Why bid 6 days out?

[Merkava_4]

eBay

Why even start an opening bid of $22.76 at 6 days out when the winning bid will go up over $75.00? What's the point?
The last item identical to this one reached a winning bid of $76.50.

 

[bmwpower]

shill bid?

 

[krusty the clown]

exactly..............wait grasshopper

 

[johnny1290]

ehh probably just an amateur that doesn't know any better

sometimes i'll put in stupid low bids cuz, hey, don't cost nothin, and maybe i'll win

doesn't ever seem to work out that way though hehe

I've been using auctionsniper.com lately...not too successfully, but not getting in over myhead like I normally do though

 

[Merkava_4]

I wanted to be stupid like everyone else so I placed a $25.00 bid. Of course I was immediately outbid.

 

[dxdexter]

There are more reasons then inexperience:

If it is a "Buy it Now" item some people will place an early bid to eliminate the possibility of another bidder using this option. They may also hope to get lucky and score the item for less if no one else is interested. They also may not have access to a computer when item is finished ( vacation maybe???), so they may have entered a much higher bid and will automatically increase as other bids are made.

 

[chavist93]

I'll place low bids on items all the time. You never know when you will get lucky. I have won things at low prices that I forgot I had even bid on until I recieved an email telling me I won.

 

[l_bilyk]

i've gotten lucky once or twice
i also prefer the reminds it sends you when you bid on things rather than the watch list reminders

 

[kblazer87]

I have been buying and selling on Ebay for 10 years and I do it the same way as I always have. I put a bid on it when I first see the auction and at that time I bid the most I am willing to pay. I win some times and I lose some times. I haven't bid on and lost out on any item that wasn't available again within a short amount of time. I have had people snipe bid on auctions I have won and my bid had been placed the day the item was put on Ebay. Sniper bids only work if you bid an amount that is higher than the proxy bid already placed on the item. So even if you are watching the item and place your bid with only seconds to go, if it isn't higher than the proxy bid you are still not going to be the winner of the item.
Bid your max, wait for the auction to end and if you don't win that one so be it. Wait for awhile and you will be able to bid on an identical item.

 

[Freejack]

I have yet to understand how sniping makes any sense at all. Use the proxy system, determine what the value is to you for the paticular item, then place that bid. If someone outbids you, then they placed a higher value on the item then you did.

If you are sniping, then you aren't being honest with yourself as to the ulitilty you are going to get from the item on which you are bidding.

Jake

 

[Red Green]

I have yet to understand how sniping makes any sense at all. Use the proxy system, determine what the value is to you for the paticular item, then place that bid. If someone outbids you, then they placed a higher value on the item then you did.

If you are sniping, then you aren't being honest with yourself as to the ulitilty you are going to get from the item on which you are bidding.

Jake

I snipe only because if I bid early and get out bid I want to bid again and end up spending more than I should have. I am smart enough to know my ego wants to win and too weak to keep from bidding again and again. So if I snipe I only bid once.

 

[Merkava_4]

I only wish I could figure out if the last bid is a minimum bid or a proxy bid.

 

[5wndwcpe]

This is why sniping works. If I value an item at, say $100. I place my high bid ($100) early on and walk away. A few people bid say $20 or $30, but one guy in particular bids $50 - still low. $60 -still low. $70 ...you get the picture. Some bidders will nickle and dime an item up until they are the high bidder. In this case the guy bids $105 and becomes the high bidder over me at $100. I lose. Now, if I use a sniping program my high bid of $100 remains hidden. This other guy may place a high bid on the item of $50 or $60 and stop there, especially if there doesn't appear to be much action on the item. Thinking his nearest competition is at $30, he figures he's safe at $60. It doesn't mean he wouldn't pay more, it just means he wouldn't bid more at that time.

 

[Jey]

i often bid early.

it's because

1. I'm lazy.
2. I hope for a good deal.

if it goes over the amount i put it, i don't care... thats what i wanted to pay. It stops a lot of that "oh, ****, i just bid 20 bucks more than i have in my checking account" issue that a lot of buyers have problems with.