Ebay sniping

[jhall]

You want the thing? Bid more than everybody else-simple.
Look at the completed auctions and bid accordingly. If you want the thing bad enough, Bid 20% ovet the highest completed sale and let it fall where it may. If your'e not willing to pay that, then your'e not in serious contension for it anyway.
As for "sniping", It's a public auction and you can bid whatever and in whatever fasion or timing you want.

Want the item? OOTBID EVERYONE ELSE!!

[bgmacaw]

Originally posted by M900 I have a question... Will Ebay apply your max bid, or will it register just enough to win the auction? like if you sniped for $100 and the current max bid is $50, will it register $55, or will the Ebay computer not have enough time and end it at your max ($100)

See http://pages.ebay.com/help/buy/bid-increments.html

The key portion here is, "Note: A bidder may be outbid by less than a full increment. This would happen if the winning bidder's maximum bid beats the second highest maximum by an amount less than the full increment."

[bgmacaw]

Originally posted by wader2k Bingo! Which is why buyers love sniping and sellers hate it. I pretty much gave up selling on ebay because of this.

 

 

You just have to adjust your selling strategy to accomidate it.

 

For items that are sure to attract a lot of attention you can set a low starting price, even 99 cents, with no reserve. You will get some lowball early bidders and this is a good gauge of overall interest in the item, probably better than your watcher count. If you're unhappy with the level of interest you're seeing, cancel the auction before the final 12 hours. What you're looking for are several last minute snipers to jump in and really bid the item up with their proxy bids. For some of the rare wargaming stuff I sold a while back, it wasn't unusual to see them jump from $5-10 up to $30-40-50 or even $100 in the last 5 minutes.

 

For items that are not popular hot sellers or highly sought after rarities you need to either set a reserve price or set your starting bid at the minimum price you are willing to sell the item for. For the wholesale stuff I'm buying for resale, I have a minimum profit margin calculated and that's where I start my auctions.

[JimAnsell]

don't be a sore loser.
sniping is really the only way to win non-buy it now auctions.

this whole "bid once what you can afford, or want to pay for it" {censored} doesn't work. ever.

sniping software is for n00bs.
wheres the thrill in using those?

i get a cheap little rush sitting there refreshing my screen in the last few seconds, and then putting in my bid with literally one second left and winning.

[_pete_]

Originally posted by JimAnsell don't be a sore loser. sniping is really the only way to win non-buy it now auctions. this whole "bid once what you can afford, or want to pay for it" {censored} doesn't work. ever. sniping software is for n00bs. wheres the thrill in using those? i get a cheap little rush sitting there refreshing my screen in the last few seconds, and then putting in my bid with literally one second left and winning.

Exactly right.

[BowerR64]

I thought e-bay changed somthing where those who bid earlier get time after the auction ends? If some one bids before the time on the auction turns red they get some extra time after the auction ends to bid again. Snippers dont get the extra time.

I read it somewhere

[TeleFromHelly]

Originally posted by BowerR64 I thought e-bay changed somthing where those who bid earlier get time after the auction ends? If some one bids before the time on the auction turns red they get some extra time after the auction ends to bid again. Snippers dont get the extra time. I read it somewhere

No, when it's over, it's over, what you are saying would negate the whole idea of an auction. but sometimes if the seller has another of the same item or the buyer backs out they send you a "second chance" notice, "sniper" or not

[wtfg89]

Originally posted by DARKMETL/ I have lost as many or more auctions from sniping because my bid wasn't high enough...thats the bottom line. The only benefit you get by sniping is maybe an item is already a bit low on the bid and you get it before someone else can up it. Does that sound accurate/possible to you other snipers? It still boils down to what you are willing to pay. If you are willing to pay more than the sniper...you will win. You might pay a bit more at the last second because of it, but that is what a auction is about.

 

 

Makeyoursigsmaller/

[wader2k]

I have always wondered if it would be possible to implement a "going once, going twice....sold" at the end of an auction. This would make it silmiliar to a live auction where everybody has a chance at the end and the auction only ends if the bidding has died off.

This would pretty much eliminate the problems sniping causes.

[BowerR64]

Originally posted by wader2k I have always wondered if it would be possible to implement a "going once, going twice....sold" at the end of an auction. This would make it silmiliar to a live auction where everybody has a chance at the end and the auction only ends if the bidding has died off. This would pretty much eliminate the problems sniping causes.

 

 

That would then extend the time of the ending auction right? because when they hit the hammer and say sold thats it no more bidding. But if some one bids on "going twice" the auction time is extended and bidding keeps going.

[strangedogs]

Originally posted by wader2k I have always wondered if it would be possible to implement a "going once, going twice....sold" at the end of an auction. This would make it silmiliar to a live auction where everybody has a chance at the end and the auction only ends if the bidding has died off. This would pretty much eliminate the problems sniping causes.

 

 

naw... I like snipin'

[wader2k]

Originally posted by BowerR64 That would then extend the time of the ending auction right? because when they hit the hammer and say sold thats it no more bidding. But if some one bids on "going twice" the auction time is extended and bidding keeps going.

 

 

Which is exactly how it works in a "REAL LIVE" auction.....until bidding has stopped.

[saturdaysaviour]

Originally posted by wader2k I have always wondered if it would be possible to implement a "going once, going twice....sold" at the end of an auction. This would make it silmiliar to a live auction where everybody has a chance at the end and the auction only ends if the bidding has died off. This would pretty much eliminate the problems sniping causes.

 

 

Except sniping doesn't really cause "problems".

 

What your suggesting would be possible, but that would create a whole new set of more serious problems, mostly because you'd have to literally be at a computer while the auction was ending. This isn't easy for a lot of people with auctions ending at 3 AM or while you might be at work. So then, someone would have to program some kind of software to fix that.....

[gibbed]

just wait till the auction is almost done (maybe 5 mins), then bid you max bid then

just "won" a pod xt for $142 that way

[wader2k]

Originally posted by saturdaysaviour Except sniping doesn't really cause "problems". What your suggesting would be possible, but that would create a whole new set of more serious problems, mostly because you'd have to literally be at a computer while the auction was ending. This isn't easy for a lot of people with auctions ending at 3 AM or while you might be at work. So then, someone would have to program some kind of software to fix that.....

 

 

 

So maybe it doesn't cause problems per se....but it does skew the auction to favor the buyer. Many of us use it to our favor in bidding. And as I do more buying than selling I probably wouldn't want it changed either.

 

However, I pretty much have stopped selling any bigger ticket items on ebay.

[blazingblake]

I snipe because iv'e been sniped all is fair as far as im concerned it's kind of like gambling sometimes you win sometimes you lose.

[walt0915]

The notion that sniping causes ebay sales to go for less than if sniping did not occur is totally unsubstantiated. The behavior of auction bidders is much too complex to simply assume that something like sniping drives prices down. The mere fact that all bidders KNOW that the auction ends at a given time and know that some bidders will submit their bid at the last moment alters the behavior of ALL the bidders in such as way that you can't readily predict how they would behave without the sniping.

Granted, and online auction does not have the same emotional impact that a live auction does, but there is nothing that will capture that, at least not with current technology. The online auction is a reasonable aproximation of the open market, and if you feel it doesn't give you the return on your merch you want, take it to flea market, or put it up in a live auction.

Otherwise, grow up. Your used crap probably isn't worth as much as you think it is anyway.

[marauder6666]

just wait till the auction is almost done (maybe 5 mins), then bid you max bid then

 

 

I wait till the last 5 seconds!

[tin whistle]

How about when Elaine Benes wound up paying $30K for JFK's golf clubs because Sue Ellen Mischke kept driving up the bids, although J Peterman only authorized Elaine to go no higher than $10K? Huh? What about that??

[Skitzo130]

Originally posted by Fosse Fox I am {censored}ing soooooooooo pissed. 4 secs away from owning a Matamp Minimat......and some {censored} took it away with one aimed bid, a practise I understand is called sniping. Can someone tell me how I can do this. These amps don't come up often, and there's one more around. Is EZ sniper any good, you get three free auctions. :cry: :cry: :cry:

you shouldve put in your maximum bid as the most you were willing to pay, it doesnt hurt as long as your willing to pay as much as your maximum bid. Even if you were "sniped" with you maximum bid, it wouldnt matter because you wouldnt have payed more even if there was 16 days left of the auction. Get my point?

[Skitzo130]

Originally posted by tin whistle How about when Elaine Benes wound up paying $30K for JFK's golf clubs because Sue Ellen Mischke kept driving up the bids, although J Peterman only authorized Elaine to go no higher than $10K? Huh? What about that??

 

 

OMG

ANOTHER SEINFELD FAN

I LOVE YOU!!!!

haha

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

Originally posted by Skitzo130 you shouldve put in your maximum bid as the most you were willing to pay, it doesnt hurt as long as your willing to pay as much as your maximum bid. Even if you were "sniped" with you maximum bid, it wouldnt matter because you wouldnt have payed more even if there was 16 days left of the auction. Get my point?

 

 

Nope!, but don't bother explaining.

[do art]

Originally posted by aussy Bad part about max bidding is if the seller is sly, he can use a seperate account to keep bumping up the price by poking at your bid.

I reported a guy that was doing that once. Ebay cancelled his account.

[dewees]

Whenever this issue comes up it seems to generate a lot of hostility. There are many posts - including the OP - in this thread clearly stating that the posters' high bids fell to snipers. If you think it is mean-spirited or something, well - sorry. But to say it is ineffective is obviously contrary to the facts.

I don't allow myself to be influenced in any way by being outbid because I only bid once and I bid my true maximum. I don't have time to second guess my maximum because I bid 15 to 30 seconds before the auction closes. And if every single bid comes in the last minute of the auction, it still goes to the high bidder.

I pass on most auctions for items I want because they have been bid up beyond what I would pay for the item by the third day. I don't whine about that. If I occasionally manage to outbid you in the last minute, you've no cause to whine either.

Peace!

[Banded-Morwong]

I dont see sniping as a problem, becuase when it comes down to it in the end

The person willing to pay the most money for the item will win it.

Simple