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I am not sure why, but I do not like the change. Why do you suppose they did it? I will not affect the way I snipe, but somehow it smells like it will raise auction prices in general. At the very least, one can see where unsucessful nibblers' high bids are, even when they are low in the pack.

What should be interesting is the impact this will have on people who swear that a particular winning bid NEVER appeared in the bid history, while the auction is in progress. Somehow the amount seems to call greater attention to the presence of bids.
Last edited by chatter
Here’s something from that ebay discussion board that I hadn’t thought of:
There is one serious problem that needs to be solved fast:
The case where the high-bidder and the next underbidder have the SAME bid. The high bidder is high because he/she bid sooner. But anyone who sees that the two high bids are the SAME, now knows what the high bidder's highest bid is, because it's not one increment above the underbidder. This is very BAD for sellers, and for eBay too, since both lose money.
quote:
This is very BAD for sellers, and for eBay too, since both lose money.
Seller COULD lose some bucks, but the only way this might happen is if two snipers bid, and at least one of them bid only an increment above instead of their real max. (which sometimes happened before the change) The losing sniper might soon learn to bid their max... then no harm done to the seller.

ps Bid Table is back on the air. Smile
IMHO, we in this forum are NOT typical eBay bidders. We are far more into strategies and bid history analysis. We know from our sniping experience that the eBay world is full of nibblers and emotional bidders of every sort.

Somehow I suspect that marketers have convinced eBay that if nibblers are able to see the amounts of other bidders (even the low ones), they (nibblers) are more likely to bid higher amounts. This translates into higher end prices and higher eBay profits.

So much eBay bidding is based on emotion. ("That ^#&^@! is trying to outbid me for my widget? I"ll show him!") People often consider an item "theirs" before an auction even ends. These types of behaviors may be impacted by the recent chanes.
It's often been said on this forum, that the key to sniping is to decide the maximum amount one is willing to pay, and then place that amount as a snipe. Bid histories tend to influence me to bid a higher amount than I originally thought the item was worth, which makes me feel like an indecisive nibbler. With that said, I confess that I have yielded to the temptation to look at bid histories, and I also confess that I have even yielded to the temptation to increase my "maximum amount I'm willing to bid" based on another bidder's "track record".

My strategy consists of deciding on a lead-time for my snipe.
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Originally posted by Rick:
It's often been said on this forum, that the key to sniping is to decide the maximum amount one is willing to pay, and then place that amount as a snipe. Bid histories tend to influence me to bid a higher amount than I originally thought the item was worth, which makes me feel like an indecisive nibbler. With that said, I confess that I have yielded to the temptation to look at bid histories, and I also confess that I have even yielded to the temptation to increase my "maximum amount I'm willing to bid" based on another bidder's "track record".

My strategy consists of deciding on a lead-time for my snipe.

And I expect that it is these very temptations that have prompted eBay to make the changes it has.
quote:
Originally posted by Chatter:
quote:
Originally posted by Rick:
It's often been said on this forum, that the key to sniping is to decide the maximum amount one is willing to pay, and then place that amount as a snipe. Bid histories tend to influence me to bid a higher amount than I originally thought the item was worth, which makes me feel like an indecisive nibbler. With that said, I confess that I have yielded to the temptation to look at bid histories, and I also confess that I have even yielded to the temptation to increase my "maximum amount I'm willing to bid" based on another bidder's "track record".

My strategy consists of deciding on a lead-time for my snipe.

And I expect that it is these very temptations that have prompted eBay to make the changes it has.

Good point.
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Originally posted by Mrs.M:
Most things that Chatter posts are good information or at the least good thoughts! (Even if he wasn't the originator!) Wink
I sure hope he is the originator of his own posts.

I’ve learned some things from him. I learned (pretty much) not to let others influence the amount of my bid. Decide the value of the item and the max you are willing to bid, and then place it as a snipe. Walk away and don’t change the amount. Probably best to give AS the snipe as soon as you see the auction, that way you’re less apt to be influenced by proxy bidders.

I also learned (pretty much) to never place a proxy bid. I even go one step further – don’t stomp a BIN with a proxy bid.

I think that’s part of his beliefs, and I wish I had followed his advice when he first brought it up.
Thank you all for the recognition. You may rest assured that my writings have always originated with my cranium and been transmitted with my quill.

I generally use BIN and go with it, because acquisition is my priority. The only times I ever proxy bid are when I first discover a very high-priced BIN auction in its very last hours or if the BIN is so ridiculously-he-will-never-get-that-price high.

I won snipe number 903 this week. I am going to slow down now, due to other priorities coming into play, but I shall continue with AS and on this forum.

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