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23 replies

Strange Price Increase Increments

U usernameMember
Hi - Smile

I've been sniping for a while, with good success - thanks!

However, Something weird has happened on one this evening that I don't understand.

To be honest, the whole ebay bids screen baffles me at the best of times - I consider myself an intelligent person (ooerr!) but have given up trying to make sense of some of the oddities it reports after auction close..

The one this evening is strange because of the values it jumps up by -
------------------------------------------
13-Sep-04 21:11:15 BST US $108.50 drtyblvd ( 129)
13-Sep-04 21:11:13 BST US $106.00 fox9543 ( 87)
13-Sep-04 19:57:08 BST US $76.00 robertln48 ( 6 )
11-Sep-04 04:44:55 BST US $66.00 othello820z9i ( 14)
05-Sep-04 21:09:31 BST US $60.00 marshmanmarsh ( 300)
04-Sep-04 13:09:15 BST US $54.00 othello820z9i ( 14)
05-Sep-04 21:09:18 BST US $26.00 marshmanmarsh ( 300)
05-Sep-04 21:09:04 BST US $21.00 marshmanmarsh ( 300)
05-Sep-04 12:16:56 BST US $10.50 milk3sugars ( 76)
-----------------------------------------

When I have bid on other things, the increments have never been so much; and when I read the above, I don't understand why, if there is no 'in-between' bid value, it goes from $76 to $106?

I'm sure I'm missing something simple, but can't see the wood for the trees!

Also, why would my final bid be for such a strange value?

Can anyone suggest? Thank you!

db
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bartelbybartelbyMember
Hi db,
The strange jump in incrments, isnt all that strange. It was just that fox9543 came along with a very large proxy bid and flushed out robertln48's maximum bid. It happens all the time.

I used to have an awful time figuring out what the bid page was telling me.

Now if, fox9543 had just been a nibbler and put in a small bid (ie, $86), then you would of seen a small jump in the bid increment, up to $86 with robertln48 still in the lead. fox9543 could of nibbled his way up to the $106, but instead, he had a figure in mind that he wanted to pay for the item and whacked that amount in. Obviously, the $106 was close to the mark, I take it your snipe bumped him out of the running. Big Grin
P psalmoneMember
i agree with lexie; he had an idea how much he was willing to bid and so he put it in one time only so as not to encourage others to bid it up; he was interested in getting it as cheaply as possible at the last moment, same as you; just as your max bid probably wasn't exactly 108.50, he wasn't anticipating anyone bidding an amount large enough to blow him out, but congratulations. Steve
U usernameMember
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh! Smile

DohSmile The 'proxy bid' . I get it now. And, I also get all the other bid screens I didn't understand.

Thank you both for such a clear explanation - I wish I'd Bl*&&^y asked ages ago!! Roll Eyes Smile

And yes, sniper got sniped, I think Big Grin

Mind you - I've been trying to explain to the missus about how to win auctions - it's funny, but she comes at it from the opposite end to me - I bid what I am prepared to pay; usually, for something I want, that is going to be WAY above what any sane and rational person would bid - I once bid a grand for something that went for 250ish, and would have paid up to that happily - but the lady wants to 'just win' everytime -

"Oo oo - bid 2.50 more!" LOL. She'll learn. Then again, maybe that wouldn't be too good an idea...!

Thanks again Smile
D dtsmMember
Slightly different problem and maybe snipe is being out-sniped. I've had fairly good success but recently lost 3-4 bids in literally the last 10 seconds before close because winning bidder was such as my snipe bid wasn't high enough for the next 'incremental bid'.

This I realize can happen but what is weird is the winning bid is for price with end decimals like $XX.03 or $XX.54. It almost appears like the winning bidder knows the higher snipe price and bids just enough so that the incremental bid requirement kicks in and I lose...does that make sense to you all?

Any similar experiences. I wouldn't even being posting this if it has happened for the last few bids I've attempted over the last 3-4 weeks.
D dtsmMember
Thanks for the tip.

Auctionsniper just says bid below increment and doesn't give history of bids.

eBay - it's not listed as 'lost auction' because I never was able to get bid in, so it would only be in the 'watched' archive....which of course I deleted (silly!)


For the two recent auctions that I couldn't successful snipe, my bids were $33.99 and winner had $39.58 bid, and $42.55 vs. $42.26. It just seems weird to me since normally people bid in increments of 0.05, 0.10, etc....I usually did and only for these two decided to put in an 'odd' amount. That's all the information I can gather.

But trying again for similar items and will track and see what happens.
C chatterMember
I find that plenty of people do not bid in five cent multiples, for the same reasons that we do not.

If you go into the auctions on AS--and apparently you still can--just click on the auction itself and it will take you to the closed auction on eBay. Or, you can cut and paste the auction number. Either way, you can still look at the auction on eBay for up to ninety days.
J jabbergahMember
quote:
It just seems weird to me since normally people bid in increments of 0.05, 0.10, etc....I usually did and only for these two decided to put in an 'odd' amount
I NEVER bid in increments of 0.05 or 0.10! -- Always a few pennies more. And I have won some auctions by those few pennies! To win an auction by a penny is so much sweeter than to win by a bid increment! Wink Razz
D dtsmMember
quote:
Originally posted by Chatter:
I find that plenty of people do not bid in five cent multiples, for the same reasons that we do not.

If you go into the auctions on AS--and apparently you still can--just click on the auction itself and it will take you to the closed auction on eBay. Or, you can cut and paste the auction number. Either way, you can still look at the auction on eBay for up to ninety days.


Chatter, thanks for the tip. Here's the last few bids for the two auctions:

My snipe was for $42.55
frosty329 US $42.26 Nov-15-04 19:01:55 PST
brutus115 US $41.26 Nov-15-04 09:05:15 PST
nmindcrime US $41.00 Nov-15-04 18:56:05 PST
nmindcrime US $38.38

My snipe was for $39.99
mmmantique US $39.58 Nov-17-04 18:40:35 PST
mmmmantique US $39.58 Nov-17-04 18:20:23 PST
izik58 US $38.58 Nov-17-04 12:21:49 PST
jcurnes US $35.00 Nov-17-04 09:38:33 PST
sharris501 US $31.52
rickrickMember
In the case of both auctions, your bid wasn’t at least an increment above the current price when the snipe was being placed. At those prices, the next increment was $1.

Your $42.55 snipe would had to have been $43.26 ($42.26 + increment) just to get placed (doesn’t mean won). Your $39.99 needed $40.58.

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