The Proper Way to Bid

[Daisy Buchanan]

Excuse my naivety, but could someone fill me in on a trustworthy sniping program(haha, I win the redundancy award! )? I think I'm finally ready to give in, because I have a sinking suspicion I've had items swiped out from under my nose much too often in the past few months, and I never start bidding until the last 40 seconds or so anyways. I saw a link to one posted in The Powder Room, but was really wary of it because it asked for your ebay account name and password, and that looked fishy to me. Thanks in advance!

A sniper program places a bid for you, so they have to have your ebay id and password in order to place the bid.
I have used this site on occasion, when I really wanted something so bad that I couldn't bear to lose it. They have been very good to me. I have won everything that I asked them to bid on. It's especially handy for those late night auctions. I no longer have to stay up til all hours of the night to place my bid at the last minute of an auction. They are also pretty cheap, and your first three snipes are free. You can set up an account with them through paypal, snipes cost as little as 10cents.
The way I see it, a lot of people are doing it. If you see something you can't bear to lose, do what you can to get it. Don't worry about what other people think. Ebay isn't about fairness, it's about attempting to get what you want, at a fair price.
I really don't understand why people bid on items day's in advance. It just drives the end price up.

 

[jamespowers]

I really don't understand why people bid on items day's in advance. It just drives the end price up.

I do. Just look at your signature/tag line and that explains it all.

Regards,

J

 

[happyfilmluvguy]

I really don't understand why people bid on items day's in advance. It just drives the end price up.

My point exactly! I'd rather be civil about bidding than eating through it like an animal yelping, "I must have it, I must have it! BID BID BID!"

 

[photobyalan]

One auction, one bid. With as little time left as possible.

Why would I want to give my opponent the opportunity to outbid me or drive up the price at the last second?

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

I do. Just look at your signature/tag line and that explains it all.

Regards,

J

HeHeHe

But honestly, it makes no sense. You bid day's in advance and that somehow makes other people worry, so they bid. The price goes up astronomically and there's still day's left of the auction. Meanwhile, another fantastic item is being watched by a bunch of people, but not bid on. In the end, the person with the fastest connection or the best sniper services gets in their bid at the last second. But, because nobody bid on it early, the price stays low. Now tell me, how is that bad. The sad thing is, that person who started the bidding days in advance usually ends up not winning the auction because of their own fault. They are the ones who initiated the driving up of the price, and in the end they either go way over budget, or give up bidding because the price is too high. Makes no sense to me!! Except when it comes to the items I'm selling. Like others have stated, when it comes to my for sale auctions, bid early and bid often!!!

 

[rcinlv]

Okay, so I'll admit it, I'm an amateur

I've really only been bidding on items on ebay since September- mostly hats. And I have learned a lot. Got quite a tongue lashing here in the Lounge for my first bit item (a vintage Stratoliner...). Asked some advice of the fellow Loungers in that thread. Learned about being "sniped" by some fellow loungers. Here's how I now go about the ebay thing:

I, like many of you, am relatively busy. Can't be bothered to really closely follow the auctions. And I'm not really interested in "sniping." If I want something, I want it. If I'm just kinda interested... well, I may place a lowball bid "just to see." Otherwise, I just put it into my watch list. When the item gets under a day, I look at the price- if reasonable, I bid. I no longer waste my time with a "look-see" bid. I bid the maximum price that I am willing to pay for the item. If I win, great. If someone out there wants the item more than I do, so be it. Capitalism at its best.

The few times that I have been really burned, it has been because I caught "auction fever" and left my better judgement behind. And the times I have really "scored" have been because I remained calm, bid my price, and FORGOT TO LOOK again until the bidding was over! I guess, if I didn't have anything better to do, I could spend my time sniping. But I'd rather coach soccer...

FWIW.

RC

 

[scotrace]

One auction, one bid. With as little time left as possible.

Why would I want to give my opponent the opportunity to outbid me or drive up the price at the last second?

Hey! Photobyalan! Nice to see you around.

It is bad practice to bid a small amount, and when (of course) immediately outbid, put in another small amount, then (of course!) outbid, repeat... Ebay's proxy bidding (leaving all sniping out of it) makes this a really pointless waste of time. Bid what you would pay, and go get a sandwich.

 

[Feraud]

I wonder how much early bidding really drives up an auction? Is it the early bidders who drive it up or the people who follow with their "must have at all cost" attitude?
If everyone uses an auction sniping programs there is still a mad scramble at the last seconds for the auction. The only difference is the bidders are using computers to add their bids.
It kind of takes the steam out of the auction experience, doesn't it?

 

[jamespowers]

It kind of takes the steam out of the auction experience, doesn't it?

Nope. Not for me.

Regards,

J

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

I like the serendipity approach to ebay.

For lack of a better description.
It's those rare times when you're just browsing at leisure for nothing in particular, and then you stumble upon something cool at the final minutes of the auction, that no one else has bid on.

 

[photobyalan]

Hey! Photobyalan! Nice to see you around.

Thanks, Scotrace. It's nice to be seen!

I've been lurking, mostly, with an occasional post here and there. Too many different things competing for my attention lately. I'm sure you know how it goes.

This is where I come when I need a dose of civilization.

 

[Pilgrim]

The only practical way to bid on Ebay is to wait until the end. Bidding early only runs up the price, because some idiot will start bidding in one or five dollar increments and step the price up until they either exceed the existing bid, or cost the existing high bidder an extra 20 or 30 bucks.

When I'm a seller, I enjoy this exercise. When I'm a competing buyer, I hate it. Depends on your viewpoint, dunnit?

I generally only bid in the last 30 seconds or less, which also lets me see how the price is running up. I might try a trial balloon bid about one minute before the auction ends to see whether I'm in the ballpark.

When I'm really serious, I snipe very late in the auction.

BayGenie Free Edition is a good free sniper, but you have to set up the snipe and leave your computer running and connected to the Internet. I have also used AuctionSniper (not free) because it doesn't require me to keep my computer connected to the Internet for the snipe to happen.

 

[cookie]

The only practical way to bid on Ebay is to wait until the end. Bidding early only runs up the price, because some idiot will start bidding in one or five dollar increments and step the price up until they either exceed the existing bid, or cost the existing high bidder an extra 20 or 30 bucks.

When I'm a seller, I enjoy this exercise. When I'm a competing buyer, I hate it. Depends on your viewpoint, dunnit?

I generally only bid in the last 30 seconds or less, which also lets me see how the price is running up. I might try a trial balloon bid about one minute before the auction ends to see whether I'm in the ballpark.

When I'm really serious, I snipe very late in the auction.

BayGenie Free Edition is a good free sniper, but you have to set up the snipe and leave your computer running and connected to the Internet. I have also used AuctionSniper (not free) because it doesn't require me to keep my computer connected to the Internet for the snipe to happen.

Thanks for the tip. I like to snipe late and sometimes wonder why I bid early -boredom maybe?

I find it confusing when you appear to be the only bidder and then when you check later you suddenly find all these bids that were made before yours or after and never appeared on the screen. Bizarre. Then there are the bids that win that you have never seen until close of the auction. I even got some letter from eBay where some guys sued them in CAL and they settled out of court (for USD2million to charity and the guys legal expenses) over allegedly artificially enhacing the bids increments by some arcane method.

 

[Barry]

The first time I used e-bay was back in either 1998 or 1999. I remember my first purchase - it was two Cisco routers and some cables. I never used it until five years later.

After losing a few times I learned about Powersnipe. I just set it to the amount I feel I can afford to spend and leave it at that.

Barry

 

[ideaguy]

I try to use esnipe exclusively. I'll still watch an auction, off and on, over the duration-if it's a long auction and I've placed my bid very early,I've found it does
pay to check the wind before the last minute-there may be changes of heart/mind if the price suddenly takes off, but I'll try and stick to the original plan. Sometimes you get recognized while bidding if you bid openly, and that's
not usually a good thing... I really do miss the "real auctions" i.e. antiques houses, etc., where there's a genuine feel in the room, a crackle in the air, and the true drama of "who IS that guy??" after Mr. Disheveled forks over lotsa loot
for some obscure piece. Just not the same-but what is?[huh]

 

[Flying Scotsman]

I try to use esnipe exclusively. I'll still watch an auction, off and on, over the duration-if it's a long auction and I've placed my bid very early,I've found it does
pay to check the wind before the last minute-there may be changes of heart/mind if the price suddenly takes off, but I'll try and stick to the original plan. Sometimes you get recognized while bidding if you bid openly, and that's
not usually a good thing... I really do miss the "real auctions" i.e. antiques houses, etc., where there's a genuine feel in the room, a crackle in the air, and the true drama of "who IS that guy??" after Mr. Disheveled forks over lotsa loot
for some obscure piece. Just not the same-but what is?[huh]

That's another reason for sniping...so as not to create a market for a piece. If a bidder is a well-known expert/collector of certain things, then their very interest in a piece signals that it's valuable, and others will bid higher due to that fact. Sniping prevents this from happening.

The non-on-line example is a live auction, and a recognized expert in the room starts bidding on something...the price will go much higher just because the expert has "authenticated" the item.

 

[Lee Lynch]

I tend to simply put the maximum I would pay, and leave it at that. I have a competitive spirit in other ways, but no auction or gambling fever here. I live in a big city with a some resources, so no one item snags me in that way.