deals outside of ebay :/

[1970]

I was looking forward to bidding on this, but looks like he made a deal outside of ebay... guess you gotta really go for things:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/230781417634?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649#ht_500wt_1215

[Mr. Foxen]

Shoulda just bid. Might have put it high enough he'd let it run.

[1970]

my tactics are clearly fallible

[Mr. Foxen]

People got this idea that the winner is the person who bids least last. Actually, the winner is Ebay. Its nice for sellers because if you get tons of watchers, you know to increase your start price before those last minute bids come in, handy hint you might have underpriced. A bid locks you from editing most things

[warwickhunt]

It's swings and roundabouts. I recently pulled my Parker Fly bass from ebay as I was offered a very good price for it by an ebayer; subsequently when I ended the listing he went cold and backed out of the deal. However, an Ibanez bass that I had listed same day I left to run, despite some interest but not great bidding it went for £150 more than I had offered it to somebody on here for!

I have to confess that I will not show my hand on a bass that I am interested in until the last seconds... we all have our own ways of doing things but I prefer to pay as little as possible!

I should qualify the above; if you/everyone bids early on a bass it can and does induce certain types of people to revise their bids up even though they have set a maximum (they psychologically have taken ownership of the bass and don't want anyone to get it). However if you don't reveal interest in a bass, the type of person mentioned previously, doesn't feel compelled to rethink their price as they remain confident that they will get ownership at the amount that they put in. It's all 'headology' in the world of auctions/buying/selling!

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1335914779' post='1638139']
There seems to be a trend these days of not bidding at all until the last few minutes. [/quote]

[i][b]These days[/b][/i]?

Auction Sniper and similar products have been widely used for the best part of ten years. Hell, even I was using it six or seven years ago.

[the boy]

Hi guys, I must confess I'm a last minute bidder. I used not be and I never won anything. My thinking behind it is, people are always willing to go a quid or two more. So if they don't know your max until its too late then you have one up. I wouldn't use an auto-bidder that's plain lazy, it also takes the buzz out of bidding. Bidding is like gambling. I used to be a spread better but knocked it on the head as its a mugs game now I get my fix on eBay, slightly more sedate with a lot less risk.

[KiOgon]

My bidding strategy is to decide at an early stage how much in total I'm willing pay for any item & then keep it in my watched items list. If it's something I really fancy I might put a very low bid on, just so it's at the top of 'my eBay' page. Then approaching the final hour, I'll see where the bidding has got to, if still under my pre-set maximum then I'll watch & wait 'til the last 30 seconds before placing my bid. I will not be persuaded to increase it, there isn't time, so it's done! If I win for less than my max - I'm happy, if I loose then someone else wanted it more than me - they can have it

Will power is a wonderful thing some I win - some I loose, there's always next time

Cheerz, John

[EssentialTension]

There's nothing new about this. I've always done it. Decide what you're willing to pay and, with a small amount of time to go, bid your highest figure. you either win it or you don't.

Bidding early just pushes the price up.

[BigRedX]

On eBay I consider all 7 day listings to be 6 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes and 45 seconds for viewing and then 15 seconds of bidding.

If it's a potentially expensive item with a low start price I might put a minimum placeholder bid in at the beginning, but otherwise I'll bid my full amount in the last 15 seconds of the auction. If you bid your full price early there's always a chance that someone will decide that the item is worth another bid of £x more and even if they don't outbid you it will push your final price up, which isn't want you want at all.

[Rick's Fine '52]

[quote name='warwickhunt' timestamp='1335940908' post='1638235']
It's swings and roundabouts. I recently pulled my Parker Fly bass from ebay as I was offered a very good price for it by an ebayer; subsequently when I ended the listing he went cold and backed out of the deal. However, an Ibanez bass that I had listed same day I left to run, despite some interest but not great bidding it went for £150 more than I had offered it to somebody on here for!

I have to confess that I will not show my hand on a bass that I am interested in until the last seconds... we all have our own ways of doing things but I prefer to pay as little as possible!

I should qualify the above; if you/everyone bids early on a bass it can and does induce certain types of people to revise their bids up even though they have set a maximum (they psychologically have taken ownership of the bass and don't want anyone to get it). However if you don't reveal interest in a bass, the type of person mentioned previously, doesn't feel compelled to rethink their price as they remain confident that they will get ownership at the amount that they put in. It's all 'headology' in the world of auctions/buying/selling!
[/quote]

This.

the risk of leaving until last day etc, is that with 12 hours and 5 minutes to go, if the seller thinks the price is crap, he can end it, and sell it another way, or decide to keep it. I've lost out on a few things with that, at which point you wished you'd put a sensible bid in earlier. For the most part though, last 5 mins is what most people do, right or wrong.

[BigRedX]

I've been flogging off all my DVDs on eBay recently. There is no pattern to the number of watchers and the final sale price of any of the items. I've had some with 10+ watchers and no bids in the end, and then others with only 1 watcher that go into some weird bidding frenzy in the final seconds. Others follow the usual pattern lots of watchers and bids no watchers and the item remains unsold.

If you're worried about not getting a good enough price then start your auction at the minimum price you will accept. There seems to be free listing every other weekend these days so there's no excuse.

[Rick's Fine '52]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1335962385' post='1638642']
If you're worried about not getting a good enough price then start your auction at the minimum price you will accept. There seems to be free listing every other weekend these days so there's no excuse.
[/quote]

Takes all the 'fun' out of it though!!

[Mr. Foxen]

Oh yeah, the other thing people don't realise is that you only set a maximum and ebay bids only what is necessary and no-one can see your maximum until someone exceeds it. So no aspect of showing your hand.

[warwickhunt]

[quote name='Johnston' timestamp='1335963643' post='1638677']
That doesn't stop the shillers pushing your bid up . so you end up paying more because you have someone bidding whose only intention is to get more coinage out of you rather than a genuine bidder fighting it out.
[/quote]

+1

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='Johnston' timestamp='1335963643' post='1638677']
That doesn't stop the shillers pushing your bid up . so you end up paying more because you have someone bidding whose only intention is to get more coinage out of you rather than a genuine bidder fighting it out.
[/quote]

Can't end up paying more than you want to spend though. It is pretty wrong to be begrudging paying people what you have already decided is a fair price. Shill away, if I get outbid, then I let it go. Bear in mind they don't know your maximum.

Edited May 2, 2012 by Mr. Foxen

[Noisyjon]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1335964239' post='1638688']
... Shill away, if I get outbid, then I let it go. Bear in mind they don't know your maximum.
[/quote]

+1
I bid what I decide and just see what happens. It takes will power though!!!

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='Johnston' timestamp='1335964702' post='1638699']
You may not pay the maximum you are willing but it is an auction after all. Where two bidders are supposed to go head to head . where if you may pay less because no one else wants it.

As for begrudging someone. So illegal practices are ok in your eyes then

Having the seller (Or just a knob thinking it's funny) bidding it up is more akin to haggling than an auction.

[b]1.[/b] (Business / Commerce) a public sale of goods or property, esp one in which[b] prospective purchasers bid against each other until the highest price is reached [/b]
[/quote]

Yeah, that part is covered by the fact they don't know my maximum. Bids only happen as necessary, you just set a maximum, bids are done for you. The purpose of an auction is to determine the most appropriate price for an item, I decide on my half. If they want more, then it sells to someone who wants to pay more. If they are shilling, then congrats they just paid Ebay 10% of their made up price for nothing.

[Mr. Foxen]

Have you decided all other bidders except you are shilling then? And have you considered that since the 'shiller' also has their max hidden, nothing stops them from 'shilling' before you even bid at all?

Edited May 2, 2012 by Mr. Foxen

[Rick's Fine '52]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1335965946' post='1638729']
If they are shilling, then congrats they just paid Ebay 10% of their made up price for nothing.
[/quote]

In that case, they simply contact the 'buyer', and agree not to proceed with a transcation, as long as the buyer agree's, then the sellers listing fee's, and selling fee's are all refunded. Assuming they are in collaboration, then its easy, and no fee's are incurred. Its an on-line form on the drop down menu that gets sent to both parties. The seller then has the experience of knowing what the item is likely to achieve at auction, prior to deciding to re-list (Normally "due to timewaster"), or not.

[Rick's Fine '52]

To be honest, I have no willpower at all, which is not a good thing. On many occasions, I've paid more than I wanted, not hugely mind, during the last 5 minutes, simply because I don't want the other 'bastard' to get it!!

"How dare you outbid me at the last moment, I'll show you!!", of course he has the last laugh, knowing he's probably got me to pay over the odds. I usually bid on rare items though, that rarely turn up, and wouldnt do it on a readily available item, so despite the fact I may have paid a little more than I intended, I usually get the item, which is always the intention, otherwise why bother. I enjoy the game though, and know it to be such, so no biggy. I'm a seasoned auctionee.

The sensible thing to do of course, is when you first see the item you want, enter your maximum bid, wait until the auction ends, and see if you won it (This is what I do when on holiday, and thus detached from the interweb). This of course is sensible, and extremely dull, and takes all the fun out of the bidding process....for me anyway.

It must be said, that eBay is all about the last 45 seconds!!

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='Rick's Fine '52' timestamp='1335973337' post='1638870']
In that case, they simply contact the 'buyer', and agree not to proceed with a transcation, as long as the buyer agree's, then the sellers listing fee's, and selling fee's are all refunded. Assuming they are in collaboration, then its easy, and no fee's are incurred. Its an on-line form on the drop down menu that gets sent to both parties. The seller then has the experience of knowing what the item is likely to achieve at auction, prior to deciding to re-list (Normally "due to timewaster"), or not.
[/quote]

So they can be bothered to do all that, when can't be bothered to type in some numbers to start price and reserve? An you assume this all happens every auction, to the extent you act in accordance with that assumption every time? Do you then send them messages saying 'I forgot to bi last minute'?

[Rick's Fine '52]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1335976412' post='1638936']
So they can be bothered to do all that, when can't be bothered to type in some numbers to start price and reserve? An you assume this all happens every auction, to the extent you act in accordance with that assumption every time? Do you then send them messages saying 'I forgot to bi last minute'?
[/quote]

I assume the 'you' wasn't aimed at me?

I dont do this, but I know it happens, you can see the patterns. I've also had auctions cancelled on me, so know its an almost instant procedure to cancel, and get fee's refunded immediately. Its no hassle for the seller, and acts as a feeler really. I agree though, just state your price, or put a reserve, and auction the damn thing. All my auctions either start at 99p, or have a BIN.

[Mr. Foxen]

Cancelled bids and such show up on their profile. Ebay get negi about it after a while.

[Mr. Foxen]

When you say 'shiller' nothing there differentiates it from 'bidder'. They don't know what my bid is, they could be trying to beat my £5 max bid with a £5.50 bid, or they could be shilling my £6 max bid to its conclusion. Either makes no difference. If they keep cancelling, they'll get kicked off. Nothing stops someone intending to shill putting their shill bid on at any time and it will work exactly the same.