Research your purchases- it will save you money

I have noticed a lot of similar behavior. Many bidders seem to have no concept even of regular "street" prices for items, let alone average prices on eBay. They also evidently lack the patience to wait for another auction. I recently bought a Rex 6000 PDA after a couple of weeks of monitoring auctions and placing bids. This item is discontinued, but there are still a couple of retail web sites that sell it for around $100.00. The recent sale prices on eBay for a new, sealed-in-the-box unit range from $66.00 to $102.50 less shipping. (I paid $71.00 and might have won the $66.00 auction if my AuctionSniper bid had gone through.) Those bidding $80.00 or more for the Rex evidently were completely unaware that the same item was available on eBay for a set "Buy-It-Now" price of $79.50 (since increased to $85.00; 37 still available). As a buyer, I find it frustrating to see people bidding up prices unnecessarily, but I guess it's great for sellers.

When I was new to eBay I found that items I wanted could be had at 60-80% of the retail price (or less!). So, in my excitement, I used to get into bidding wars and end up saving only 5 or 10% (or less) compared to retail. But then I realized: the items I wanted kept popping up over and and over and over. I didn't have to get into a bidding war...I just had to be patient and wait for one to come along at the right price.

Now, with the help of AS, I just find all the auctions featuring what I am looking for, set up my bid group, and wait to win one. If I'm really patient (it may take several weeks), I can get what I want for the lowest it will sell for.

I guess if you're into really rare things this wouldn't work.

Works for me, though!

On the hard to find stuff, it is rare to get the cheapest possible price. When it comes to high grade CGC comics, it all comes down to the market & the seller's feedback rating & forms of payment accepted.

Personally I hate it when a seller does not accept electronic payment b/c it is a huge hassle & as a buyer you are more protected paying via Credit Card.

Another thing thatI find very helpful but newbies don't use much is the "completed auctions" link to see what the same or similar item has sold for recently. It gives me a good idea where to set my snipe, and tells me reasonable if this item is due to show up again soon (often the same seller) after the auction ends.

It's too bad that Ebay now cut down on the completed items section

You guys can't have it both ways.

On one hand you are a member of an auction site, dedicated to sniping, that takes advantage of people who are lowballing bids, expecting to obtain the item for a low price, because they currently hold the highest bid. We come along, and acquire the item for that tinsy bit more than their last bid was for. These are the people who get mad, and slam snipers.

On the other hand, you guys are some what upset about what people are paying for things that you may want to purchase. Indeed sometimes it is downright silly, but if everyone would just bid what the item is worth to them in the first place sniping wouln't be worthwhile, because the higest bid would win and every one would be satisfied.

Isn't the point of the auction for the seller to get the most money for his item? ebay is a service for the seller, not the buyer. The sellers "pay the bills".

Not critisizing, just pointing out that you can't have your cake and eat it too.

I have also replied to a thread with this general idea on this board, in this thread HEREif anyone wants to read a wordy rendition of my thoughts on the subject.

quote:

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Originally posted by Section 8:
You guys can't have it both ways.

On one hand you are a member of an auction site, dedicated to sniping, that takes advantage of people who are lowballing bids, expecting to obtain the item for a low price,
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On the other hand, you guys are some what upset about what people are paying for things that you may want to purchase.

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I don't think people were upset, just trying to be helpful so others do not to get caught up in auction fever and overpay what they think the item is worth. Yes, sniping helps me win auctions for less than proxy bidding; I don't begrudge ANYBODY if they beat my snipe with a proxy, they obviously thought it was worth more

Darkfrog, in economic terms I think you are fundamentally wrong about the nature of eBay. Although sellers pay the bills, the eBay service operates for the benefit of both buyers and sellers and could not succeed otherwise. An auction sale, like any other sale, is a transaction between a willing buyer and a willing seller. The transaction does not take place unless both parties will be satisfied with the result.

I find that sometimes I'll see two sellers auctioning the same item at differnt prices. One will have a buy it now for say 149 and another will have the same item for 130 but usually ends up selling for 165.

With me, I'm one of those people who will sometimes pay a little bit more. Usually if the guy selling the item at 149 only has a tiny bit of feedback or has to many negitives for my tastes. I'm more likely to spend a few bucks more for pieace of mind. Knowning that there is a far lesser chance something going wrong.

But if both sellers have similar feedback, you have to just be plain nuts to go with the higher price. I can understand if it's a trust issue. I myself, will shop around for days sometimes weeks, all over the internet, finding the lowest prices for items. Checking with websites like Epinions.com and ResellerRatings.com and others like them, making sure a store is credible. It's just smart shopping. I never go for the absolute cheapest though, more times then not, if the deal is to good to be true, well you know that saying.

Unlike ClearYourMind, I'm the sort who targets what he wants and then goes after it. Of course, the kind of things I buy aren't often found on eBay at all, let alone two or more at one time.

There are other things you can do besides search for the lowest asking price and researching the sellers before deciding on an item to snipe. If others have bid on an item it's both interesting and useful to research their bidding records. Is any of them a sniper? What's his snipe timing? Does he bid "in the open" and then lie in wait with a snipe at the end? Does he bid in increments, sort of climbing up until he tops his opposition, or does he come in slam-bang with a whopper bid at the last moment? What seems to be his maximum bid on a certain type of item? All of this information is grist for the veteran sniper's mill, and it's certainly a big advantage.

Oops. I just realized quite belatedly that my post above should have been directed to Section 8, not DarkFrog. Happy New Year to all!

Not only is it worth it to compare prices of items that are the same to see which is the best deal, but it is also a good idea to see what that actual item is going for in stores or online.

Before I bid on an item, I find out if it is still available in a store over the Internet and find out what the going price is. That way, I know what amount not to bid over. One thing I find humorous is when I’m looking for a particular item and find it on ebay with people bidding it up to $30 or $40 higher than what you would pay for it bran new in many online stores. I run into this many times.

If you want to make sure your not paying too high for the item, check to see how much you could buy it for in the store.

Have fun bidding and winning!

before I choose to snipe an Item, I punch in www.the manufacturer of this Item.com
or I go to google and punch in the Item Name or Manufacturer of the Item. Sites and more Sites are coming up where I can do my price comaprison.
So after I found out that the Item is overpriced at Ebay( as it mostly is) I'll let it be. Or sometimes the Pricing at ebay is just a little cheaper, but then it goes another couple of days and or it stays the same Price and including shipping I would pay far more.
Some of the Electronics Companies
( thats what I am on Ebay for)
even give you free shipping on that Item. You are better off buying new then.
You gotta shop around Guys.
CoCo

German DJ