WHY SNIPE?

Check >This< auction.

Same auction, different view...

The following table has been reorganized and sorted into date order.  First
bid placed is line #1.  That should make it easier to follow the auction.
Two additional columns have been calculated and added.  They are the current 
bid and high bidder, as displayed on eBay after each bid is placed.        v2.1.08
* = Winning bid. (may be less than actual maximum entered.)
 
                    Max                      Current Winning
  #    Bidder       Bid      Day & Time       Bid  &  Bidder
                  (US $)
  1   mully4235     3.00   30-Jul  17:53:42   2.99   mully4235    
  2   specks79     *8.50   01-Aug  15:21:05   3.25   specks79     
  3   amberkayande  3.59   01-Aug  21:48:04   3.84   specks79     
  4   amberkayande  4.11   01-Aug  21:48:15   4.36   specks79     
  5   amberkayande  5.00   01-Aug  21:48:28   5.50   specks79     
  6   mully4235     6.00   01-Aug  22:35:02   6.50   specks79     
  7   mully4235     7.00   01-Aug  22:35:20   7.50   specks79     
  8   mully4235     8.00   01-Aug  22:37:13   8.50   specks79     
        End                01-Aug  22:37:36            

Specks would have won either way, but if they had sniped, I bet the price would have been less.

You're right, sniping doesn't guarantee a win, and you can win without it, but it DOES avoid those bidding wars. AS can, and does save me money.

WELCOME to the forum!

Also, many (most?) people do NOT bid their true max, as you offered in your example. They tend to bid what they HOPE they will pay--the amount that will put them on top as high bidder, but not necessarily their max. Consequently, if others come in and bid higher, the nibblers bid even higher yet, whereas if no one else bids, they will leave their bid as is, then along comes a sniper and it's all over.

For example, bidder A bids $10 and bidder B bids $15. In this situation, bidder A comes back and bids $20, BUT had B NOT come along, A would have left his bid at $10. Then along comes a sniper, who takes home the item for $12. Bidder A WOULD have gone as high as $25, but since no one else outbid him until it was too late for him to respond, he lost the auction.

So many people feel like they are spending less if they do not bid their max via proxy bid, it ends up benefitting those of us who bid late. Those people only up their bid when there is competition, and we come too late to be recognized as such.

And believe me, there are MILLIONS of eBayers who bid this way!

AND chatter certainly should know because he has over 800 snipes to his credit! And Puppy is an expert in my opinion with the bidding charts! You are in good hands!
Welcome to our forum!

Thanks--had a busy week. Up to 861 now.

Wow, Chatter! Whatever you buy, I wish I sold it!