ScottF
Call Me a Cab
- Messages
- 2,755
cptjeff said:
I see your point. I almost always snipe, whether it be through a service, or manually. My reason is that there are too many people who will run the bids up on something, just to 'play' - I would just as soon avoid showing my level of interest. Surely we've all seen the unfathomable actions of a bidder who places a few bids in a row until he has the high bid. If didn't place my ceiling bid in advance, he wouldn't have the opportunity to play that game. I assume it's someone who really isn't sure what they are willing to pay for an item, so they use the bids of others to help them determine the value.
And I do snipe my ceiling bid - that is, what I'm willing to pay, not what I 'hope' to pay.
I've been sniping now for ten years - had to ask the question: "am I bidding because I like playing the ebay game, or am I bidding because I want that item to be mine?"
Edited to add: Of course, I realize that if someone else goes out and places a ceiling bid early, also bidding what they are willing to pay, not what they 'hope' to pay, then my sniping has no effect on the outcome whatsoever; but those aren't the ebayers I am concerned about - it's the game-players, the ones who are clueless as to item value and the ones who can't make up their mind what they are willing to pay.
