ -633,9 +636,9 @@ class Item < ActiveRecord::Base
     search_filter name, options, &block
   end
 
-  def self.search_filter_block(options, positive)
-    Proc.new { |str, scope|
-      condition = yield(str)
+  def self.search_filter_block(options, positive, &block)
+    Proc.new { |str, user, scope|
+      condition = block.arity == 1 ? block.call(str) : block.call(str, user)
       condition = "!(#{condition.to_sql})" unless positive
       scope = scope.send(options[:scope]) if options[:scope]
       scope.where(condition)
@@ -664,6 +667,27 @@ class Item < ActiveRecord::Base
     filter
   end
 
+  def self.validate_user_condition(adjective, user)
+    unless adjective == "owns"
+      raise SearchError, "We don't understand user:#{adjective}. " +
+        "Did you mean user:owns?"
+    end
+
+    unless user
+      raise SearchError, "It looks like you're not logged in, so you don't own any items."
+    end
+  end
+
+  single_search_filter :user, :full => lambda { |adjective, user, scope|
+    validate_user_condition(adjective, user)
+    scope.joins(:closet_hangers).where(ClosetHanger.arel_table[:user_id].eq(user.id))
+  }
+
+  single_search_filter :not_user do |adjective, user|
+    validate_user_condition(adjective, user)
+    arel_table[:id].not_in(user.closeted_items.map(&:id))
+  end
+
   search_filter :only do |species_name|
     begin
       id = Species.require_by_name(species_name).id
@@ -694,7 +718,7 @@ class Item < ActiveRecord::Base
     SwfAsset.arel_table[:zone_id].in(zone_set.map(&:id))
   end
 
-  single_search_filter :not_type, :full => lambda { |zone_set_name, scope|
+  single_search_filter :not_type, :full => lambda { |zone_set_name, user, scope|
     zone_set = Zone::ItemZoneSets[zone_set_name]
     raise SearchError, "Type \"#{zone_set_name}\" does not exist" unless zone_set
     psa = ParentSwfAssetRelationship.arel_table.alias
@@ -742,10 +766,10 @@ class Item < ActiveRecord::Base
       @positive = !@positive
     end
 
-    def narrow(scope)
+    def narrow(scope, user)
       if SearchFilterScopes.include?(filter)
         polarized_filter = @positive ? filter : "not_#{filter}"
-        Item.send("search_filter_#{polarized_filter}", self, scope)
+        Item.send("search_filter_#{polarized_filter}", self, user, scope)
       else
         raise SearchError, "Filter #{filter} does not exist"
       end
diff --git a/app/views/closet_hangers/index.html.haml b/app/views/closet_hangers/index.html.haml
index c8d4beab..fc3af06d 100644
--- a/app/views/closet_hangers/index.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/closet_hangers/index.html.haml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
   - content_for :before_flashes do
     = link_to "Import closet from Neopets", new_closet_page_path, :id => 'import-link'
     = form_tag items_path, :method => :get, :id => 'closet-hangers-items-search', 'data-current-user-id' => current_user.id do
-      = search_field_tag :q, nil, :placeholder => "Search items"
+      = search_field_tag :q, nil, :placeholder => "Find items to add"
       = submit_tag 'Search', :name => nil
 - else
   - title "#{@user.name}'s Items"