Topic: To Snipe or Not to Snipe?

[cmorgan47]

Nope. My expectations were pretty low in those days!

good, seems to have actuallized you fairly well as far as getting material possessions goes.  the world would probably benefit from more folks with that attitude.  next step towards total self-actuallization:  realize many people are not as far along as yourself, and therefore get upset when things didn't work out the way they thought they might.

cheers.

[nickjtc]

realize many people are not as far along as yourself, and therefore get upset when things didn't work out the way they thought they might.

Absolutely! Otherwise we would not be on page 4 of this thread.

[jalfonso]

I wait until the closing minute and put in what I'm willing to pay.  I don't know if that's call sniping but if I don't win, I just don't win. 

[nickjtc]

I wait until the closing minute and put in what I'm willing to pay.  I don't know if that's call sniping but if I don't win, I just don't win. 

I guess it's only sniping if you do that and win.

[Gordon]

I have no problem at all with somebody being disappointed that they didn't win an auction.  Hell, I'm disappointed every time I don't win.  What bothers me is when someone is disappointed and then starts trying to blame anybody or anything else but themselves. 

Bid so much that it hurts a little to think of paying that much for that item.  Chances are you won't end up paying that price anyway, and if somebody outbids you, they were stupid for paying that much.  That's how I figure out my maximum bid.  If you would have bid more if given a chance, it wasn't your maximum bid.       

[Roach Carver]

got sniped last night for a set of konis, BUT I knew I probably would. I bid what I was willing to pay and someone else wanted them  more than I did aparently.

[Ratfink]

I wait until the last hour to bid so as not to drive the prices up...If I start competing with somebody on the first day of a seven day auction Ill be outta my price range in hours.

[nickjtc]

I wait until the last hour to bid so as not to drive the prices up...If I start competing with somebody on the first day of a seven day auction Ill be outta my price range in hours.

Bidding early just shows everyone who is interested at an early point in the auction. Personally I think it makes the process more interesting. I can't see how it would make any difference to the value of bidding because if everyone is only going to bid to their personal maximum it just means that they will fall by the wayside earlier.

[Terry in Australia]

I wait until the last hour to bid so as not to drive the prices up...If I start competing with somebody on the first day of a seven day auction Ill be outta my price range in hours.

Bidding early just shows everyone who is interested at an early point in the auction. Personally I think it makes the process more interesting. I can't see how it would make any difference to the value of bidding because if everyone is only going to bid to their personal maximum it just means that they will fall by the wayside earlier.

And also, by bidding early, it gives the seller some confidence that he'll make what he wants out of it, and hopefully he won't cancel the auction. (which is difficult if there are bids) Cheers, Terry.

[nickjtc]

And also, by bidding early, it gives the seller some confidence that he'll make what he wants out of it, and hopefully he won't cancel the auction. (which is difficult if there are bids) Cheers, Terry.

Here, here.

[Roach Carver]

I almost always will put a small bid on something if there are no bids just to keep the seller form cancelling the auction.

[Ratfink]

I personally have never seen an auction cancelled nor have I cancelled one because of no bids (in my limited ebaying over the last six years). That seems lame to me. 

" it gives the seller some confidence that he'll make what he wants out of it...."   

Thats what reserves are for!

I watch auctions to show my interest.

[Terry in Australia]

I personally have never seen an auction cancelled nor have I cancelled one because of no bids (in my limited ebaying over the last six years). That seems lame to me. 

" it gives the seller some confidence that he'll make what he wants out of it...."   

Thats what reserves are for!

I watch auctions to show my interest.

Lucky you, I reckon over the 7 years I've been registered with Ebay and the 500-odd transactions I've had, maybe 20 or so I've either watched or bid on have been cancelled because "the item is no longer available"? Lame for sure Ratty, but a fact of life, just the same.

I'd like to see how many reserve auctions actually end with the item sold though, the smart way is to have a "start price" close to what you'd hope to get for the item, that way the bidders know at a glance where to begin, rather than chipping away at an unknown reserve. Some reserves are reasonable, but many aren't. Cheers, Terry.      

[scunny]

I quickly lose interest in auctions that start at $1 only to find they want $100'000'000. exageration but you know what I mean

[Raul CB750K1]

Well, in my 4-year experience with eBay I have had almost everything, like most of you.

I've tried many strategies but I will tell you the one that works best, though you will be disappointed: I bid to my maximum as soon as I see the item I'm interested in, or if the item is commonplace I wait until the last two days just in case a better or cheaper one pops up.

I've discovered that last-minute bidders will bid above their own maximum just to win the auction, because having waited for seven days and giving up in the last minute is some kind of defeat. If I'm genuinely interested I bid to my maximum, and let less-interested bidders to bid and be outbid by my bid three or four times. Sure, they are jacking up my price, but when you are outbid four times and you don't know how much is the other buyer's maximum bid, you just forget about it and search a new one. If the price gets reasonably high two or three days before the auction ends, it discourages snipers because there is no chance to get a bargain, and you are always in time to pay a fair price for an article. I won't loose any sleep -literally- to win any item, just bid to my maximum.

A month ago I forgot to bid in a book that sold for about 15 bucks, when it has been being sold for 50 bucks. The next one that appeared sold for $52 -I withdrew at 32-, but yesterday night I won one for 26 bucks. Fair enough, it just takes time. The difference? The first time I waited till the last hours and couldn't make it home on time, last night I put my bid with days in advance, but I can tell you that my maximum bid was just 50 cents above the winning price. One bid more and I would have been outbid. No problem, I'm always in time to pay a ridiculous price, but I will just put a reasonable bid.


Raul

[nickjtc]

Well, in my 4-year experience with eBay I have had almost everything, like most of you.

I've tried many strategies but I will tell you the one that works best, though you will be disappointed: I bid to my maximum as soon as I see the item I'm interested in, or if the item is commonplace I wait until the last two days just in case a better or cheaper one pops up.

I've discovered that last-minute bidders will bid above their own maximum just to win the auction, because having waited for seven days and giving up in the last minute is some kind of defeat. If I'm genuinely interested I bid to my maximum, and let less-interested bidders to bid and be outbid by my bid three or four times. Sure, they are jacking up my price, but when you are outbid four times and you don't know how much is the other buyer's maximum bid, you just forget about it and search a new one. If the price gets reasonably high two or three days before the auction ends, it discourages snipers because there is no chance to get a bargain, and you are always in time to pay a fair price for an article. I won't loose any sleep -literally- to win any item, just bid to my maximum.

A month ago I forgot to bid in a book that sold for about 15 bucks, when it has been being sold for 50 bucks. The next one that appeared sold for $52 -I withdrew at 32-, but yesterday night I won one for 26 bucks. Fair enough, it just takes time. The difference? The first time I waited till the last hours and couldn't make it home on time, last night I put my bid with days in advance, but I can tell you that my maximum bid was just 50 cents above the winning price. One bid more and I would have been outbid. No problem, I'm always in time to pay a ridiculous price, but I will just put a reasonable bid.
Raul

My philosophy too. I'll put in my highest bid on the last day of the auction. If I get sniped, well, c'est la vie.

[flatblack]

My name is flatblack and I'm a sniper...

[This is where *you* say, in unison, "Welcome, flatblack..."]

There are two kinds of items on eBay: Stuff I must have and stuff I'd like to have.

With the latter, I set up a snipe at what I want to pay and then forget about it. If I win, great. If not, there will be another opportunity.

With the former, I'll either Buy It Now, if available, or set up the snipe to what I can afford (which is much different from what I want to pay). Whatever the item is, there will be another one if I lose. It's often a matter of *when* I need it.

fb

[seaweb11]

I started this thread a while back and "having to much time on my hands today " just re-read the whole thing from start to finish.
It was very interesting watching it unfold in one read

I did the stats to date, since I didn't start with a poll.
37 True responses
  86%  32- Sniping is fine or "don't you just get it to bid high to start" (Same thing)
  14%    5- Note very happy with Snipers

There were a couple in there who thought both yes and no worked for them
There were also a couple of members "you know who you are" who had a great chat throughout

Sorry, but by my 78K750 runs so well, I have nothing to work on in the garage

[nickjtc]

Sorry, but by my 78K750 runs so well, I have nothing to work on in the garage

You don't have to apologise for 'chatting' on this forum!

[mennedy]

Okay, so I've read the thread from beginning to end. I've bought 5 things on ebay and when I decide to put my bid in, ebay asks me what my maximum bid is and it will automatically bid for me to that level.

I love car auctions too. They are a completely different animal but, similarly, I decide how much I will pay, which is not necessarily the probable value, and I drop out after that and spectate the outcome.

If you didn't get it, you didn't see enough value in the item to bid higher. Someone else did and whether you want to label them or not they paid more based on their imputed value and won. It is nothing personal.

The "system" is available to everyone so you really can't fault someone for utilizing a bidding strategy that is to their advantage in an auction: that includes whether to bid early or later. 

[toycollector10]

Whenever I list an item I start with a low price. Bidders buy into the auction, some start to own the item in their heads even before the auction is anywhere near closure.

Then two or three might all own the item already, in their heads. The auction starts to close, they panic, "but I own that thing, who is this bastard making me pay more for it!!"  A pissing contest ensues. Great for me. Sad for them.

Never show your hand when buying until the last three seconds. I have had people bidding an item up to way past my reserve when there are days to run to end. The fools.

Google "online bidding strategy". Read and learn.

I always use a sniper on a must have item. Realise that it is eBay, no matter how rare or desirable an item may be there will be another one comming along soon.

Good luck with your bidding boys.....

[cmorgan47]

Whenever I list an item I start with a low price. Bidders buy into the auction, some start to own the item in their heads even before the auction is anywhere near closure.

that's another reason i wait untill at least the last day--and as i've said before, i snipe--to bid.  there's something about entering a bid that makes you think about the item more.  i don't get into the bidding wars that you're talking about, and don't get too bummed if i loose out, but you start thinking about the item.

when i was younger and worked retail, they described a similar effect.  they would train you to try to sell the accessories/extended warranty* before you got to the register, while you were still next to the item, cause when people get to the register and pull out their wallet, they're mentally done shopping.  they have an amount in their heads and it's pretty hard to get them to change it.

*this would be the reason i got out of retail.