I'm trying to understand the dates assigned to Proxy Bids. Every now and then, I'll be outbid by a new user, who apparently put in a bid days before.

If the bidding goes
$10 Soandso Sep 15, 2pm
$11 Me Sep 16, 5:59pm
$12 Soandso Sep 16, 6pm

that I understand. Soandso had a higher max bid than I did, and "bumped" up to it, following my bid.

But how does this happen?

$10 Soandso Sep 15, 2pm
$11 Me Sep 16, 5:59pm
$12 Outtablue Sep 14, 1pm

If Outtablue really bid days before, why doesn't his bid show before I place mine? And if he did after, how does he get an earlier date to his proxy bid?

Thanks!

His higher bid did show as at the time it was placed. Ebay just 'bumps' it up each time the others bid (that's how proxy bidding works) so, until his max is beaten, he'll appear top of the pile (or bottom in the way that you've shown it!) with an older date. Do read up on Proxy Bidding...

R2

Dann,

If you like it short and easy to understand, read R2’s post. If you like it long and long, read this post.



According to your example, this is what you would have seen in the bid history:

Right “before” Me (you) place their (your) bid, the bid history would have looked like this:
$10.50 Outtablue Sep 14, 1pm
$10 Soandso Sep 15, 2pm

For Me to place a bid, the “minimum” bid would have been $11 (Outtablue’s $10.50 “current” bid + $.50 ebay increment). Right “after” Me’s bid, the bid history would have looked like this:
$11.50 Outtablue Sep 14, 1pm
$11 Me Sep 16, 5:59pm
$10 Soandso Sep 15, 2pm

Me’s $11 bid only increased Outtablue’s “current” bid to $11.50 (Me’s $11 “maximum” bid + $.50 ebay increment). Outtablue’s “maximum” bid could have been, and probably was, something higher. Don’t get “current” bid confused with “maximum” bid. The “current” bid is only the portion of the high bidder’s “maximum” bid that it takes to bid “up to” a full ebay increment above the second highest bidder (reserve auctions should be reserved for a different discussion).

When a bidder’s “current” bid is increased via ebay’s proxy bidding system, a new bid is NOT recorded in the bid history with a new timestamp. Only the bid amount is increased.

To carry on this example, after Me’s bid, the new minimum bid would have been $12 (Outtablue’s $11.50 “current” bid + $.50 ebay increment). Let’s say that Outtablue’s “maximum” bid was $20, this is what the bid history would have looked like had someone else placed an $18 “maximum” bid:
$18.50 Outtablue Sep 14, 1pm
$18 Someoneelse Sep 16, 5:59:01pm
$11 Me Sep 16, 5:59pm
$10 Soandso Sep 15, 2pm

And, while I’m at it, and getting into the spirit of things, this is what the bid history would have looked like if Someoneelse placed their bid 2 seconds earlier:
$18.50 Outtablue Sep 14, 1pm
$18 Someoneelse Sep 16, 5:58:59pm
$10 Soandso Sep 15, 2pm
You’ll notice that Me (you) ain’t showing.

Also notice that the timestamp for Outtablue’s bid never changed, but his “current” bid sure did.

quote:

Do read up on Proxy Bidding...

I have, but since I don't understand the way it is listed, this seems a good place to ask. (Oops -- you're right, I listed those upside-down. I've corrected that below.)

Rick, thanks for your more detailed explanation. I DO understand the principle of proxy bidding, and the difference between "current" and "maximum" bids.

But it seems I didn't understand the way they are listed after an auction. I'd expected to see

$11.50 Outtablue Sep 14, 1pm
$11.00 Me Sep 16, 5:59pm
$10.50 Outtablue Sep 14, 1pm
$10.00 Soandso Sep 15, 2pm
$9.50 Outtablue Sep 14,1pm

while you've explained that what shows is

$11.50 Outtablue Sep 14, 1pm
$11.00 Me Sep 16, 5:59pm
$10.00 Soandso Sep 15, 2pm


Before the auction ends, then, starting at Sept 14th, 1pm, Outtablue would be listed as holding the winning bid, and it would display his current amount.

The final listing, though, just shows his winning amount, not the increments -- is that right?

Thanks again.

Hi Dann,

quote:

The final listing, though, just shows his winning amount, not the increments -- is that right?

That’s correct, but that would apply to any time you displayed the bid history - not just the “final” one. A new entry, with a new time/date, appears on the bid history ONLY when a NEW bid is placed. Outtablue only placed one NEW bid, and that was at “Sep 14, 1pm”. Now, Outtablue’s bid did increase every time another NEW bid was placed, but that’s the function of ebay’s proxy bidding system. Ebay’s proxy bidding system doesn’t actually place a NEW bid, it just increases the bid amount until the high bidder’s maximum bid is reached.

I have a feeling that most people at first struggle to understand ebay’s proxy bidding system - I sure did.

[q]I have a feeling that most people at first struggle to understand ebay’s proxy bidding system - I sure did.[/q]
I thought I did understand it, at least to the point of grasping that new bids bump a "current" bid toward its "maximum."

But I never studied the listings, and seeing the dates reverse themselves sure surprised me.

Thanks again for the help!