Quick Ebay Rant of The Day

[davekelly]

Isn't Frank the guy on the hot dog commercial?

[MAbruce]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 1shado1

Well, I don't know Frank well enough to tell him how to bid. [:D] My point was that many people don't place their maximum proxy bid when they place their first bid. Or even if they HAD intended to place their max proxy bid when first bidding, they often change their minds and bid higher once they see their max has been topped by others.

What do you mean you don't know Frank well enough?? [;)] I thought everyone knew Frank! [:p]

I think not placing your MAX bid the first time out, and then going back to up it after you have been out-bid is not a very effective way to use proxy bidding. I can see how people would lose self control under these circumstances.

QUOTE: For me, sniping actually takes less self control, for some reason. I spot an auction with 5 days left (or whatever), I immediately go to the website of my preferred sniper software, and place my max bid for sniping. I then completely put that particular auction out of my mind. The only way I ever know the outcome is when I'm notified by Ebay that I've won. Back when I used to proxy bid, before the sniping concept became widespread, I had a tendency to keep revisiting the particular auction page, upping my bids and losing self control. But this is just me. I can understand how lack of self control can be triggered by sniping, too.[:D]

Jeff

I can see how you can use these sniping programs in the same way as proxy bidding. They both allow you to set your MAX price and walk away. I'd just prefer to be the first guy to put my MAX price in place and let it play out.

Oh, just as a note, in a real live auction there is no such thing as sniping. Everyone is given the same chance to bid the highest before the auction is closed (going once...going twice...SOLD to the guy in the funny engineers cap...). [:D]

[1shado1]

QUOTE: Originally posted by MAbruce

QUOTE: Originally posted by 1shado1

I understand. You're looking for clarification of my point. I fully realize how proxy bidding works. You are correct that any proxy bid will defeat any sniping bid of the same maximum amount, due to the fact that the proxy bid was placed earlier (obviously) than the sniping bid. Lets say that an item has an opening price of $6.00. "Frank" places a proxy bid of $9.00. But because no one else has bid yet, his bid is shown as $6.00 (even though his high bid is actually $9.00 if needed). Let's say that I'm willing to pay $10.00 for the same item. So I enter $10.00 immediately, making me the high bidder ME at $9.50 (or whatever the increase increment is). Frank sees that I have outbid him. He now bids higher than my max bid in order to be high bidder again. If I hadn't bid immediately with my $10.00 to become high bidder, Frank wouldn't have had to bid higher to overcome my visible bid. He may have become confident that his current $6.00 would be enough to win, and if not, he still has $3.00 that will be proxy bid in reserve. In this scenario, I snipe at the last second and win the item for $9.50. In the original scenario, I would have been required to spend more ca***o get the item. I realize that this is a simplified scenario only involving 2 bidders. All things being equal, you will win more items, and at a lower price by sniping. I hope this makes sense.[:D]

Jeff

Your explanation makes sense, but you have Frank bidding incorrectly. If I were Frank, and didn't want to pay over $10 for the item, then I would have set my MAX bid at $10 (not $9) and walk away. Only those snipers that wanted to pay more than $10 would win. Frank would lose the auction only because someone wanted to pay more than he was willing to.

Frank can then wait for another of the same item to come up for auction (which usually happens) and try again. If he is consistently getting outbid at $10, then Frank either has to give up or reconsider his notion of winning at $10.

Of course this strategy is more risky for those rare items that don't come up often. Then you have to really know your prices and set your MAX bid carefully. Or snipe.[:D][;)]

To me sniping takes far more self control. The temptation to snipe at a higher price than you would have before you looked at the auction is too much.

Well, I don't know Frank well enough to tell him how to bid. [:D] My point was that many people don't place their maximum proxy bid when they place their first bid. Or even if they HAD intended to place their max proxy bid when first bidding, they often change their minds and bid higher once they see their max has been topped by others.

For me, sniping actually takes less self control, for some reason. I spot an auction with 5 days left (or whatever), I immediately go to the website of my preferred sniper software, and place my max bid for sniping. I then completely put that particular auction out of my mind. The only way I ever know the outcome is when I'm notified by Ebay that I've won. Back when I used to proxy bid, before the sniping concept became widespread, I had a tendency to keep revisiting the particular auction page, upping my bids and losing self control. I would also bid too much when manually sniping (automatic sniping cured me of this). But this is just me. I can understand how lack of self control can be triggered by sniping, too.[:D]

Jeff

[csmith9474]

If there is an item that I want I will snipe with a rediculously high bid. You possibly at the mercy of a sniper that gets a bid in after you, but you are gonna get what you want. With a lot of the stuff that I buy, it is not so much the cost of the item but the value of the item to me. Like that Hallmark Hi Level lounge that I missed out on (forgot about) a couple of weeks ago. It went for just over $200. I would have laid out a snipe with my max at
$500. I do understand that highly sought after OOP stuff is a different story than trying to get a good deal on that BLI "J".

[MAbruce]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 1shado1

I understand. You're looking for clarification of my point. I fully realize how proxy bidding works. You are correct that any proxy bid will defeat any sniping bid of the same maximum amount, due to the fact that the proxy bid was placed earlier (obviously) than the sniping bid. Lets say that an item has an opening price of $6.00. "Frank" places a proxy bid of $9.00. But because no one else has bid yet, his bid is shown as $6.00 (even though his high bid is actually $9.00 if needed). Let's say that I'm willing to pay $10.00 for the same item. So I enter $10.00 immediately, making me the high bidder ME at $9.50 (or whatever the increase increment is). Frank sees that I have outbid him. He now bids higher than my max bid in order to be high bidder again. If I hadn't bid immediately with my $10.00 to become high bidder, Frank wouldn't have had to bid higher to overcome my visible bid. He may have become confident that his current $6.00 would be enough to win, and if not, he still has $3.00 that will be proxy bid in reserve. In this scenario, I snipe at the last second and win the item for $9.50. In the original scenario, I would have been required to spend more ca***o get the item. I realize that this is a simplified scenario only involving 2 bidders. All things being equal, you will win more items, and at a lower price by sniping. I hope this makes sense.[:D]

Jeff

Your explanation makes sense, but you have Frank bidding incorrectly. If I were Frank, and didn't want to pay over $10 for the item, then I would have set my MAX bid at $10 (not $9) and walk away. Only those snipers that wanted to pay more than $10 would win. Frank would lose the auction only because someone wanted to pay more than he was willing to.

Frank can then wait for another of the same item to come up for auction (which usually happens) and try again. If he is consistently getting outbid at $10, then Frank either has to give up or reconsider his notion of winning at $10.

Of course this strategy is more risky for those rare items that don't come up often. Then you have to really know your prices and set your MAX bid carefully. Or snipe.[:D][;)]

To me sniping takes far more self control. The temptation to snipe at a higher price than you would have before you looked at the auction is too much.

[1shado1]

QUOTE: Originally posted by HighIron2003ar

And sniping is much easier to do when you are actually at the computer at 4 am in the morning when everyone else is asleep. (If the auction ends at that hour)

People who bid early only telegraphs interest and allows someone else to slowly bid up at 1 or two dollar incretments over time until that person's high bid is busted thru. Unfortunately that high bid is pretty close to MSRP with shipping.

Better to use sniping software than waiting up till 4 in the morning.[:D]

Your second paragraph states PERFECTLY what I've been trying to say, only much more succinctly than I have been able to. Bravo![tup]

Jeff

[1shado1]

QUOTE: Originally posted by MAbruce

QUOTE: Originally posted by 1shado1

QUOTE: Originally posted by MAbruce

QUOTE: Originally posted by 1shado1

It might be funny if you knew what you were talking about. Unfortunately, you don't. Let's suppose that an item has a current high bid of $8.00, with 3 days left until closing. Let's say the max that I'm willing to pay for the item is $10.00. If I bid my $10.00 with 3 days left, and am shown as high bidder at that $10.00 amount with 3 days left,...

I think you just went wrong on your example. At this point you might be shown as the high bidder at the next bid increment (maybe $8.50 if the other bidder didn't set their MAX bid higher - or didn't set it above $10 to begin with). If you are the highest bidder at the next increment, then your MAX bid is still hidden and ebay will proxy bid for you up to $10. If you don't want to pay over $10 for that item, and you lose the auction, then the winner paid more than you wanted to.

To me the point is not only to win the auction, but to win it and not pay more than you wanted to.

Yes, but it doesn't change the fact that by sniping instead of bidding early, you leave a lower "target" amount visible for others to bid against. This makes it easier to acquire items at a lower price.

Not sure what you mean by this. What is the difference between (in your terms) "leaving a lower target amount visible" and a low starting price? Both will likely get sniped. A proxy bid will deflect any sniping attempt under the MAX bid you set (and are willing to pay).

I’m not trying to flame you by asking this, but wondering if you understand how proxy bidding works?

I understand. You're looking for clarification of my point. I fully realize how proxy bidding works. You are correct that any proxy bid will defeat any sniping bid of the same maximum amount, due to the fact that the proxy bid was placed earlier (obviously) than the sniping bid. Lets say that an item has an opening price of $6.00. "Frank" places a proxy bid of $9.00. But because no one else has bid yet, his bid is shown as $6.00 (even though his high bid is actually $9.00 if needed). Let's say that I'm willing to pay $10.00 for the same item. So I enter $10.00 immediately, making me the high bidder ME at $9.50 (or whatever the increase increment is). Frank sees that I have outbid him. He now bids higher than my max bid in order to be high bidder again. If I hadn't bid immediately with my $10.00 to become high bidder, Frank wouldn't have had to bid higher to overcome my visible bid. He may have become confident that his current $6.00 would be enough to win, and if not, he still has $3.00 that will be proxy bid in reserve. In this scenario, I snipe at the last second and win the item for $9.50. In the original scenario, I would have been required to spend more ca***o get the item. I realize that this is a simplified scenario only involving 2 bidders. All things being equal, you will win more items, and at a lower price by sniping. I hope this makes sense.[:D]

Jeff

[MAbruce]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 1shado1

QUOTE: Originally posted by MAbruce

QUOTE: Originally posted by 1shado1

It might be funny if you knew what you were talking about. Unfortunately, you don't. Let's suppose that an item has a current high bid of $8.00, with 3 days left until closing. Let's say the max that I'm willing to pay for the item is $10.00. If I bid my $10.00 with 3 days left, and am shown as high bidder at that $10.00 amount with 3 days left,...

I think you just went wrong on your example. At this point you might be shown as the high bidder at the next bid increment (maybe $8.50 if the other bidder didn't set their MAX bid higher - or didn't set it above $10 to begin with). If you are the highest bidder at the next increment, then your MAX bid is still hidden and ebay will proxy bid for you up to $10. If you don't want to pay over $10 for that item, and you lose the auction, then the winner paid more than you wanted to.

To me the point is not only to win the auction, but to win it and not pay more than you wanted to.

Yes, but it doesn't change the fact that by sniping instead of bidding early, you leave a lower "target" amount visible for others to bid against. This makes it easier to acquire items at a lower price.

Not sure what you mean by this. What is the difference between (in your terms) "leaving a lower target amount visible" and a low starting price? Both will likely get sniped. A proxy bid will deflect any sniping attempt under the MAX bid you set (and are willing to pay).

I’m not trying to flame you by asking this, but wondering if you understand how proxy bidding works?

[Anonymous]

And sniping is much easier to do when you are actually at the computer at 4 am in the morning when everyone else is asleep. (If the auction ends at that hour)

People who bid early only telegraphs interest and allows someone else to slowly bid up at 1 or two dollar incretments over time until that person's high bid is busted thru. Unfortunately that high bid is pretty close to MSRP with shipping.

[1shado1]

QUOTE: Originally posted by modlerbob

MABruce is right. When you bid (no matter whether early or late) only the amount which is the minimum over the previous bidder's highest bid is shown to the world. Example;
an item is showing a current bid of $20.50, you are willing to pay $24.50 so you enter $24.50. The previous bidder had a high bid of $22.50 so if the increment is $0.50 your bid will show up at $23.00 keeping your $24.50 hidden until say someone else bids $24.00 in which case your bid will automatically raise to $24.50. What happens then depends on whether one of the other bidders decides he/she is willing to go higher in which case you will be outbid. If $24.50 is the true max you will pay then someone else will win the auction. I see sniping as good only for preventing a bidding war on a popular item that several bidders are trying to get at a bargain.

Bob DeWoody

MABruce is only semi-right. By sniping, you are not upping the current high bid visible to other bidders, which causes them to bid higher. Sniping obviously does not mean you will always win. But by sniping, you usually have a better chance of winning, usually at a lower price. Sniping always makes more sense than not sniping.

[1shado1]

QUOTE: Originally posted by MAbruce

QUOTE: Originally posted by 1shado1

It might be funny if you knew what you were talking about. Unfortunately, you don't. Let's suppose that an item has a current high bid of $8.00, with 3 days left until closing. Let's say the max that I'm willing to pay for the item is $10.00. If I bid my $10.00 with 3 days left, and am shown as high bidder at that $10.00 amount with 3 days left,...

I think you just went wrong on your example. At this point you might be shown as the high bidder at the next bid increment (maybe $8.50 if the other bidder didn't set their MAX bid higher - or didn't set it above $10 to begin with). If you are the highest bidder at the next increment, then your MAX bid is still hidden and ebay will proxy bid for you up to $10. If you don't want to pay over $10 for that item, and you lose the auction, then the winner paid more than you wanted to.

To me the point is not only to win the auction, but to win it and not pay more than you wanted to.

Yes, but it doesn't change the fact that by sniping instead of bidding early, you leave a lower "target" amount visible for others to bid against. This makes it easier to acquire items at a lower price.

[MAbruce]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 8500HPGASTURBINE

MAbruce,

I hope you knew I was joking. I still love ya fellow MRR. I love topics like this. man I'll bet JSHRADE never saw all this comming [:D]

And I promise to use more smilies [:D][:D][;)]

[trainboyH16-44]

QUOTE: Originally posted by tcwright973

Hi Trainboy,

I prefer to deal with my LHS, but sometimes they are limited in what they can do.

I prefer that too, but not for engines. I get them from a sort of dealer that sells them. I once saved up all my money ($250c)and went to my LHS to get an SD90MAC, and they were out, so I got a kitten instead. True story. I did eventually find out that this dealer sells locos, and he had an SD90 or 10 in stock (Still does 2 years later) so now I have 2 cats, and an SD90. Win/win,eh?
trainboy

[tcwright973]

Hi Trainboy,

It seems to me e-bay can be a useful resource. Especially if you can't find a particular item any where else. Not long ago, I won the bid for an Atlas "Buffalo & Pittsburgh" GP-38, new in the box. I can't tell you how many web sites I visited or e-mails I sent looking for this engine over a period of weeks and weeks. It just didn't seem to be available anywhere. I was willing to even go over retail when it showed up on e-bay, but it wasn't necessary. I prefer to deal with my LHS, but sometimes they are limited in what they can do.

[trainboyH16-44]

Is ebay really good? I've never been on it because of restrictions on this network, but will probably be getting internet at home soon. It's a good place to find old models? And how do the prices compare?
Trainboy

[csmith9474]

You may want to call the customer service number if you want to talk to a real person, but ultimately eBay will explain how the are "just a venue". eBay doesn't care as long as they get their listing fees.

[dgwinup]

QUOTE: Originally posted by modlerbob

....... I see sniping as good only for preventing a bidding war on a popular item that several bidders are trying to get at a bargain.

Bob DeWoody

A good point, Bob. Sniping may prevent a bidding war (how many bids can eBay handle in 2 seconds?).

The practice of sniping has another side benefit as I see it. It helps to keep ALL hobby pricing in line by not letting the bidding go high early in the auction. I had always wanted a UP Big Boy (N scale). I watched them sell on eBay for a long time and they were always over $200, frequently over $300, and a few that hit the $500-600 range! I patiently watched and eventually sniped a bid that was UNDER $200! (Including postage!) I have not seen another Big Boy go for that little in over a year! I am sure the seller would have preferred a higher bid, especially given the sales history of these things, but he was very nice about the transaction and we were both satisfied.

Just recently, there was a Santa Fe catwhisker A-B unit opening at $100. I placed a bid of $100.01 to open and had the high bid for the ENTIRE auction. It sold for $157+ in the last few seconds! I am amazed because there were other identical auctions with a Buy-It-Now price of $140! So even sniping isn't immune from the fanatics who care more about winning an auction than they care about what they are buying. Sort of a "more money than brains" proposition. LOL

I hate to see prices jump way out of line because it has a bad effect on the hobby in general. It also can influence manufacturers in their pricing. Why produce something to sell for $100 when buyers are willing to pay $150 for the same thing. If I were a manufacturer, I'd set my price at $150 and sell all I could make, *** the young hobbyist who can't afford it! "We don't need no stinkin' kids in OUR hobby!" (Dripping satire here, folks. Don't flame me for it!)

The end result of all our discussions is that everyone has an opinion on bidding on eBay, and no one can say that their method is best. It all goes down to what an individual prefers and what he or she is successful with. There will always be someone out there who is willing to pay more than you for an item. I just don't like to help them do it!

Darrell, bidding quietly...for now

[davekelly]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cnwfan11

For some who have read my first reply I thank you,though I disagree with what some say.A feedback to me doesnt mean a thing.Maybe there are other buyers who have bought items from this guy, got jipped,contacted the seller,and yet they have gotten NO response from him.These kits were bought freely by my fiancee out of her own free will,for my upcoming B-Day and Christmas,well so much for this happening.Though when you are forking out $51.00 for a kit,you ARE expecting that ALL the pieces are to be in it.I do NOT like being lied to when someone is saying that the items will be shipped out on the 6th of September,and instead are sent out on the 14th,via Priority Mail.(Somethings wrong here folks,why the long wait?)When the package arrived I checked ALL the kits to see if the pieces were there for the 6 that were bought,and the Day and Night Water Heater kit was the ONLY one that had missing pieces..........why?If someone says it was the cost of the kit...B.S.!!!! This seller made a false advertising statement about this kit,and yet he is "suppossedly" getting away with it, think again.Yes I will contact the legal people who handle mail-fraud and the like. I have already talked to my future father in law whom is a police officer,and I have a few contacts.We have contacted Ebay,and still there is no response from them regarding this matter.We were told by a on-line rep of Ebay that they are"under staffed and over worked due to alot of complaints and congestion from buyers." GEE I WONDER WHY?!!!! Myself,I am done with Ebay.I am stupid to be buying MR stuff on Ebay,when I could AND should be dealing with sellers at train shows,as well as my local hobbyshops, that ARE MORE HONEST and TRUSTWORTHY than this loser I dealt with.I attend 3 train shows here in Wisconsin.Trainfest in Milwaukee,The SCWD/NMRA Train Show in Madison,and the Titletown Train Show in Green Bay.With these vendors I get a better deal,as I know these vendors,yet when you want a certain item that is discontinued and hard to find,yes i'm sure Ebay and other auctions are handy ,though its the price and cost as well as wondering "if its all there"for the item.My only question is to the people reading this post,how would you feel if you had this same situation,and what would you do?Do you feel that this person should get away with "robbing" you of good money and parts of a kit that is worthless,and useless? Would any of you like me to sell you a MR item that doesn't work,or is missing pieces,and rob you of good hard worked for money?,or would you like to deal with someone who is going to tell you ALL that is wrong or missing from the item?The point of this is getting a good product for the price you pay for it.You wouldn't buy a new car and then find out alot of things dont work or are missing would you?

Maybe I missed something, but did you try contacting the seller and explaining the problem in a civil way? You know, like if you bought something from the LHS and found out something was amiss? I don't think you'd charge in his shop and call him a fraud. Sometimes mistakes happen. Given the feedback this seller has, it would appear to me that he/she/it would want to work something out. If you don't think that word of bad customer service gets around, do a search here on Hobby Circle (or was it Circle Hobby?). And I do think feedback has a purpose. If this seller was constantly ripping people off, I would assume that there would be more than a few negative feedbacks posted.

Could you perhaps post the URL for the listing in question? It should still be available on your fiance's account - either as awaiting feedback or as feedback left. It's hard to really get an opinion with only one side of the story.

I would be interested in learning what the DA's/civil attorneys opinion is on this one.

Again, I hope you can get this situation straightened out.

[sebamat]

sniping or not??

If it is an 'once in lifetime' ocasion you can try sniping , but do not forget that most probably you were not the only one to think like so, so better shoot high, because you do not have a 2. shot! I had a few times were snipers shot in my bid, but not high enought...
Today is sniping so common that it really came back to 'who is offering more'.
Only, until a few minutes before end the prices are unrealistically low, and you start dreaming that this is your lucky day.... and then get disappointed 2 minutes later.

For recurring items I just place my bid and wait and often enought win it.... but not always! It is some time I am looking for an ICRR 4-6-0 J.Casey engine and always offer 45$. Just everyone else in the world seems to think is is worth 65$... so who is the stupid, me or the others????

sebastiano

[oleirish]

I love it when people who do not know anything about model railroads, bid on E-BAY,they catch the bidding fever and go nuts[:D][}:)] If something sells for $79.99 retail I see the same item go for well over a hundred dollors or more.All a person has to do is check the item out in M.R.mag.[:)][2c]then place a bid"simple"
JIM

[Anonymous]

For some who have read my first reply I thank you,though I disagree with what some say.A feedback to me doesnt mean a thing.Maybe there are other buyers who have bought items from this guy, got jipped,contacted the seller,and yet they have gotten NO response from him.These kits were bought freely by my fiancee out of her own free will,for my upcoming B-Day and Christmas,well so much for this happening.Though when you are forking out $51.00 for a kit,you ARE expecting that ALL the pieces are to be in it.I do NOT like being lied to when someone is saying that the items will be shipped out on the 6th of September,and instead are sent out on the 14th,via Priority Mail.(Somethings wrong here folks,why the long wait?)When the package arrived I checked ALL the kits to see if the pieces were there for the 6 that were bought,and the Day and Night Water Heater kit was the ONLY one that had missing pieces..........why?If someone says it was the cost of the kit...B.S.!!!! This seller made a false advertising statement about this kit,and yet he is "suppossedly" getting away with it, think again.Yes I will contact the legal people who handle mail-fraud and the like. I have already talked to my future father in law whom is a police officer,and I have a few contacts.We have contacted Ebay,and still there is no response from them regarding this matter.We were told by a on-line rep of Ebay that they are"under staffed and over worked due to alot of complaints and congestion from buyers." GEE I WONDER WHY?!!!! Myself,I am done with Ebay.I am stupid to be buying MR stuff on Ebay,when I could AND should be dealing with sellers at train shows,as well as my local hobbyshops, that ARE MORE HONEST and TRUSTWORTHY than this loser I dealt with.I attend 3 train shows here in Wisconsin.Trainfest in Milwaukee,The SCWD/NMRA Train Show in Madison,and the Titletown Train Show in Green Bay.With these vendors I get a better deal,as I know these vendors,yet when you want a certain item that is discontinued and hard to find,yes i'm sure Ebay and other auctions are handy ,though its the price and cost as well as wondering "if its all there"for the item.My only question is to the people reading this post,how would you feel if you had this same situation,and what would you do?Do you feel that this person should get away with "robbing" you of good money and parts of a kit that is worthless,and useless? Would any of you like me to sell you a MR item that doesn't work,or is missing pieces,and rob you of good hard worked for money?,or would you like to deal with someone who is going to tell you ALL that is wrong or missing from the item?The point of this is getting a good product for the price you pay for it.You wouldn't buy a new car and then find out alot of things dont work or are missing would you?

[Anonymous]

MABruce is right. When you bid (no matter whether early or late) only the amount which is the minimum over the previous bidder's highest bid is shown to the world. Example;
an item is showing a current bid of $20.50, you are willing to pay $24.50 so you enter $24.50. The previous bidder had a high bid of $22.50 so if the increment is $0.50 your bid will show up at $23.00 keeping your $24.50 hidden until say someone else bids $24.00 in which case your bid will automatically raise to $24.50. What happens then depends on whether one of the other bidders decides he/she is willing to go higher in which case you will be outbid. If $24.50 is the true max you will pay then someone else will win the auction. I see sniping as good only for preventing a bidding war on a popular item that several bidders are trying to get at a bargain.

Bob DeWoody

[davekelly]

I'm pretty much of the opinion of use the bidding method that works for you. Some like sniping. Some like just entering the max they want to pay. I've won using both, I've lost using both (I have about 400 transactions). Some folks enjoy the "hunt" of sniping, some would rather just enter an amount and check back later to see if they won. Deciding on which method is a balancing act between probability of winning, price and convenience. If your having fun with it and getting what you want at a price that is reasonable (to you and you only) then that's the best way to play the ebay game.

Dave

[MAbruce]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 1shado1

It might be funny if you knew what you were talking about. Unfortunately, you don't. Let's suppose that an item has a current high bid of $8.00, with 3 days left until closing. Let's say the max that I'm willing to pay for the item is $10.00. If I bid my $10.00 with 3 days left, and am shown as high bidder at that $10.00 amount with 3 days left,...

I think you just went wrong on your example. At this point you might be shown as the high bidder at the next bid increment (maybe $8.50 if the other bidder didn't set their MAX bid higher - or didn't set it above $10 to begin with). If you are the highest bidder at the next increment, then your MAX bid is still hidden and ebay will proxy bid for you up to $10. If you don't want to pay over $10 for that item, and you lose the auction, then the winner paid more than you wanted to.

To me the point is not only to win the auction, but to win it and not pay more than you wanted to.

[MAbruce]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 8500HPGASTURBINE
So in other words a sniper will pay more for things or more then you are willing to pay at the local hobbie shop?? Why would someone pay more on Ebay then what they could get it for at the local hobbie shop? DUH!!

Sorry, but when did paying more than hobby shops come into this? I would not be bidding on something at a price that I could get cheaper at an on-line store or a LHS - assuming the item is still available at one. I've done some dumb things in my life, but I'm really not that stupid!

QUOTE: Patience and self control is the way you will get left behind. It's the cut throat kill attitude that gets most very wanted items. It sounds stupid but it's either kill or be killed on most things on Ebay. If I took the Lora Ingles attitude my shelves would be empty.

If that's the way you want to approach bidding on ebay - fine. It's a free country. My shelves are actually full of the things that I wanted at the prices I wanted to pay. If you are satisfied with the state of your shelves - great. I'm happy for you!

QUOTE: Huh??? Sounds like you have too much gas in your turbine...


I got your Turbine right here [:(!]

In hindsight, I probably should have put in one of those smilies to indicate that it was said in jest. In other words it was a JOKE. So please lighten up a little. [:)]

Also (and I am serious on this one) let's remember that this is a hobby and ebay is only a place to shop. I don't think it's worth getting all bent out of shape over. You have your way of bidding and I have mine. Sounds like we're both happy with our strategies, so let's leave it at that and let everyone else judge for themselves which method they want to use.

[1shado1]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dgwinup

Children, children, children! Am I going to have to separate you boys? Don't make me come down there!!! Darrell, President of the Anti-Flamamation League (and only member, so far. Annual dues are only $1,000. Send it to my PayPal account. I'll send you a subscription to our bi-annual flyer.) [}:)][:D][}:)]

1shado1, RIGHT ON! I tried to say that earlier, but you said it more clearly than I.

Folks, all early bidding does is drive up the price for everyone! Remember, just because YOU think something is worth $10, doesn't mean EVERYBODY thinks it's worth $10. Bid your $10 early, and somebody will outbid you almost every time.

Follow Jeff's lead and you will win more auctions. Or sign up for some sniping software. End of story.

Darrell, presidentially quiet...for now

Darrell,
I use Snipeville for my bidding. It's completely free, but you can't snipe any less than 3 seconds before the end. I'm sure you win more items by bidding at only 2 or 1 second before the end.

Jeff

[dgwinup]

Children, children, children! Am I going to have to separate you boys? Don't make me come down there!!! Darrell, President of the Anti-Flamamation League (and only member, so far. Annual dues are only $1,000. Send it to my PayPal account. I'll send you a subscription to our bi-annual flyer.) [}:)][:D][}:)]

1shado1, RIGHT ON! I tried to say that earlier, but you said it more clearly than I.

Folks, all early bidding does is drive up the price for everyone! Remember, just because YOU think something is worth $10, doesn't mean EVERYBODY thinks it's worth $10. Bid your $10 early, and somebody will outbid you almost every time.

Follow Jeff's lead and you will win more auctions. Or sign up for some sniping software. End of story.

Darrell, presidentially quiet...for now

[Anonymous]

Darn I had no idea my one post was going to generate three pages of responses! LOL The backshop and carshop only went for about $55 each, which was about $15 over retail, and shipping was the same as Walthers. Only reason I was willing to pay the extra $15 each was because I've now bought about 6 kits on ebay, and every single one of them was LESS than retail, so I've actually saved about $50 or more, which is how I justified paying a little more for these two OOP kits.

The only way I snipe is at work, where I have an ISDN connection. I play the game with two windows open with "Confirm Bid" screen as one of them and the item page as the other. Personally I've never heard of the software sniping, but this way works fine for me. I tried the 'bid your max first, and walk away' idea and lost every single auction I ever bid on. I've sniped 8 kits so far, and won 6 of them, so I doubt I'll change my methods. Either way, there's some other items I'm watching right now, and they end tomorrow afternoon, so hopefully I'll be able to come away with a couple more wins.

I agree ebay can be addictive, and sometimes fraudulent with sellers, but to me, it's just as easy to get duped by paying retail price for something when you could've bought it cheaper elsewhere. I play the game as fair as I can, and I don't let myself buy more than I can afford. Sometimes I just walk away because I know I don't have the extra cash on hand to buy what I want right now. Gambling of any sort is not something I'm keen on, and while some people see auctions as a form of gambling or lottery, I still think there's a better chance of winning on ebay, so long as you keep your head about you.

Anyways, good luck everybody, and to those who frown upon sniping and ebayers in general, I'm sorry I don't agree with you, but to each his own.

Ya'll have a great night!!

[Anonymous]

My most expensive purchase was not on E-Bay. It was MSRP+9%sales tax+$7entry fee+ 4.5 gal. of gas (120 mile rnd trp)+ chili burger (more gas) +tums (see more gas). Parking was free. This must have freight car ended up being double retail. All of my E-Bay purchases have beat that combination.