bid question

This is from the ebay bid help page:

" 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."








Puppy Raiser
Sniper Hall Of Fame


posted Oct 2, 8:18 PM
... but the minimum bid is one increment above the current price. If the current price is 3.14, the minumum bid would have been 3.39.

Maximum bids can be within one increment and it IS possible to win by less than a full increment, but minumum bids are always a full increment above current price.

Any bid for 3 cents above the 'current price' will be rejected by eBay as invalid.


Hope this helps!

Bid increments go up to $1 starting at $25.

eBay only *attempts* to make the winning bid a full increment above the next to highest bidder. Sometimes, because of maximum bid limits, that's not possible. Remember, minimum bids are measured from the price *showing*, not someones max bid. You CAN win by less than a full increment. There can even be a tie for high bid. (earliest bid wins a tie)

okay, thank you on the information . . . see, this is very helpful . . . that brings to my mind another related question . . .

let's say in the process of normal bidding somewhere around the $35 range, the high bidder happens to place his max bid at $50 . . . okay, now let's assume that i see the bidding at $35 and i also place a max bid at $50 (i know that he placed his first so his will have priority over mine) . . . after i place my $50 bid i think i would see "you are not the high bidder, you have been outbid, you need to bid $51" or something to that effect, right?

but if he had a max bid that was at least $51 (or even if his max bid was $60 for example), then wouldn't it say "you not the high bidder, you have been outbid, you need to bid $52" or something like that which would indicate that my $50 bid pushed his bid to $51, so my next bid [of a full increment] would need to be $52?

so, therefor, in reality, if a person really wanted to waste all of that time, (s)he could figure out within "one full increment" of what the highest existing bid is . . . is this right or am i mistating something?

let's say in the process of normal bidding somewhere around the $35 range, the high bidder happens to place his max bid at $50 . . . okay, now let's assume that i see the bidding at $35 and i also place a max bid at $50 (i know that he placed his first so his will have priority over mine) . . . after i place my $50 bid i think i would see "you are not the high bidder, you have been outbid, you need to bid $51" or something to that effect, right? Correct, if your bid had happened to be 48.50, eBay would tell you your bid would have to be at least $50.50 (again one increment above the current price of 49.50)

but if he had a max bid that was at least $51 (or even if his max bid was $60 for example), then wouldn't it say "you not the high bidder, you have been outbid, you need to bid $52" or something like that which would indicate that my $50 bid pushed his bid to $51, so my next bid [of a full increment] would need to be $52? Correct again !

so, therefor, in reality, if a person really wanted to waste all of that time, (s)he could figure out within "one full increment" of what the highest existing bid is . . . is this right or am i mistating something? Yes, you've got it, but why waste all that time? The most you will pay is one increment above the next to highest bidder anyway.

When nibbling against a high proxy, each successive bid you place is 2 increments. In your second example where the high proxy is $60 and you bid 50, that pushes the current price to 51, so your next minimum bid would have to be $52. Also, remember that each bid you place is a chance you will take the lead.