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Sure, set your snipe higher! 
The highest wins, you know. 
The highest wins, you know.
LMAO!!! Glad to see I am up for vote! 
alioop11,
Respecting who you addressed your question to, all I can say is WELCOME.
Respecting who you addressed your question to, all I can say is WELCOME.
Well, I am sure it was a figure of speech, Rick and I am positive any information is welcome.
Hello Rick! Thanks for the "WELCOME"!
Mrs. M is right, it was a figure of speech.
I just picked her to ask from reading and liking her previous advices to others.
As a "Hall of Fame Sniper" yourself, please,
jump in anytime. I welcome all advice.
You All seem like a Happy Group...COOL !
Mrs. M is right, it was a figure of speech.
I just picked her to ask from reading and liking her previous advices to others.
As a "Hall of Fame Sniper" yourself, please,
jump in anytime. I welcome all advice.
You All seem like a Happy Group...COOL !
Hi and Welcome from me too
What I do (I need a disclaimer here somewhere) is proxy bid to flush out the proxy bidders MAX, if I dont reach that MAX before I reach mine, I move on, if I hit the highest bid before the MAX I am willing to pay I set my snipe for my MAX and see what happens. *Touch Wood* I havent lost to a proxy that way, be warned I have also won on my proxy bid which means I will get charged for my snipe and my bid may go up one increment.
Now - all the anti-proxy-bidding snipers will come out of the woodwork and say *real snipers dont proxy bid*...but you asked for opinions and thats mine
Good Luck
Lexie
quote:
Is there a way to avoid a proxy outbid?
Beginner's Luck - Won 3 out of 4 Snipes, not bad?
What I do (I need a disclaimer here somewhere) is proxy bid to flush out the proxy bidders MAX, if I dont reach that MAX before I reach mine, I move on, if I hit the highest bid before the MAX I am willing to pay I set my snipe for my MAX and see what happens. *Touch Wood* I havent lost to a proxy that way, be warned I have also won on my proxy bid which means I will get charged for my snipe and my bid may go up one increment.
Now - all the anti-proxy-bidding snipers will come out of the woodwork and say *real snipers dont proxy bid*...but you asked for opinions and thats mine
Good Luck
Lexie
...against "feeling out" the proxy would be that if you and I are both feeling out each other's high bid, we're going to raise the bid bit-by-bit until neither of us gets the bargain we were hoping for, and the higher the bid goes the more people tend to think it's "worth".
But then, that's good news for the seller, and as long as I don't go over my max, it's not necessarily BAD news for me. And my own bidding strategy is sort of nibbling mixed with sniping, so I don't necessary follow my own advice...
But then, that's good news for the seller, and as long as I don't go over my max, it's not necessarily BAD news for me. And my own bidding strategy is sort of nibbling mixed with sniping, so I don't necessary follow my own advice...
The point of sniping is to not reveal one's interest in the item until the very end. SNIPE! 
quote:
Bartelby:
now all the anti-proxy-bidding snipers will come out of the woodwork
yep !
Chatter, I'm with YOU. There are lots of 'feelers' and 'nibblers' already on eBay. I just sit back and watch THEM.
However I will admit to missing out on at least one item because I didn't manually bid first.
alioop11...
to the forum.
quote:
However I will admit to missing out on at least one item because I didn't manually bid first.
quote:
Now - all the anti-proxy-bidding snipers will come out of the woodwork and say *real snipers dont proxy bid*
There is no "woodwork" for them to come out of, since this is, after all, a sniping website. One does not go on to a Republican website and wait for others to come out of the woodwork to protest some anti-Bush sentiment. It is already their website, LOL.
quote:My strategy is to sit and fidget and refrain from placing a bid, even tho I'M DYING to get my hands on this item! LOL I'll watch it for 3, 4, 5 ,6, 7 days and wait til AS does it's thing. I have about a 50/50 win/lose ratio with my snipes. You win some, you lose some. Depending on how popular the item is depends on how high I'm willing to go. Sometimes I get impatient and pay too much because I didn't want to wait for another to come along. Oh how I hate when I do that!
The point of sniping is to not reveal one's interest in the item until the very end.
Hi Chatter !
>> Click <<
quote:
However I will admit to missing out on at least one item because I didn't manually bid first.
>> Click <<
(LOLAM)
From what I've learned on this forum and some guess work, Chatter has an unique, if not exclusive, relationship with, or insight of, AS.
- He has used AS a heck-of-a-lot of times.
- He has had a heck-of-a-lot of successful AS snipes.
- He has been using AS for a heck-of-a-long time.
I happen to put a lot of value in repeated successes.
There's been 2 issues that he keeps driving home:
1) Never place a proxy bid.
2) Place your snipe and leave it alone.
I've always been a fairly strong supporter of #1. Recent discussions have caused me to question that. The idea of stomping a BIN, or trying to insure that the seller didn't remove the auction sounded sound. But then it occurred to me that the item will appear sooner or later in another auction. So, why risk the potential problems caused by placing a proxy bid?
When I first got onto ebay, everything (well, most everything) was a gotta-have. Over time that has changed because I've seen that my impatience has caused me to spend too much money. The arguments for placing a proxy bid might apply to a gotta-have, but there's just not that many gotta-haves that won't be around again. If I think the BIN is too high and someone else doesn't - GREAT! LET THEM HAVE IT! I'd rather not expose myself to nibblers. If I'm afraid the seller is going to remove the item or sell it to someone else - GREAT! LET THEM HAVE IT! I'd rather not expose myself to nibblers. I'll get it, and I'll get it at my price.
Now here's the LOLAM - #2 (place your snipe and leave it alone). I've disagreed with Chatter more then once on that issue. Recently I realized that by increasing my snipe amount, I was no different then a nibbler. I was allowing someone else to determine what I thought the item was worth. I was still nibbling, but no one but AS knew it. If someone bids over my original snipe amount - GREAT! LET THEM HAVE IT! I'll get it, and I'll get it at my price. Again, there really are very few gotta-haves on ebay that won't show up again (there IS a certain satisfaction in knowing that a competitor paid much more then you did).
Chatter's approach requires more discipline, but it's cheaper. What's that saying about doing something in haste and repenting in leisure?
From what I've learned on this forum and some guess work, Chatter has an unique, if not exclusive, relationship with, or insight of, AS.
- He has used AS a heck-of-a-lot of times.
- He has had a heck-of-a-lot of successful AS snipes.
- He has been using AS for a heck-of-a-long time.
I happen to put a lot of value in repeated successes.
There's been 2 issues that he keeps driving home:
1) Never place a proxy bid.
2) Place your snipe and leave it alone.
I've always been a fairly strong supporter of #1. Recent discussions have caused me to question that. The idea of stomping a BIN, or trying to insure that the seller didn't remove the auction sounded sound. But then it occurred to me that the item will appear sooner or later in another auction. So, why risk the potential problems caused by placing a proxy bid?
When I first got onto ebay, everything (well, most everything) was a gotta-have. Over time that has changed because I've seen that my impatience has caused me to spend too much money. The arguments for placing a proxy bid might apply to a gotta-have, but there's just not that many gotta-haves that won't be around again. If I think the BIN is too high and someone else doesn't - GREAT! LET THEM HAVE IT! I'd rather not expose myself to nibblers. If I'm afraid the seller is going to remove the item or sell it to someone else - GREAT! LET THEM HAVE IT! I'd rather not expose myself to nibblers. I'll get it, and I'll get it at my price.
Now here's the LOLAM - #2 (place your snipe and leave it alone). I've disagreed with Chatter more then once on that issue. Recently I realized that by increasing my snipe amount, I was no different then a nibbler. I was allowing someone else to determine what I thought the item was worth. I was still nibbling, but no one but AS knew it. If someone bids over my original snipe amount - GREAT! LET THEM HAVE IT! I'll get it, and I'll get it at my price. Again, there really are very few gotta-haves on ebay that won't show up again (there IS a certain satisfaction in knowing that a competitor paid much more then you did).
Chatter's approach requires more discipline, but it's cheaper. What's that saying about doing something in haste and repenting in leisure?
A LONG post without my name on the top!?!
Double whoa!?!
A LONG post with RICK'S name (heretofore known for brevity in posts!) on top!?!
A thoughtful & interesting post, Rick, but WHAT in the world does LOLAM mean?!?
BTW, after the howls of protest we've heard at times from your corner regarding nibblers, here we find out YOU are a "closet nibbler" (on AS only)!?! Maybe you need a 12-step program? "Hi! My name is Rick, and I am a 'Nibbler'". LOL!
Jabbergah
Double whoa!?!
A LONG post with RICK'S name (heretofore known for brevity in posts!) on top!?!
A thoughtful & interesting post, Rick, but WHAT in the world does LOLAM mean?!?
BTW, after the howls of protest we've heard at times from your corner regarding nibblers, here we find out YOU are a "closet nibbler" (on AS only)!?!
Maybe you need a 12-step program? "Hi! My name is Rick, and I am a 'Nibbler'". LOL! Jabbergah
Rick's assessment of me is accurate on all counts.
Thanks for the plaudits
I find that it is exceedingly rare that auctions are ended early by the seller, for lack of interest. So rare, in fact, as to make early proxy bidding on every (or most or many) auctions in which one has interest, a very risky proposition indeed.
In my first few weeks as an AS sniper, I may have exhibited several behaviors that, for the most part, were limited to those early days, and I quickly got over them and got down to business:
1) Early proxy bidding AND sniping
2) Changing my snipe amount before the end
3) A rush for having "beaten" someone for the win
4) Hesitated over an item's "worth"
5) Saved AS for only the "must have" items
Once I developed a routine approach, I let AS do its thing each and every time. I use Buy It Now whenever it is an even remotely reasonable price, and stomp it with an early bid when it is not. I will not quibble over a few dollars, since my point is acquiring the item--no more, no less. Obviously there is a point beyond which I will not pay, so I decide that in advance and leave it alone. Most of my wins are inexpensive (especially recently), though occasionally I go for a more luxurious item (especially old books), and used to indulge even more regularly.
Some comments as to the five behaviors (above) in which I used to indulge, as a neophyte:
1) Since the whole point is to conceal interest until the very last minute, I feel that early proxy bidding betrays that stealth approach and alerts others, who may bid higher--including other snipers. I read how some try to "feel out" the approximate amounts of other early bids, to get an idea about worth, but to me, if you decide your max ahead of time, there is no reason to ponder what others are bidding. Their max is of absolutely no concern to me. I will either win the item, or I will not, because it is beyond my range. That is why I do not handle reserve prices any differently than other auctions: I will win it because I bid high enough, or I will not because I was too low. I am willing to wait until the end of the auction to determine this, while I realize that others are not. I think that is a critical issue. It is only a matter of days and I realized that after the first few weeks that it was imprudent to be impatient.
2) Like Rick, I came to feel that changing the snipe amount repeatedly before the end of the auction was not much better than nibbling. True, it did not raise the price of the widget, but it was indicative of a letting others set values for me. Plus, I generally have little patience for what I consider indecisivenss, including in myself. I do not mean to offend anyone here; I am simply explaining how I feel.
3) I became a manual sniper when someone sniped a rare item that I wanted, and one that I had wrongly assumed was already mine. I was watching the end of the auction unfold, so eager was I to win, and I literally watched it happen with seven seconds to go. I was seething mad, as the item was an extremely rare edition of a long out-of-print tome. (I eventually found it again, three months later and won it via AS
), plus I have seen it again twice more, so even rare items come up again, with so many eBay members. Then I realized the error of my ways; the item was not mine until I won and paid for it, so my sense of entitlement was emotional hogwash. I then realized that the winning sniper had done nothing but time his bid advantageously, and I was a convert to sniping. (A few months later I found AS and the rest is history.) I did revel in my earliest wins, both manually and via AS, but after the novelty wore off, I simply saw it is a strategy that I employed, with a nearly 95% success rate, and I began to approach the whole bidding thing more dispassionately.
4) As others know, I feel that value is a nebulous concept. There is no market value for anything, especially the collectibles I garner. The value is whatever I say it is and am willing to pay. Since many of my widgets are of a sentimental or nostalgic nature, their "value" to me is probably far greater than many of you would ever pay, and I bid accordingly. Similarly, there are things you may collect for which I would not pay ten cents, because they have no interest to me. De gustibus non disputandem est. Consequently, I decide when I see an item how much I am willing to pay and I stick with it, period. When I am outbid, it is almost always the end of the auction when I find out, but I am OK with that. But by sniping it, tend to win. I view nibbling as extremely indecisive and a trait of wenie-ness, LOL. Again, I mean no offense to anyone here.
5) In light of the above, I am unwilling to limit the use of AS to the most sought-after items. I did that the first three or four times, then I realized that I was trying to save pocket change (maybe an occasional buck or two), and in being so cheap, was sometimes forgetting the ending times of auctions, or having some emergency or computer failure cause me to not bid and obviously lose. Let AS do what it does best, I thought. I pay by PayPal about once every three months and simply forget about that minimal cost and go about the business of winning. Only two or three times out of 672 auctions has AS ever not placed my bid, so I always let them bid. If I am at a computer when an auction is ending, I may snipe manually as a back-up, but AS is my primary and usual method, and my manual bid is the back-up to AS, not vice-versa.
OK, class is out for today. Thanks to all who read this far and I do not in the slightest blame those who did not.
[This message was edited by Chatter163 on January 13, 2004 at 01:02 PM.]
[This message was edited by Chatter163 on January 13, 2004 at 01:08 PM.]
Thanks for the plaudits
I find that it is exceedingly rare that auctions are ended early by the seller, for lack of interest. So rare, in fact, as to make early proxy bidding on every (or most or many) auctions in which one has interest, a very risky proposition indeed.
In my first few weeks as an AS sniper, I may have exhibited several behaviors that, for the most part, were limited to those early days, and I quickly got over them and got down to business:
1) Early proxy bidding AND sniping
2) Changing my snipe amount before the end
3) A rush for having "beaten" someone for the win
4) Hesitated over an item's "worth"
5) Saved AS for only the "must have" items
Once I developed a routine approach, I let AS do its thing each and every time. I use Buy It Now whenever it is an even remotely reasonable price, and stomp it with an early bid when it is not. I will not quibble over a few dollars, since my point is acquiring the item--no more, no less. Obviously there is a point beyond which I will not pay, so I decide that in advance and leave it alone. Most of my wins are inexpensive (especially recently), though occasionally I go for a more luxurious item (especially old books), and used to indulge even more regularly.
Some comments as to the five behaviors (above) in which I used to indulge, as a neophyte:
1) Since the whole point is to conceal interest until the very last minute, I feel that early proxy bidding betrays that stealth approach and alerts others, who may bid higher--including other snipers. I read how some try to "feel out" the approximate amounts of other early bids, to get an idea about worth, but to me, if you decide your max ahead of time, there is no reason to ponder what others are bidding. Their max is of absolutely no concern to me. I will either win the item, or I will not, because it is beyond my range. That is why I do not handle reserve prices any differently than other auctions: I will win it because I bid high enough, or I will not because I was too low. I am willing to wait until the end of the auction to determine this, while I realize that others are not. I think that is a critical issue. It is only a matter of days and I realized that after the first few weeks that it was imprudent to be impatient.
2) Like Rick, I came to feel that changing the snipe amount repeatedly before the end of the auction was not much better than nibbling. True, it did not raise the price of the widget, but it was indicative of a letting others set values for me. Plus, I generally have little patience for what I consider indecisivenss, including in myself. I do not mean to offend anyone here; I am simply explaining how I feel.
3) I became a manual sniper when someone sniped a rare item that I wanted, and one that I had wrongly assumed was already mine. I was watching the end of the auction unfold, so eager was I to win, and I literally watched it happen with seven seconds to go. I was seething mad, as the item was an extremely rare edition of a long out-of-print tome. (I eventually found it again, three months later and won it via AS
), plus I have seen it again twice more, so even rare items come up again, with so many eBay members. Then I realized the error of my ways; the item was not mine until I won and paid for it, so my sense of entitlement was emotional hogwash. I then realized that the winning sniper had done nothing but time his bid advantageously, and I was a convert to sniping. (A few months later I found AS and the rest is history.) I did revel in my earliest wins, both manually and via AS, but after the novelty wore off, I simply saw it is a strategy that I employed, with a nearly 95% success rate, and I began to approach the whole bidding thing more dispassionately.4) As others know, I feel that value is a nebulous concept. There is no market value for anything, especially the collectibles I garner. The value is whatever I say it is and am willing to pay. Since many of my widgets are of a sentimental or nostalgic nature, their "value" to me is probably far greater than many of you would ever pay, and I bid accordingly. Similarly, there are things you may collect for which I would not pay ten cents, because they have no interest to me. De gustibus non disputandem est. Consequently, I decide when I see an item how much I am willing to pay and I stick with it, period. When I am outbid, it is almost always the end of the auction when I find out, but I am OK with that. But by sniping it, tend to win. I view nibbling as extremely indecisive and a trait of wenie-ness, LOL. Again, I mean no offense to anyone here.
5) In light of the above, I am unwilling to limit the use of AS to the most sought-after items. I did that the first three or four times, then I realized that I was trying to save pocket change (maybe an occasional buck or two), and in being so cheap, was sometimes forgetting the ending times of auctions, or having some emergency or computer failure cause me to not bid and obviously lose. Let AS do what it does best, I thought. I pay by PayPal about once every three months and simply forget about that minimal cost and go about the business of winning. Only two or three times out of 672 auctions has AS ever not placed my bid, so I always let them bid. If I am at a computer when an auction is ending, I may snipe manually as a back-up, but AS is my primary and usual method, and my manual bid is the back-up to AS, not vice-versa.
OK, class is out for today. Thanks to all who read this far and I do not in the slightest blame those who did not.
[This message was edited by Chatter163 on January 13, 2004 at 01:02 PM.]
[This message was edited by Chatter163 on January 13, 2004 at 01:08 PM.]
Chatter,
Your post is one of those that will be linked back to! Like in that old "Kung Fu" show, I feel like a grasshopper in the presence of a master!
Jabbergah
Your post is one of those that will be linked back to! Like in that old "Kung Fu" show, I feel like a grasshopper in the presence of a master!
Jabbergah
Good read Chatter
But...the bottom line is..If I use Auction Sniper - I am a Sniper!!, whether you agree with the way I use it is neither here nor there.
So come out of the woodwork you did, as this topic wasnt about how to use AS the *correct* way (well as you deem correct) but the topic was
Which is what I answered
I agree with Jabber (which is unusual in itself ) your post and Rick's will be link back to many times and is worthy of it, but yours is not the only way to use Auction Sniper successfully as many of us can show.
Really - how do you define whether your way is more successful or not? You cannot say that I spent more than I was willing to, I DO have a MAX in mind and I rarely if ever go higher than that, isnt that the name of the game? To WIN the widget at a price that is acceptable if not WOOHOOable?
Lexie
But...the bottom line is..If I use Auction Sniper - I am a Sniper!!, whether you agree with the way I use it is neither here nor there.
So come out of the woodwork you did, as this topic wasnt about how to use AS the *correct* way (well as you deem correct) but the topic was
quote:
Is there a way to avoid a proxy outbid?
Which is what I answered
I agree with Jabber (which is unusual in itself
) your post and Rick's will be link back to many times and is worthy of it, but yours is not the only way to use Auction Sniper successfully as many of us can show. Really - how do you define whether your way is more successful or not? You cannot say that I spent more than I was willing to, I DO have a MAX in mind and I rarely if ever go higher than that, isnt that the name of the game? To WIN the widget at a price that is acceptable if not WOOHOOable?
Lexie
Chatter,
Jabber,
In my forum's youth, I did a halfway way respectable job. And by Chatter's last post, you can see he was a force to be respected.
Oh, some of the debates we had - ahhhh - those were the days.
In the "old days", you would have been pretty much the norm - not quit the Tolstoy of today.
LOLAM - Laughing Out Loud At Myself.
quote:
Originally posted by Jabbergah:
A LONG post with RICK'S name (heretofore known for brevity in posts!) on top!?!
Jabber,
In my forum's youth, I did a halfway way respectable job. And by Chatter's last post, you can see he was a force to be respected.
Oh, some of the debates we had - ahhhh - those were the days.
In the "old days", you would have been pretty much the norm - not quit the Tolstoy of today.
LOLAM - Laughing Out Loud At Myself.
Rick,
Thanks for the LOLAM lo down!
Re: wordy posts. I think it must come & go in waves. If someone were to post thorough & comprehensive posts ALL the time, there would be no time for sniping or having a life!
Chatter,
One of the things I've done to avoid revealing my interest in an item -- I have a sniping/buying ebay ID and a nibbling/BIN ebay ID. And NO, I'm NOT into shill bidding! (Nibbler bidding on Sniper's auctions and vice versa) In fact only the Sniper ID has ever sold anything.
With your long experience at this game, I'm curious what YOUR answer is to one of the most common questions on this forum: What do YOU set your lead times to?
Jabbergah
Thanks for the LOLAM lo down!
Re: wordy posts. I think it must come & go in waves. If someone were to post thorough & comprehensive posts ALL the time, there would be no time for sniping or having a life!
Chatter,
One of the things I've done to avoid revealing my interest in an item -- I have a sniping/buying ebay ID and a nibbling/BIN ebay ID. And NO, I'm NOT into shill bidding! (Nibbler bidding on Sniper's auctions and vice versa) In fact only the Sniper ID has ever sold anything.
With your long experience at this game, I'm curious what YOUR answer is to one of the most common questions on this forum: What do YOU set your lead times to?
Jabbergah
quote:
Originally posted by Bartelby:
Good read Chatter
But...the bottom line is..If I use Auction Sniper - _I am a Sniper!!_, whether you agree with the way I use it is neither here nor there.
So come out of the woodwork you did, as this topic wasnt about how to use AS the *correct* way (well as you deem correct) but the topic wasquote:
Is there a way to avoid a proxy outbid?
Which is what I answered
I agree with Jabber (which is unusual in itself
Really - how do you define whether your way is more successful or not? You cannot say that I spent more than I was willing to, I DO have a MAX in mind and I rarely if ever go higher than that, isnt that the name of the game? To WIN the widget at a price that is acceptable if not WOOHOOable?
Lexie
Lexie, thanks. I mentioned the woodwork because that expression ("appearing out of the woodwork") implies that those appearing had previously been hidden, unknown or somehow obscured. I certainly do not fit that description, as you regularly point out, nor do several other vocal opponents here of proxy bidding.
I did not say that you or anyone spent more than they cared to. I merely stated that many people appear to be indecisive when it comes to determining what their max is. I did not have you in mind on that one. OTOH, if, as you say, you have a true max in mind all along, and rarely exceed that amount, then why take the extra proxy bidding step?
LOL Chatter - you and I have been down this road a few times already, and I really dont wanna bore ppl with it again, lets just agree to disagree You can not understand my logic in proxy bidding and it doesnt matter how I put it into words - it wont meet with your approval. So long as I dont bid past my max, it doesnt really matter.
As for the woodwork comment, I wasnt meaning it in the context that you took it (maybe us Aussies have a different take on it), so again, I'll just leave that one too.
Have a Nice evening
Lexie
You can not understand my logic in proxy bidding and it doesnt matter how I put it into words - it wont meet with your approval. So long as I dont bid past my max, it doesnt really matter. As for the woodwork comment, I wasnt meaning it in the context that you took it (maybe us Aussies have a different take on it), so again, I'll just leave that one too.
Have a Nice evening
Lexie
Maybe I'm missing something.
I thought Chatter was commenting on my comments regarding puppy's post. I thought Chatter provided information that everyone could benefit from. Correct me if I'm wrong. I like to be wrong - that way I know I'm learning.
Please feel free to start at the original post and ALL the following posts.
P.S. I didn't think Chatter was making a comment on any one individual's bidding habits. I think Chatter was providing his view of sniping. Again - I like to be wrong.
P.S. #2 I thing "Chatter's Bidding Philosophy Primer" means that this is what he thinks sniping is all about. Not something else.
I thought Chatter was commenting on my comments regarding puppy's post. I thought Chatter provided information that everyone could benefit from. Correct me if I'm wrong. I like to be wrong - that way I know I'm learning.
Please feel free to start at the original post and ALL the following posts.
P.S. I didn't think Chatter was making a comment on any one individual's bidding habits. I think Chatter was providing his view of sniping. Again - I like to be wrong.
P.S. #2 I thing "Chatter's Bidding Philosophy Primer" means that this is what he thinks sniping is all about. Not something else.
alioop11
As the OP, I like to hear your opinion.
What "wise"dom has this provided you with?
As the OP, I like to hear your opinion.
What "wise"dom has this provided you with?
Hi Rick and All,
Well, after reading everyone's opinion/advice, I've been alerted to make sure that I bid the maximum amount I would possibly want to pay for the item;and pray that noone else has a higher bid than me!
I would still keep my eyes on the progress of the auction till the end. This way, if I didn't bid enough for AS to do it on my behalf, I can tell AS to bid more. Right?
Well, after reading everyone's opinion/advice, I've been alerted to make sure that I bid the maximum amount I would possibly want to pay for the item;and pray that noone else has a higher bid than me!
I would still keep my eyes on the progress of the auction till the end. This way, if I didn't bid enough for AS to do it on my behalf, I can tell AS to bid more. Right?
Alioop,
Just wanted to point out a minor detail. AS locks a snipe and allows no changes to it in the LAST 3 minutes before it is scheduled to fire. If you want to make any changes to a snipe, you will need to do it before then.
Jabbergah
Just wanted to point out a minor detail. AS locks a snipe and allows no changes to it in the LAST 3 minutes before it is scheduled to fire. If you want to make any changes to a snipe, you will need to do it before then.
Jabbergah
Nice of you to point that out Jabber - it can be a sad lesson learnt the hard way.
Lexie
Lexie
Very "Enlightening" Chatter !
I do agree on most of your points,(I didn't get to finish them all). I experienced getting sniped
at the "last second", sort of speak, this happened when I was new to ebay. To say the least, it made me very dissapointed because I assumed I was a "sure winner". There was only seconds left for the end of the auction and I was defeated! How can that happen?? I thought.
Well now I know how. I feel more confident now about bidding since I joined AS and ...
"Better Late Than Never".
I do agree on most of your points,(I didn't get to finish them all). I experienced getting sniped
at the "last second", sort of speak, this happened when I was new to ebay. To say the least, it made me very dissapointed because I assumed I was a "sure winner". There was only seconds left for the end of the auction and I was defeated! How can that happen?? I thought.
Well now I know how. I feel more confident now about bidding since I joined AS and ...
"Better Late Than Never".
Jabbergah,
Thanks for the pointer on AS Lock Up.
I'll be sure to follow it.
Thanks for the pointer on AS Lock Up.
I'll be sure to follow it.
quote:Right, but...
alioop11:
if I didn't bid enough for AS to do it on my behalf, I can tell AS to bid more. Right?
The most difficult part of using AS is entering your MAX bid amount. You won't have to worry about the 3 minuit time limit if you stop and think a bit. If you are outbid, will you WANT to increase your max bid? If the answer is yes, you didn't enter your max the first time. Change it NOW, not later.
I change by bid amount from time to time, but it's because I'VE changed MY mind, not as a response to someone else bidding.
Best of luck to ya !
While Chatter & Rick are quite set in their policy of no proxy - only snipe bidding, I would suggest there are times you might NOT snipe. A couple examples:
1) The BIN is reasonable and is within what your max bid would be anyway.
2) The opening bid is the MAX you want to pay. This worked out for me a couple weeks ago. The item was PROLIFIC on ebay with multiple sellers. Oddly, ALL sellers offered the item around the same opening bid (if you added the S&H amount). THAT was the amount I wanted to pay. So if you want to win at the opening bid, what is the point to wait until the end of the auction? If somebody bids BEFORE me, the snipe will bounce back as TOO LOW. If the snipe is successfully placed, that means I'm the only bidder, and I just wasted a snipe & incurred a snipe cost. What happened to me -- I placed the opening bid, got outbid by 2 or 3 other bidders, then the seller 2nd chanced me for my bid! I ended up getting the item for my price, and didn't even incur a snipe fee! This strategy would NOT work as well with RARE items.
Just want to point out that the sniping strategy, while a GREAT technique, isn't the ONLY strategy to win at my price! The point isn't the sniping, the point is the WINNING!
Snipe on!
Jabbergah
1) The BIN is reasonable and is within what your max bid would be anyway.
2) The opening bid is the MAX you want to pay. This worked out for me a couple weeks ago. The item was PROLIFIC on ebay with multiple sellers. Oddly, ALL sellers offered the item around the same opening bid (if you added the S&H amount). THAT was the amount I wanted to pay. So if you want to win at the opening bid, what is the point to wait until the end of the auction? If somebody bids BEFORE me, the snipe will bounce back as TOO LOW. If the snipe is successfully placed, that means I'm the only bidder, and I just wasted a snipe & incurred a snipe cost. What happened to me -- I placed the opening bid, got outbid by 2 or 3 other bidders, then the seller 2nd chanced me for my bid! I ended up getting the item for my price, and didn't even incur a snipe fee! This strategy would NOT work as well with RARE items.
Just want to point out that the sniping strategy, while a GREAT technique, isn't the ONLY strategy to win at my price! The point isn't the sniping, the point is the WINNING!
Snipe on!
Jabbergah
quote:
Originally posted by Jabbergah:
While Chatter & Rick are quite set in their policy of no proxy
>>> Click here <<<
Even if the opening bid is my max, I still would not bid until the end. Someone might see my early bid and decide to check out the item and bid, whereas an unbidded item may otherwise go unnoticed. Some people bid because they have seen others do so, or bid higher for the same reason. I don't know why, but it is part of why sniping exists.
Wow, Chatter! Sounds like you have a pretty good case of paranoia going there! You think just because YOU place a bid on something, it will automatically attract other bidders. I've HEARD of such things happening, but it is mainly attributed to heavy buyers of collectible items, which I pointed out was NOT a suitable application of this technique. I think the straight opening non snipe bid works only in cases where the apparent supply on ebay exceeds the apparent demand.
You can't deny that there are a bunch of auctions out there that end with just ONE bidder (or, even worse, NO bidders!), and only a fraction of those are snipe bidders. I should know -- a lot of them are MY listings!
Jabbergah
You think just because YOU place a bid on something, it will automatically attract other bidders. I've HEARD of such things happening, but it is mainly attributed to heavy buyers of collectible items, which I pointed out was NOT a suitable application of this technique. I think the straight opening non snipe bid works only in cases where the apparent supply on ebay exceeds the apparent demand.You can't deny that there are a bunch of auctions out there that end with just ONE bidder (or, even worse, NO bidders!), and only a fraction of those are snipe bidders. I should know -- a lot of them are MY listings!
Jabbergah
quote:
Originally posted by Chatter163:
Some people bid because they have seen others do so, or bid higher for the same reason. I don't know why, but it is part of why sniping exists.
I've had it happen to me, with a couple of other bidders. That's one of the reasons I starting manually sniping, and then went to AS.
It got to the point were I was putting out phony proxy bids to throw some of these people off. I know it sounds like paranoia, but when it's happening to you it doesn't appear that way.
Envy can sometimes cause people to do strange things.
quote:
Originally posted by Jabbergah:
Wow, Chatter! Sounds like you have a pretty good case of paranoia going there!
You can't deny that there are a bunch of auctions out there that end with just ONE bidder (or, even worse, NO bidders!), and only a fraction of those are snipe bidders. I should know -- a lot of them are MY listings!
I suggest you read my post again more closely. At no time did I ever state that my bid specifically would attract others; those were your words. I stated that bidding early can attract other bids--in this case it was my bid I was talking about, obviously, but this would apply to ANYONE's bid. There is no paranoia here, nor is there anything unique to me. It is simply a common understanding among snipers that a bid always invites a counterbid, one that might not happen otherwise. Rick has confirmed this in his post, and I think we have all seen such instances fairly regularly.
Of course, there are many auctions that end with only a single bidder, and yes, these are more likely to be the ones where the same item is concurrently available in several auctions. But human nature being what it is, it happens. It especially happens when your auction is the next one to end, and someone finds the item at the very last minute, bidding on the next auction to end. This is where the snipe comes in handy. When the item is available through several sellers, its price is naturally lower. I do not mind the AS fee; it is a meager charge that I view as insurance and as part of the cost, like shipping.
quote:
Originally posted by Rick:
Oh, some of the debates we had - ahhhh - those were the days.
I forgot to mention here how much I miss Steve.
Hey Chatter!
You mean >I< am the only one paranoid around here?!? Don't you guys feel left out?!? WAIT a minute!...I bet you guys are PLOTTING against me! Yeah, THAT'S it!!
By in large, we agree. Just for the sake of discussion, I pointed out that in cases where the supply exceeds demand for an item on ebay AND the price is pretty well set the same AND the opening bid is the MOST I want to pay, proxy sniping at the opening bid seems like a reasonable tactic and has worked for me.
Now in cases where the item has ANY rarity, in HIGH demand (I would include high PERSONAL demand here, too -- some item that I GOTTA have! Right NOW!), or wide price fluctuations in winning bid, then YES -- sniping is the way to go!
If we were painters, I think you could say we agree on colors, it's the shading where we differ!
Jabbergah
You mean >I< am the only one paranoid around here?!?
Don't you guys feel left out?!? WAIT a minute!...I bet you guys are PLOTTING against me! Yeah, THAT'S it!! By in large, we agree. Just for the sake of discussion, I pointed out that in cases where the supply exceeds demand for an item on ebay AND the price is pretty well set the same AND the opening bid is the MOST I want to pay, proxy sniping at the opening bid seems like a reasonable tactic and has worked for me.
Now in cases where the item has ANY rarity, in HIGH demand (I would include high PERSONAL demand here, too -- some item that I GOTTA have! Right NOW!), or wide price fluctuations in winning bid, then YES -- sniping is the way to go!
If we were painters, I think you could say we agree on colors, it's the shading where we differ!
Jabbergah
Are you guys mature or what? This forum is starting to sound a bit "Petty". Just state your opinons and respect one another's response without making it such a BIG deal! Who cares, its just an opinion forum.