that'll teach me to not bid early on ebay...

[hunky_artist]

argh!

been following an auction for 2 atari start buttons (would have been my first components for my new/first cab build.. ) i set an alarm on my phone to remind me to look at it half an hour before it finished...

i just realised now that I knew I'd forgotten something... then I realised what it was! (turns out i set my alarm for 9:30 tomorrow morning and not this evening... grrrr)

I went to have a look to see how much they went for.. and they only had 2 bids and it was less than I would have gone to...

arghhhh!!!!

[SirPoonga]

Or you snipe with something like www.auctionstealer.com

[vputz]

Trimoor--

Yes, that's how it's SUPPOSED to work.  And that's how it WOULD work if eBay ran blind auctions; you just bid what you'd want to pay, and there you go--best blind bid wins.

Of course, that's no fun for the sellers.  And so people bid what they want to get away with, and it escalates.  The problem is that with this system, sniping WORKS--you are much more likely to wind up paying less than you would be willing to pay... so no one bids what they're really willing to pay until the last minute.

I really wish eBay bidding was blind, from a buyer's perspective.  It would keep things closer to what people WANTED to pay.

-->VPutz

[SirPoonga]

I really wish eBay bidding was blind, from a buyer's perspective.  It would keep things closer to what people WANTED to pay.

Sounds like someone wants to start their own auction company

[marsmarvin]

How's sniping an effective way to cheat in a bid-by-proxy system like ebay?  If somebody is willing to pay more than I am, it doesn't matter to me if they bid first, middle or 2 seconds before the auction ends.  

That's not cheating, that's just wanting it more.  

Now if the seller snipes me because it's going too cheap, that's another thing.  I don't think seller-sniping happens all that often because a knowledgeable seller will know to set a reserve on something he thinks might go too cheap.

[Edgedamage]

I wish during the last min of the auction if a bid is placed it tacks another 5min on the clock.

[Bgnome]

I wish during the last min of the auction if a bid is placed it tacks another 5min on the clock.

yahoo auctions are like that..

as for sniping and bidding by proxy, this is my take on it:
it stands to reason that the fewer the bids, the lower the final sale price of the item is.  now, as with any auction, there is a possibility of a bid war during the last moments, especially if it is sought after.  bidding by proxy does not decrease the number of bids.  it allows you to bid if someone has placed a bid lower than your max.  however, sniping does decrease the number of bids.  this is because there is a very limited amount of time at the end of the auction and therefore less bids can be made, whether by proxy or not.  my intention as a bidder is to acheive the best deal on what i wish to purchase, which is why i usually choose to snipe.  as stated previously, sniping does not guarantee a win, nor does it necessarily win you more auctions than normally bidding by proxy, (although many people believe otherwise and i would gladly agree if shown quantifiable proof).  people have their own strategies and i do not believe sniping is better than proxy bidding to win, but the less i bid, the lower the price, which benefits any buyer, including me.

[hunky_artist]

if you want to pay less, but at the gamble of losing a lot of auctions.. then snipe.

if you want to win the action by paying more than other people, then bid early with your highest price

both ways have merits, it just depends how safe/risky you want to play it and how much you want the item.

[Pipercub]

Bidding by proxy escalates the price and number of bids where as sniping, and doing so at your highest willing bid, gets the same benefits as bidding early with your max with none of the drawbacks that bidding early has. Sniping with the next incriment only can be fun, but is very risky.

All that said, you DO have to stay on top of things to snipe manually. I screwed up the other day and missed a long saught after game. It had 3 min left and went for a low price with cheap shipping. I was talking to this girl and forgot until a min after the auction. But that was my fault.

[Lilwolf]

I wish there was an OPTION for tacking 5 minutes on the end of an auction when a upping bid is done... Or better yet... you can specify how long.  

But is a seller, you might want to know for sure when it will end...

And it will just change the strategy... it will not change that there will be a stradegy.

But that will just get the two people who are both sniping to allow a bidding war between them... but for all early bidders will have to get back on and check at the last minute.  I could see also (on larger items) allowing it to continue until last high bid turns it down... (ie, I have it at 5 bucks for a day before the end.  Someone ups it to 10 bucks... Then I get an email that needs to be returned within a day to up it.  But AFTER the auction end, only the last players are in it... and until the seller is done and finallized it.


Trouble is... for most items.. you just want to sell it... and you want it easy.  Add too many auction types and you will get people shying away from ebay.

[fredster]

I think the +5 minutes is a good idea.  That way you have a chance to retaliate if you want the items.  Not a bad idea.  But I'm sure Ebay has studied this and they have found for some reason or another it's incompatiable with their system.

So the odds of that happening are like zilch.

[DarkKobold]

The google targeted ads for this page are ALL ebay sniping services. If you want the best price, bid your maximum right away....


on a sniping site!

[SirPoonga]

I wish there was an OPTION for tacking 5 minutes on the end of an auction when a upping bid is done... Or better yet... you can specify how long.  

Bad idea, ubid.com does something like this and I hate it.   Granted it is more like a auction you goto but it is annoying on the internet

[NoOne=NBA=]

if you want to win the action by paying more than other people, then bid early with your highest price

This part makes no sense.

If you bid early with your highest price, people get to SEE your highest price and decide whether to outbid your highest price.
You will win just as many auctions by sniping with the same prices, but will often pay LESS by sniping.

The only advantages to bidding early that I see are:
1) You don't have to be there when the auction ends.
2) You get a chance to "re-evaluate" whether you highest price really IS your HIGHEST price.
This is also a downside if you are the "I will NOT lose" type person because you will end up paying more for something than it's really worth.

[Pipercub]

"I think the +5 minutes is a good idea.  That way you have a chance to retaliate if you want the items.  Not a bad idea. "


I think that is a terrible idea. How can you deny others the time to reconsider and react if they get 5 more min? The whole point of a snipe is to cut out that time. Lets say the guy hits refresh and sees that his MAX bid of $400 just got hit by your snipe at $401. Your max bid was $480. He gets excited and decides he will go to $450 but he has less than 10 seconds left and can't get a bid entered. OR, he has 5 more min, enters $450, your now paying $451 and $50 more than you would have.

[Trimoor]

The google targeted ads for this page are ALL ebay sniping services.

There are ads on this page??!?!
Wow, I LOVE mozilla!!!!

[missioncontrol]

I wish during the last min of the auction if a bid is placed it tacks another 5min on the clock.

I agree....

[mr.Curmudgeon]

I wish that for every person who bids within the last 1-2mins, Ebay would send a crack team of specialists to the bidders house with aluminum bats and socks filled with quarters.

[Lilwolf]

The trouble is you almost have to bid in the last minute.

EVERY time I've bid in advanced I've been screwed.  One time it cost me $200 (from people bidding more after their initial snipe, and where they didn't win...)...

So now you pretty much HAVE to bid in the last few minutes.

Next...

it should ONLY add a few minutes IF the leader changes hands..  Otherwise someone will just add 25 cents... then take his time.. a buck... wait a few... another dollar...

[Kane]

I just got a Dreamcast some controlers and games for 31$ by sniping on Ebay. It's the only way I win.......everyone has thier own methods use whatever works for you.



Free Ipods!

[Dartful Dodger]

I just got a Dreamcast some controlers and games for 31$ by sniping on Ebay. It's the only way I win.......everyone has thier own methods use whatever works for you.



Free Ipods!

The guy you out bid by a buck, would probably go a buck higher if given the chance.

I for one do not want to give him/her the chance.

[DaveMMR]

if you want to win the action by paying more than other people, then bid early with your highest price

This part makes no sense.

If you bid early with your highest price, people get to SEE your highest price and decide whether to outbid your highest price.
You will win just as many auctions by sniping with the same prices, but will often pay LESS by sniping.

Who gets to SEE the highest price?  Last time I checked the bidding was blind.  If I bid $X for an item no one knows (not even the seller) how much I'm willing to spend.  The only way they could find out is by bidding themselves until they're the high bidder.  By then they're required to stay in (cancelling bids is not something a serious eBay buyer wants to do too often) and purchase the item should they win.  

I do like the idea of a 5 minute extension - would almost eliminate sniping.  

[hunky_artist]

I didnt start sniping initially to keep costs down, it was because I was always outbid at the last minute or something, so it was the only way I could find to give myself a better chance to actually win the things.

then i realised it also meant the prices stayed lower.

but in all fairness, it should be done the normal way for the people who are selling things to get the best price for their items

(and before you start complaining saying you dont want to PAY those prices... you might be selling something one day, lol)

[NoOne=NBA=]

Who gets to SEE the highest price?  Last time I checked the bidding was blind.  If I bid $X for an item no one knows (not even the seller) how much I'm willing to spend.  The only way they could find out is by bidding themselves until they're the high bidder.  By then they're required to stay in (cancelling bids is not something a serious eBay buyer wants to do too often) and purchase the item should they win.  

I do like the idea of a 5 minute extension - would almost eliminate sniping.  

Question asked and answered.
If I don't put my bid in until there's 3 seconds left in the auction, NOBODY gets to see it until AFTER the auction.


In your example, your early bidding just cost you whatever THAT guy was willing to pay, plus a bit for his own curiousity if he came in below you.

If not, you just lost the auction--sorry, better luck next time.

I personally like the current system because it lets me get stuff for less than the other methods proposed here.
If I get THAT stuff for less, then I can get MORE stuff with the same amount of money.


My opposition to prolonging the auction is that:
1) It would tie up my money until I either won, or gave up.
2) Auctions would all cost more because people would get a chance to reconsider what they THOUGHT was their maximum.
3) I would lose alot of auctions that I currently win because I DO put my max--ONCE.

I think the fairest way to run the auctions from both a seller's and buyer's standpoint would be if your bid was whatever you bid.
If you're WILLING to go $50 on something, why shouldn't your bid immediately reflect that?
That way the buyer gets what the item is worth, even if you're the only one bidding on it.
That is how REAL blind auctions are run.

[MonitorGuru]

This whole sniping vs no sniping was recently discussed a week ago in the Everything Else forum.  Here is the link:
http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=6;action=display;threadid=23489


I think given all the studies out there, it IS a proven fact that bidding your highest amount you're willing to pay EARLY versus the same amount at the end of auction (Sniping) will result in a higher possibility of you paying more money or not winning the item.  

Regardless of the back and forth on this topic: It's common sense.  Bid early and others will see your interest and try repeated bids to outbid you because they have DAYS to do so.  Bid late and others can't see your interest and therefore won't be as likely to outbid you.


And yes, you definitely CAN see what ALL OTHER PEOPLE have bid on ALL ebay auctions.  This took effect yesterday, it's on ebay's announcement board. You can see everyone's high bid except the high bidder which is only displayed at the current amount.  It used to be only on dutch auctions and you got to see the current bid on all other auctions.  However some basic refreshing on old auctions and you easily could tell what people were bidding.  

Add to this the fact that if you have shill bidders that bid, find your proxy, then retract and rebid just under your proxy (all possible if you bid early) that's just another reason NOT to bid early.

Again, we're not saying change the amount you're willing to bid. Just do it late rather than early and you will likely pay less and be more likely to win it.

And no, you dont have to be at your computer to do it. There are many online snipers as well as downloadable programs to do so on your own PC.

Anyone who can't see the benefits of bidding late is destined to pay more and lose more auctions. It's that easy to understand.

[MrBond]

Or you snipe with something like www.auctionstealer.com

If your ok leaking out your ebay username and password  

[DaveMMR]

This whole sniping vs no sniping was recently discussed a week ago in the Everything Else forum.  Here is the link:
http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=6;action=display;threadid=23489


I think given all the studies out there, it IS a proven fact that bidding your highest amount you're willing to pay EARLY versus the same amount at the end of auction (Sniping) will result in a higher possibility of you paying more money or not winning the item.  

Regardless of the back and forth on this topic: It's common sense.  Bid early and others will see your interest and try repeated bids to outbid you because they have DAYS to do so.  Bid late and others can't see your interest and therefore won't be as likely to outbid you.


And yes, you definitely CAN see what ALL OTHER PEOPLE have bid on ALL ebay auctions.  This took effect yesterday, it's on ebay's announcement board. You can see everyone's high bid except the high bidder which is only displayed at the current amount.  It used to be only on dutch auctions and you got to see the current bid on all other auctions.  However some basic refreshing on old auctions and you easily could tell what people were bidding.  

Add to this the fact that if you have shill bidders that bid, find your proxy, then retract and rebid just under your proxy (all possible if you bid early) that's just another reason NOT to bid early.

Again, we're not saying change the amount you're willing to bid. Just do it late rather than early and you will likely pay less and be more likely to win it.

And no, you dont have to be at your computer to do it. There are many online snipers as well as downloadable programs to do so on your own PC.

Anyone who can't see the benefits of bidding late is destined to pay more and lose more auctions. It's that easy to understand.

Seeing everyone's (except the high bidder) price wouldn't help me out all that much.  I'd only be concerned with the high bidder, who's bid is still invisible to me.

I've won auctions bidding early (on high demand items too) because I'm willing to pay the most.  And when the item was closing I could see sniping was occuring but the price was likely to be the same.  

I don't argue that sniping is a decent strategy... but it's foolish to depend on it.

If I want something bad enough, I'll lay out a fair max bid closer to early than later.  I'll come back towards the end sometimes, see how the bidding is going and ask myself if I could stand to raise my max (I don't do this at the closing seconds because it the heat of the moment I'll bid over my head without giving it thought).  

Why don't I just snipe?  Well anything can happen.  The website can be slow to respond.  My computer can give out?  I can forget to check or lose track of the time.  

I've lost auctions to snipers, sure.  It's not the help of clever timing though.  It's just someone who was willing to spend more than me.  

[abrannan]

The real trick is to bid on the right auctions.  Auctions that end at odd times (early morning to midday) have less sniping in my experience.  Yes, you can still use automated snipers to win those, but fewer people do it in my experience.  Search for items that are misspelled, fewer people hit them on their searches.  Buy is bulk, if possible.  The larger quantity auctions generally go for less per item than individuals, then you take what you want and put the rest up as individuals, further reducing your costs.  

Me?  I bid early, and I treat it as if I paid that bid amount for the item.  I don't go back and look at the bids as the days progress, because I build up too much hope that I'll really get that item for very cheap if I look.  The last few auctions I've won, the items have worked out to be free for me, and sometimes turn me a profit.


What I'd like to see on ebay is a auction type (you'd have to pay extra for it) that would go until there were no bids for, say, 24 hours.  That way, sniping is eliminated, and prices could potentially skyrocket for exeremely desirable items, rather than just having 5 minutes of frantic bidding at the end of the auction.  

[Bgnome]

one of those "alternative spelling" auctions i happened to win:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=6113729620&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT
a 3" trackball with what looks to be a translucent red ball in good condition for $20 shipped is not bad at all..

[Floyd10]

I agree that these auctions should be blind. Sniping's not something I look forward to, so i always look for the ones closest to ending. It should be an option, at least

[danny_galaga]

I wish that for every person who bids within the last 1-2mins, Ebay would send a crack team of specialists to the bidders house with aluminum bats and socks filled with quarters.

yeah, that'd be cool! when i win my cabinet by sniping, if they also sent someone around with a sock full of quarters for it that would be excellent. but better in a bucket. or at least make sure the sock is clean...is the bat to fend off people who forgot to snipe?