Safety Valve wrote: secondhandmodeler wrote: csmith9474 wrote: secondhandmodeler wrote:My only experiences with ebay were frustrating to say the least. The two times I found items I liked I put in a bid. Immediately after my bid there was another bid. I'm talking seconds later. I know that somebody could have been watching this item, but there were zero bids before my first bid. It happened with one item, then a second item. After that, I havn't bid again. Is there a way for people set their account up to automatically counter-bid? The eBay software automatically outbid you with the proxy system. The bidder previous to you just had a higher max bid than the bid you put in.Thanks for the point of clarification. I was wondering why that was happening. Maybe I'll try again some time.Any time I buy something I open a seperate browser window with the my absolute max bid price (Around MSRP or so minus shipping) and hit the submit button when the system clock reaches 1-2 seconds before end of auction. Sniping in this manner with a fast DSL I know that dailups cannot continue within 20 second from auction end and slower DSL's about 6-12 seconds. Sniping auto programs need 3 to reload data and resend the new bid.IF I win great! If I dont, some one spent too much money. That fat lady is going to sing at the exact time the end of the auction and that is all it matters... the last few seconds. Everything else is just a run-up (Or foreplay if you please) to the main event.What gets me is that both of my Hobby Shops have supplied me very well indeed these last few years.
secondhandmodeler wrote: csmith9474 wrote: secondhandmodeler wrote:My only experiences with ebay were frustrating to say the least. The two times I found items I liked I put in a bid. Immediately after my bid there was another bid. I'm talking seconds later. I know that somebody could have been watching this item, but there were zero bids before my first bid. It happened with one item, then a second item. After that, I havn't bid again. Is there a way for people set their account up to automatically counter-bid? The eBay software automatically outbid you with the proxy system. The bidder previous to you just had a higher max bid than the bid you put in.Thanks for the point of clarification. I was wondering why that was happening. Maybe I'll try again some time.
csmith9474 wrote: secondhandmodeler wrote:My only experiences with ebay were frustrating to say the least. The two times I found items I liked I put in a bid. Immediately after my bid there was another bid. I'm talking seconds later. I know that somebody could have been watching this item, but there were zero bids before my first bid. It happened with one item, then a second item. After that, I havn't bid again. Is there a way for people set their account up to automatically counter-bid? The eBay software automatically outbid you with the proxy system. The bidder previous to you just had a higher max bid than the bid you put in.
secondhandmodeler wrote:My only experiences with ebay were frustrating to say the least. The two times I found items I liked I put in a bid. Immediately after my bid there was another bid. I'm talking seconds later. I know that somebody could have been watching this item, but there were zero bids before my first bid. It happened with one item, then a second item. After that, I havn't bid again. Is there a way for people set their account up to automatically counter-bid?
The eBay software automatically outbid you with the proxy system. The bidder previous to you just had a higher max bid than the bid you put in.
Thanks for the point of clarification. I was wondering why that was happening. Maybe I'll try again some time.
Any time I buy something I open a seperate browser window with the my absolute max bid price (Around MSRP or so minus shipping) and hit the submit button when the system clock reaches 1-2 seconds before end of auction. Sniping in this manner with a fast DSL I know that dailups cannot continue within 20 second from auction end and slower DSL's about 6-12 seconds. Sniping auto programs need 3 to reload data and resend the new bid.
IF I win great! If I dont, some one spent too much money. That fat lady is going to sing at the exact time the end of the auction and that is all it matters... the last few seconds. Everything else is just a run-up (Or foreplay if you please) to the main event.
What gets me is that both of my Hobby Shops have supplied me very well indeed these last few years.
I recall I won an item and I couldnt be present at bidding end to snipe. Some DID try to snipe off at the last second but my bid was still higher. The snipe might not always work. I think the sniper's efforts are to try to get the best price and still beat the other bidder (maybe another sniper) at bid end.
Bigfoot tripped over and unplugged the Ethernet cable and we missed it. (They don't call him "Bigfoot" for nothing!) This will not look good when we have to make our report to the Trilateral Commission in the secret bunker under the UN.
***Bigfoot really isn't clumsy, he only caught that cord because a Chupacabra bit his ankle at the exact moment he was stepping over it. Oh, gotta go answer the wall, the Shadow People have arrived. Rob
stokesda wrote: Just to get back on topic, I do find it interesting that there were something like 60 bids up to the point where it was just under the reserve price. Then nothing happened for a long time. Somebody finally broke the reserve a couple of hours before closing, but there were only 61 total bids at that point, IIRC. The winning bid is only #62. So I do suspect there may have been some shilling going on. Can't prove it, of course, but it just looks suspicious.
Just to get back on topic, I do find it interesting that there were something like 60 bids up to the point where it was just under the reserve price. Then nothing happened for a long time. Somebody finally broke the reserve a couple of hours before closing, but there were only 61 total bids at that point, IIRC. The winning bid is only #62. So I do suspect there may have been some shilling going on. Can't prove it, of course, but it just looks suspicious.
You don't recall correctly. The conspiracy theorists never give up. The reserve was broken 2 days before the closing (Jul-17-07 18:03:43 PDT, closing Jul-19-07 20:42:37 PDT). This happened after the seller announced what the reserve amount was, probably becasue bidding had cooled off after people had nibbled away for a while trying to determine where the reserve was set.
What nobody will know is that Elvis and Jimmy Hoffa were arguing over who was supposed to put in the last shill bid five minutes before closing, and while Dick Cheney was yelling at them to pipe down, Bigfoot tripped over and unplugged the Ethernet cable and we missed it. (They don't call him "Bigfoot" for nothing!) This will not look good when we have to make our report to the Trilateral Commission in the secret bunker under the UN.
You HO guys are either going to see an endless parade of Tyco items up for auction on eBay, or someone's going to show up at a train show with several tables of stuff to try to sell.
And no, we at the 'Trilateral Commission Gang' didn't win this auction. Stupid Elvis was too busy looking for more snacks to attempt a snipe!
Just wait a week or two, you'll be able to bid on it again with a starting bid of $4000.
Or maybe you'll see them in 20-car sets, shipped in empty lionel boxes.
Mark R. wrote: tatans wrote: .... bid $50.00 and I guarantee you will get it ....Finally, some kind of guarantee !!! So, the next time I bid $50 on that $100 engine and DON'T get it, I should contact you for your guarantee ??? Would you please forward me a hard-copy of that in advance ??? Do you also cover shipping ??? Mark.
tatans wrote: .... bid $50.00 and I guarantee you will get it ....
.... bid $50.00 and I guarantee you will get it ....
Finally, some kind of guarantee !!! So, the next time I bid $50 on that $100 engine and DON'T get it, I should contact you for your guarantee ??? Would you please forward me a hard-copy of that in advance ???
Do you also cover shipping ???
Mark.
Yes, sniping is perfectly legal, and is how auctions work. My point earlier was that I never saw a benefit to sniping until I read the article about shill bidding. Now I see that if you bid your max early, it gives someone time to slowly chip away at your max. If you wait as late as possible, they don't have time to do that, so you are more likely to win it for less than your max bid - not guaranteed to get it for less. Not even guaranteed to get it in the first place. Other people could be sniping the same auction and you can still lose because they bid more than you. But bidding later it increases your chances of getting a better price, because people don't have a chance to chip away at your max over time.
Dan Stokes
My other car is a tunnel motor
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
Sniping, isn't this how auctions work??? I'm surprised that most people who want something bad enough on ebay can't figure out how it works, if you see something you want, and it costs $100 new, don't bid 35 cents, you will not win, bid $50.00 and I guarantee you will get it, probably for $25.00 or less, meanwhile all the other cheapskate, skinflint buyers are still bidding another 10 cents, do they think they can really get a $500 or $1000 item for $2.00??? what are they smoking??????? I love the guy who bids $5.00 on a $1500.00 brass locomotive and is surprised he didn't win.
_________________________________________________________________
The Lionel collectors paid $5100 dollars for a single cardboard box, so that makes this auction a bargain.
Nelson
Ex-Southern 385 Being Hoisted
Dave
Just be glad you don't have to press "2" for English.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ_ALEdDUB8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hqFS1GZL4s
http://s73.photobucket.com/user/steemtrayn/media/MovingcoalontheDCM.mp4.html?sort=3&o=27
vsmith wrote: Ive seen new items, that I could go online and purchase NIB, go for 20% 30% even 50% higher than retail! Why? because 2 idiots got into a bidding war. A fool and his money... I alway price based on experience and a good understanding of what its real value is. i miss it, another will be offered soon enough, sometimes its the very same item!
I alway price based on experience and a good understanding of what its real value is. i miss it, another will be offered soon enough, sometimes its the very same item!
That, and I've got better things to do. I put in the bid. If I get it, Great! If not, Oh well!
I've been sniped several times on ebay, do I mind? Yes and no.
Yes in that I would have liked to have won.
and No, when I put in my max bid, thats my MAX bid, and I wont bid a penny higher. Ive seen new items, that I could go online and purchase NIB, go for 20% 30% even 50% higher than retail! Why? because 2 idiots got into a bidding war. A fool and his money...
Have fun with your trains
MAbruce wrote: alco_fan wrote: IRONROOSTER wrote: Ahhhhh, so that's what all the secret meetings in the VP's office were all about. Yeah, it's cool when we meet there, but Elvis always hogs all the snack cakes ... and then his fingers are all sticky when he uses the Veep's secure computer to enter the shill bids.Yeah, and Elvis always took all the good ones! I liked it better when we used to meet at the Enron CEO offices. The appetizers were better and we ended up with more because Elvis didn't like them much.Great, now that we're exposed I'll have to be on the look out for Michael Moore and his camera crew!
alco_fan wrote: IRONROOSTER wrote: Ahhhhh, so that's what all the secret meetings in the VP's office were all about. Yeah, it's cool when we meet there, but Elvis always hogs all the snack cakes ... and then his fingers are all sticky when he uses the Veep's secure computer to enter the shill bids.
IRONROOSTER wrote: Ahhhhh, so that's what all the secret meetings in the VP's office were all about.
Ahhhhh, so that's what all the secret meetings in the VP's office were all about.
Yeah, it's cool when we meet there, but Elvis always hogs all the snack cakes ... and then his fingers are all sticky when he uses the Veep's secure computer to enter the shill bids.
Yeah, and Elvis always took all the good ones! I liked it better when we used to meet at the Enron CEO offices. The appetizers were better and we ended up with more because Elvis didn't like them much.
Great, now that we're exposed I'll have to be on the look out for Michael Moore and his camera crew!
Yep, the movie will be called Con Rail.
[I am one of those ''bad and mean'' snipers......if I can, I will wait till the last few seconds and try to slide in a bid for a few cents or a few dollars more than the high bid....]
***I call that "smart bidding". Sometimes I pray for someone to come along at the last second and outbid me because of "pre-buyers remorse".
Rob
I am one of those ''bad and mean'' snipers......if I can, I will wait till the last few seconds and try to slide in a bid for a few cents or a few dollars more than the high bid.....is this wrong? of course not!! thats how auctions work, same thing happens with real auctions....you know, going once, going twice....goin....oh wait I have another bid.....I know some people get mad when that happens, but thats the world of auctions.
The only problem with what you are saying is this... at a live auction, the bidding isn't closed IF there is a last-second bid. If after "going twice..." you enter a higher bid, the auctioneer will start the final process again.
It does appear that there is something unusual about this auction... I can't see that kind of value in the collection especially since so much of it appears to be just stacked in boxes. As someone pointed out, there will no doubt be a lot of broken stirrups, missing wheels, etc.
Having said that, I wonder how many AHM iron ore cars there are in there??!? : )
dlm
alco_fan wrote: Yep, you caught us. Me and MABruce and Elvis and Jimmy Hoffa and Dick Cheney. We're all manipulating this auction as part of the Trilateral Commission's plan for world domination through bogus eBay auctions.
Yep, you caught us. Me and MABruce and Elvis and Jimmy Hoffa and Dick Cheney. We're all manipulating this auction as part of the Trilateral Commission's plan for world domination through bogus eBay auctions.
Elvis lives down my street. HA caught you in another lie! YES!
Mr. Evil is the only one I know working towards world domination. HA! Yet another lie!
I've always had good luck with EBAY, i've gotten excellent deals and made a few friends in the process.
I'm also a very cautious buyer.....I read feedback, I look at the ENTIRE description and I won't buy from anyone with lower than 97% positive feedback, and they must have at least 300 sales to go with that 97%, if they have 10 sales and 97%? NO WAY!!, I always check retail prices when bidding on new stuff and I look at the condition and estimated age of used stuff....I won't pay more than 75-80% of retail for new stuff,and the shipping has to be reasonable.....I've seen people[several lately as a matter of fact], buy stuff for 20-40% over retail w\o the shipping included!! thats just plain dumb! When buying used equipment.....it's all up to the buyer to decide if the asking price is worth it, I pass up used odds-n-ends all the time because the price is way too high or the shipping is outrageous.
Sure there are people out there waiting to rip you off.....it happens all the time.....should that turn you against EBAY? no.
I think something is up with this particular auction because I've been on EBAY for a while and I've seen some shady deals, the sudden stop in bidding right below the reserve price and the private bidders list are two red flags for me......even if i had the money I wouln't get into this auction....but it is fun to watch.
I am a satisfied repeat eBay buyer, and will continue to use it again and again. Mostly what I get on eBay is MR related, though, and I think most of the time I'm buying from commercial sellers and not individuals, so I think there's less shady practices going on in my own little eBay microcosm. I've had one or two not-so-great experiences, but overall it's been pretty positive for me.
When I first started using eBay, I greatly despised snipers. I never saw the point - just put in your max bid up front, then walk away. I never saw a benefit to sniping at all, until I read the Forbes article that somebody posted on this thread. I now understand that if you post your max bid early, you are more susceptible to getting bilked by the seller via shill bidding. Recently, I've been trying to bid as late as possible (within the last hour or so) to discourage people chipping away at my max bid over time, but now I have a good reason for it as late as possible.
So my eBay buying philosophy is: bid once, bid your max, and bid as late as possible.
What I would like to see is how the hell the buyer is going to physicly collect all that stuff ???
I think sometimes buying or selling items on Ebay leaves one with a feeling of having dirt that needs to be washed off. Too many problems associated with these kinds of sales.
Im convinced that this particular auction is loaded with seller controlled bid accounts from multipule computers like at a library or something and that the seller is PLAYING US... the buyer with a illusion of a feverish bidding activity. The appearence of big money really pulls on the sucker who thinks that if collectors are willing to pay that much for trash, why, they ought to get in on it.
But getting close to the reserve bid and stopping just short in hopes of catching that one sucker bidder onto the fishhook is pretty smooth.
I think Ebay charges a fee on final winning bid. There is a certain percentage that a seller needs to pay based on that amount in addition to the orginal listing fees. I dont know what such a fee would be at 3700 dollars but I bet it's more than what the seller is willing to pay; especially once a reserve is seen to be met and the auction becomes part of ebay's billing system.
Remind me to stay away from auctions with private bids. I want to see other bidders and how they are bidding please. It is no different than 400 dealers bidding on the same car at the auction house.
If the owner is dead, the house slated to be demoed and the stuff in it junk and no one cares for it.. It is all free to the seller aint it? I dont recall anywhere that the seller BOUGHT this stuff.
Well, looks like it stands to have the reserve price met and the cost is now over 3740 for the thing at 60 bids on the floor. Someone is going to end up buying this stuff.