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Thread: eBay dorks

  1. #1

    Default eBay dorks

    Why do people bid with days remaining? If I bid, I wait until the last few minutes. Do they expect to win?

    Even if something has no bids, I wait until the last moment to do so, so I don't get out bid or have a bidding war.
    ...and across the line.

    1996 Mazda Miata - R-Package (Eve-L)
    2012 Mazda CX-9 - Grand Touring (Dory)




  2. #2
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    Default

    Some people (myself included at times) place their highest bid at the start when they see an item they are interested in. It will increment up (bidding by proxy) automatically until they finally are outbid (if they ever are outbid that is).

  3. #3
    Driver Ataim's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sammm
    Some people (myself included at times) place their highest bid at the start when they see an item they are interested in. It will increment up (bidding by proxy) automatically until they finally are outbid (if they ever are outbid that is).
    I use auctionsniper.com for my ebay bidding. I put in my maximum bid and never look at it again. If I win then I paid as much as I wanted to. If I get out bid, then it was too much $$$ for me.

    Paul
    Hmm what is decent? Are we talking about your decent or my decent? I'm just curious because I don't want to offend anyone else's decent...

  4. #4

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by sammm
    Some people (myself included at times) place their highest bid at the start when they see an item they are interested in. It will increment up (bidding by proxy) automatically until they finally are outbid (if they ever are outbid that is).
    Same for me.

  5. #5

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    I snipe...

    All the people that bid early do is drive the price up for everyone else
    Daily Driver: 2013 Club edition in Pearl White Mica

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  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by channelmaniac
    All the people that bid early do is drive the price up for everyone else
    Right. All those who swoop in late never drive prices up! Colonel Mustard called and said get a clue.

  7. #7

  8. #8

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by channelmaniac
    I snipe...

    All the people that bid early do is drive the price up for everyone else
    I could have typed that.

    I think I will... :)

    I snipe too.

    I agree, all those early bidders do is drive the prices up. Why have a bidding war with three days left? Dumb.
    ...and across the line.

    1996 Mazda Miata - R-Package (Eve-L)
    2012 Mazda CX-9 - Grand Touring (Dory)




  9. #9

    Default

    [quote="droptop"]
    Quote Originally Posted by channelmaniac
    Why have a bidding war with three days left? Dumb.
    Why not just put in the price I'm willing to pay rather than chance paying more than I wanted by a snipe war? Dumb.

  10. #10

    Default

    Snipe war?

    Sounds like you are Col Mustard now...

    There is no snipe war on eBay... If you bid with 10 seconds left in the auction and you put in the price you want to pay... how can that be considered a snipe war?

    Otherwise... you put your price in early then someone else will just drive the price over what you want to pay.

    I find that I get my best bargains by sniping. If I don't win and another sniper gets it then he/she was simply willing to pay more than I was... and at least we aren't driving the price up like crazy.

    RJ
    Daily Driver: 2013 Club edition in Pearl White Mica

    Lightness? What's that? I drive a PRHT!

  11. #11

    Default

    I've seen bids go nuts on Russian WW2 Medals that I used to collect because there were several folks using sniper programs. When you have an item that several people want and the majority are sniping then yes, you will drive the price and battle someone else for what you wanted.


    Let's call it this - different strategies for different eBayers. What works for one obviously won't work for the other. And from now on, you'll be Prof. Plum.

  12. #12

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    Sorry Three Bean but SnipingWars are just not possible.

    Lets say three people are sniping a product at 5 seconds. At 5 seconds their bid is sent to eBay. Then eBay's servers will end the auction.

    With only 5 seconds left, there simply is not enough time for a war.

    From Auction Snipers FAQ:

    What if two or more people snipe the same items at the same time?

    Although the probability of this happening is very small, we have developed our software to give bidders an equal chance of winning in all possible cases.

    For example: If two bidders are sniping on the same item with the same max bid, and both choose to snipe with just 5 seconds left -- our bidding system will send eBay both bids at the same time.

    The rest is up to eBay. The winner will be the bid that eBay received first. We do not have control over which eBay servers we send to, and therefore cannot pre-determine who will win.
    ...and across the line.

    1996 Mazda Miata - R-Package (Eve-L)
    2012 Mazda CX-9 - Grand Touring (Dory)




  13. #13

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    But you're still going to go at it with someone over the price... why not just set your max price at the beginning of the auction and leave it at that? Same outcome apparently.

  14. #14
    Driver Ataim's Avatar
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    Example of my next snipe:

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...spagename=WDVW

    I'm willing to pay 185.00 for the header. My snipe bid is in. I never have to look at it again untill its over. If it goes over 185, then I will have not paid more than I want. By not "showing" my cards I will not drive up the price.

    Monkey says "snipe or be sniped" I have to agree.

    Paul
    Hmm what is decent? Are we talking about your decent or my decent? I'm just curious because I don't want to offend anyone else's decent...

  15. #15

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Ataim
    Example of my next snipe:

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...spagename=WDVW

    I'm willing to pay 185.00 for the header. My snipe bid is in. I never have to look at it again untill its over. If it goes over 185, then I will have not paid more than I want. By not "showing" my cards I will not drive up the price.

    Monkey says "snipe or be sniped" I have to agree.

    Paul
    Say the going price is $45 for the same header... I bid $185 as my max bid. eBay automatically bids the $45 for it and keeps bidding for me by proxy until my max provided the there are other bidders. Otherwise, I pay less for the item. Never at any time are my cards shown... same outcome for the bid.

  16. #16

    Default

    But you forget there's a "gambler's mentality" to eBay in that if someone doesn't get the winning bid they may keep bidding until they do.

    Human nature is that people want to win and that drives price up. Just look at how many auctions for things go for more money than what those items would cost new out on the web somewhere.

    RJ
    Daily Driver: 2013 Club edition in Pearl White Mica

    Lightness? What's that? I drive a PRHT!

  17. #17

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    The sniping prevents the simpleton bidder from driving the price up.

    Example 1:
    3 Bean puts in a max bid of $200.
    He is the only bidder, so the bid sits at $20.
    Simpleton comes along and says wow, I can steal this! He bids $25, but then he sees 3 Bean still has it and the price is now $26.
    Simpleton is not too bright, so he continues this stupidity, driving the price up on 3 Bean to $100 before giving up.
    3 Bean pays $100 and thinks he got a good deal.

    Example 2
    Ataim puts in a snipe bid of $200.
    His bid doesn't show up, so the item sits at 0 bids.
    Simpleton comes along and says wow, I can steal this! He puts in the minimum bid of $20, and he is the high bidder. Happy to be in the lead, he walks away from it.
    Ataim's snipe bid hits at $200 with 5 seconds to go, and he gets the item for $21.
    Simpleton's own ignorance has been used to out smart him, getting Ataim the best possible deal.

  18. #18

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    Bingo!
    ...and across the line.

    1996 Mazda Miata - R-Package (Eve-L)
    2012 Mazda CX-9 - Grand Touring (Dory)




  19. #19

    Default

    Hmmm... with that explanation, you've got me re-thinking my eBaying...

    Of course, my wife has been sniping for years...

    She says, "All is fair in love and eBay!"

  20. #20
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    I'll admit Titus's explanation has me re-thinking my Ebaying too! But, how many of y'all have sold items on Ebay and couldn't believe how much money you got for an item?!?!

    IMHO there are valid arguments to be made for both sides of this discussion.

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