Buying fedora's on ebay

[fedoralover]

I'm just going to start another thread with this subject as it is mentioned in the other one and it is a subject all it's own. Sniping fedora's or anything else on ebay is objectionable to some people, however that is the way the game is played nowadays and if you don't play it you will probably lose. Plus if you don't snipe you could find yourself in a bidding war with someone else and drive the price up really high. Use the free program sharptoyes linked to in the other thread, it's free and can be use 3 times a week without cost. Just be sure you are bidding the ABSOLUTE highest bid you really really want to make as you won't have a chance to change your mind. This is not known to newer people buying on ebay, but those who have for a while know that if they don't use it they will probably lose it. Some say to just bid the highest you are willing to go early and just see what happens. The problem is it gives someone the chance to change their mind on how much they are willing to pay and can encourage "auction fever". The sellers like it of course as they get a bigger price but if you are a buyer, I'd use the hammersnipe progam.

fedoralover

 

[Solid Citizen]

Manual Snipping With Serious $$$

Good thread Fedoralover, but manual snipping no, programs works for me. Were talking 5 seconds OR less psychological sting factor for those people that annouced there bidding habits days before on the auction(s) in question. I see all these people throwing nickle & dime bids. If its a great hat @ $35.00 throw a last seconds $125.00 bid at it you'll be more successfull. Demand for quality vintage hats is NOT going down , but up. Last seconds snipping with serious $$$ bids (NOT flea market/garage sale bids!!!) Peter :kick:

 

[SHARPETOYS]

To keep the prices down don't bid till the last few seconds of the auction. If you bid before all you are doing is bidding yourself up! If I see a hat I like I put it in my "Items I'm Watching" on Ebay The snipe program is good if the auction ends in the middle of the night or if you are away also.

https://hammertap.auctionstealer.com/secure/signup.cfm

 

[Solid Citizen]

The Ebay Snippers Manifesto!

ONE BID, ONE WIN (5 seconds OR less) Peter :rage:

 

[Bud-n-Texas]

Just a thought

If everyone is using sniping programs, will we not actualy be going back to square one? If everyone is sniping, and everyone has to put a top bid in on a slected item, how is that different to how it was prior to auto sniping? Either you have the top bid or you do not. Today the playing field is tilted towards those who have a program and those who do not, eventualy most will be sniping so ultimately is anything gained? I can remember when a cell phone was a status symbol, now everyone has them. What will be the next advantage someone will come up with? I was brought up to believe that how a game was played was more important than who won or lost. Just a thought.:cheers1:

 

[Snrbfshn]

I've got my marksman badge...

Dead-solid sniper. I'm convinced the price escalates with every early bid, in many casing artificially driving the price up.

And the bidding wars - jeez - mine's bigger than yours. An early bid just gives somebody else a chance to expose your maximum. I don't use a sniping program yet, but see the benefit.

 

[fedoralover]

I saw a Stetson Stratoliner go for $530. and if you looked at the bid history there were 2 guys that just continued to outbid one another by 10 bucks a bid all the way up to 530 dollars. If one had just waited and bid in the last few seconds he could have got it for probably under 100. Thats the difference. I seriously doubt that one of them would have put in a max bid of 530 to start with.

I know I'm letting out some secrets here that maybe a few don't know, but I view this place as a Club and a Club is where you share info to benefit the members. If you have a moral objection to not sniping then of course the obvious thing to do is not snipe.

fedoralover

 

[Marc Chevalier]

You should use an automated sniping program/service if you have doubts about your trigger finger. I received an e-mail from the losing bidder of an overcoat I just sold. He said that he waited until the last few seconds to use his trigger finger, but it wasn't fast enough: the auction ended while his bid was being processed, and it never got through. Too bad for him AND for me. He claims his too-late bid was higher than that of the winning bidder. If he'd won, I would have received more money, and he would have received the overcoat.

 

[John in Covina]

The highest bid

E-Bay is a little different than a regular auction since a regular auction allows you to get it at the "Going once, going twice moment" and you actually reset the action Whereas a carefully timed snipe bid can conceivably cut off or out a higher bid that then came too late. So in the sniping game if done manually there is some skill. As a buyer I hate the bidding wars, as a seller, I am hoping both bidders are drunk, arrogant and have plenty of room on their platinum charge cards. What the market will bear is the watch word.

There will be one of a kind offers but much of what we are looking for will come up again soon enough.

Merry Christmas and holiday good wishes!

john in covina

 

[MattC]

I appreciate this

Fedoralover, I didn't even know about these programs. I did know that generally, it is smartest to wait until almost the end and then hope your timing is good. Thanks for doing this.

 

[Bud-n-Texas]

Fedoralover, please do not take my comments as directed at you. I have long been an avid fan of live auctions and have attained many a nice item at a reasonable price. I have seen the crazies set in on the eBay auctions as well. A year or so ago, I had just purchased a new Ping golf bag at a local golf shop. Days after I saw the identical bag sell for over twice as much as retail plus shipping. The mine is bigger than your mentality can get very expensive. I am just not crazy about the game being played, that having been said, it's the only game in town. Play by the rules is all that is left, chivalry is out the door.:cheers1:

 

[Doh!]

There's some really good advice here, especially waiting until the last minute before bidding. The last eBay thing I bid on was sniped with about 10 mins. remaining and I just let it go. But the next day I got an email informing me that the winning bid fell through so I could actually have it at my price. I smelled a rat, though, (like maybe the seller's friend bid in order to raise the price) so I still didn't buy the item.

Ebay is always tricky -- it's kinda like playing online poker.

 

[MattC]

A question for Sharpetoys (or others)

Aren't you concerned about giving this online service your ebay account information? Have you had much experience with it?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

MattC, eBay itself owns one of these sniper services, though it doesn't advertise the fact! It's here:

www.auctionsniper.com

 

[MattC]

Well, I'll be damned.

Thanks Marc.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

My pleasure. Auctionsniper.com isn't free, but it works like a charm. In addition, it can automatically notify sellers that you won and send them your shipping address (or just zip code).

 

[fedoralover]

No problem Hats4me, I didn't take anything personal. I have used the hammersnipe program quite a bit and so have others I know. No problem so far. It is pretty convienient if you are away from the computer, it makes the bid from it's server so you don't even have to have your computer on. Like I said though, you have to be absolutely sure of your last bid.

I hope nobody here gets upset at Sharptoyes and me for being the spoilers, but quite honestly both of us have more hats than we could ever wear out in a life time. If it helps some of you newer collectors get something and get it a little cheaper, then more power to you. And like I said this is a club and those who come here get an education in a lot of things.

Eventually I see the vintage fedora's being out of reach for a lot of folks,(like the $335. borsalino and the $530. Stratoliner) and more people will go to the custom hatters like Art Fawcett and Steve Delk for a quality hat. Art and Steve's prices are below those 2 examples and the !00% beaver felt they offer is excellent and will last you a lifetime.

fedoralover

 

[Pilgrim]

I consider myself a relatively experience Ebay'er, with 400+ feedbacks. Over time, I have found that bidding early seems to encourage those who nickel and dime the auction to start bidding in $2.50 and $5.00 increments, trying to find my max.

I have seen a single bidder enter 12 to 15 bids over a 5 minute period trying to find my maximum bid. Some did, some didn't...but I suspect that in some cases, this resulted in setting me up for another bidder to out-bid me because the nickel-and-dime buyer had maxed me out.

In short: yes, I think early bidding has a tendency to push up the total. That's good for the seller, bad for the buyer. So be it.

As a result, I may enter a LOW bid early just to put it at the top of the My Ebay items so I won't lose track of it - but then I either go online at the last minute and bid manually, or set a snipe. I have used Auctionsniper often, and it works well. I tend not to use it for higher-dollar items (unless I simply cannot be online at the auction's end) as its fees add to the cost on higher ticket items.

 

[jamespowers]

Ah, I love early bidders. They make my searching job a whole lot easier. You find one who likes the same thing as you and search for what they are bidding on. See what you like and snipe them like a sharp shooter. Five seconds before the end usually does it.
So please guys bid early and help me out.

Regards to all,

J

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Um, NO!