Why do people bid days before an auction ends?

[Tiver]

I am very new to ebay buying, but the idea that it ends at a specific time makes it much different than a live auction.
It seems that bidding your max price is most advisable with around twenty seconds left to go. This does not show your hand in enough time for another bidder to come over the top unless they are already there, and possibly keeps the price down. Seems like the seasoned bidders employ this tactic fairly regularly.

All of the other points about perceived interest, early sales and pulls are valid. If I really want something, putting in a lowball bid early and max price at the end is the most effective for me.

If it's a casual purchase of something that is always available for a somewhat standard price, a simple bid and wait and see approach is sufficient.

 

[meggy]

I'll do it using the minimal increments to break the reserve (find the number), then leave it alone until it's snipe-worthy or dump it if the bids go excessive. Speeds up having to wait it out.

 

[Fisherdude]

I am very new to ebay buying, but the idea that it ends at a specific time makes it much different than a live auction...

Very, very true.

...
It seems that bidding your max price is most advisable with around twenty seconds left to go. This does not show your hand in enough time for another bidder to come over the top unless they are already there, and possibly keeps the price down. Seems like the seasoned bidders employ this tactic fairly regularly...

Actually, 20 seconds leaves all the time in the world. The majority of last-second bids placed by experienced bidders will all be placed during the last 5-10 seconds.

 

[rroobbcc]

You don't have to bid to to mark an item and receive notices.

You do if you are already watching 100 items. I am always st or very near the 100 item watch limit, and have bids (albeit very low ones) on another 50-60 items. That means I am watching about 160 items at any given moment.

 

[Scuzzer]

If the starting bid is close to the normal selling price I'll toss a bid in early. Say it's something that should sell for $200 or so and the opening bid is $190 then I'll go ahead and throw my $200 bid at it early. If the seller started the biding at $0.99 then I'd wait until the last 15 seconds to place a bid, hoping to get it for less than $200.

 

[Aage]

The guy that wanted the set contacted the seller to figure out what the hell happened. The seller threw the TV away, because it hadn't gotten any bids yet.

-Ian

That was just plain stupid on the part of the seller. He obviously had little or no ebaY experience at all.

 

[Aage]

Seems like the seasoned bidders employ this tactic fairly regularly.

IMHO, "seasoned" bidders pay a sniping service a few pennies per item to snipe with only a few seconds to go. If you lose (bid too low) it costs you nothing at all. Even if you bid on and lose on 160 items per day: unless you win, it is free.

And, they follow the idea of put in ONE bid with what you will pay for that item, and one bid only. Don't make it emotional and dink around with little increments, it's all a total waste of time.

What is it worth to you? Decide that, then put that amount into a snipe website.

 

[MRX37]

I never bid at all. I just look for "buy it now" and for the cheapest price, and if it's too expensive, I shop elsewhere.

 

[old&busted]

I also will sometime bid only to have the auction emails sent to me for remionders of the auctions end.... I do't like to bid my max cus the sellers often have "friends" that will bid up the price.

 

[ZeroJunk]

It's a PITA to set around and wait for an item to end. Sometimes I'll throw a bid in on something that I sort of want and forget about it. Occassionally it's "Oh $hit" when I end up with it. If it's something I really want I'll see if I can out snipe the snipers.

 

[Will V.]

It seems a lot of guys here don't understand how sniping works.

You don't have to sit around and wait for the last second of the auction, when you first see the item you want, decide how much you're willing to bid, and then use a sniping service like esnipe (www.esnipe.com). Set it, and forget it. Esnipe will automatically put in your max bid a few second before the end of the auction.

Of course, it's still possible to win by putting in your bid early, but you will often pay less if you snipe.

 

[softmachine]

Some of us don't want to use programs .

 

[Brett a]

It seems a lot of guys here don't understand how sniping works.

I understand it. I just don't care to use software. It tales the thrill out of it.

 

[Axcel]

Because they are stupid. :yes:

Snipe that sucker!

Best,

Paul :thmbsp:

exactly the last 5 sec are crucial I manually bid no snipe prgram here :thmbsp:

 

[Will V.]

I understand it. I just don't care to use software. It tales the thrill out of it.

I don't see how you can get any thrill from putting in your max bid when you first see an auction, and then waiting around for days to see people try to outbid you, but if that's your thing, go for it. Your fee for that thrill is often paying more than you would if you used a sniping service.

 

[mwr885]

I use the bid and walk away method on stuff I really don't care if I win or lose, and sometimes I will snipe (or try to anyway) if I really want something.

 

[sauuuuuce]

I don't see how you can get any thrill from putting in your max bid when you first see an auction, and then waiting around for days to see people try to outbid you, but if that's your thing, go for it. Your fee for that thrill is often paying more than you would if you used a sniping service.

I thought eBay was about buying things not some thrill you get by bidding. Kinda sounds like my wife that goes shopping to go shopping and spends more money that if she made a list of things she needed then went to the store.......JMO

 

[pahtcenter77]

The answer to this is simple:

While you're spending time trying to figure out why he did what he did, he's out sniping the good deals you missed.........................

 

[koseltri]

I have never even thought of using sniping software. I detest sniping, and refuse to do it. my approach is if you can't be there at the end, too bad. *My* auction site would automatically cancel bids entered by sniping software. Of course, I wouldn't get any sellers...

 

[jimfet]

I use it as a bookmark myself. That way I get daily reports and then put in my high bid at the end.