Stop it already

[moloch]

I'm sure the reactions to this will differ depending on those who sell and who buy on eBay but I'm getting incredibly tired of people bidding on items with days let alone hours left on auctions. I mean, how long were you an eBayer before you figured out the benifits of bidding towards the end of the auction if not outright 'sniping' it? Who are these yahoos?!?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Zonker]

Why in the world would you care? Doesn't it make your sniping job easier?

[deathlok]

I always bid early in the auction. If I don't win the book, I don't care.

[SolitaireOne]

I'm sure the reactions to this will differ depending on those who sell and who buy on eBay but I'm getting incredibly tired of people bidding on items with days let alone hours left on auctions. I mean, how long were you an eBayer before you figured out the benifits of bidding towards the end of the auction if not outright 'sniping' it? Who are these yahoos?!?

 

So, you're upset because folks bid early or bid late? Are you addressing this as a buyer or seller, then?

 

As a seller I love early bids... it generates attention and may garner additional bids. As a buyer I rarely bid early, unless it's not a key book for me, etc. or I might not have time to 'snipe-it' later. Actually, I've won a couple of cheapie slabs that way -- early, low-ball bids + no other action = Score! I expect that most early bidders are low-ballers looking for a steal -- serious bidders hit it just before the hammer falls!

 

[Dad&Son-migration]

I always bid early in the auction. If I don't win the book, I don't care.

 

agreed!!

[kc120us]

I bid early now mostly to alert fellow forumites that I'm intersted in a book. If I see auctions that other forumites are bidding on, I usually avoid those.

[skybolt]

I always bid early in the auction. If I don't win the book, I don't care.

 

agreed!!

 

I also agree. Waiting for the last minute always makes pay more than I'm willing to.

[MutantKeys]

I bid early now mostly to alert fellow forumites that I'm intersted in a book. If I see auctions that other forumites are bidding on, I usually avoid those.

Ditto and then snipe the other people

[ciorac]

I always bid early in the auction. If I don't win the book, I don't care.

 

My strategy as well. I know what I want to pay, and don't want to get caught up in the sniping frenzy at the end.

[Shadow]

I'm perplexed as to why this would be a concern? Of course, I've also never bought off E-Bay.

[THE_BEYONDER]

Don't get mad...get even. Can you say "punishment bidding"?

[silverage12c]

A few random thoughts on this --- not everyone is interested in sniping services. And, some people actually have real lives *gasp*, so they don't want to have to "tune in" as an auction is ending to try to enter a last minute bid. It makes perfect sense for someone to place a bid on Tuesday even if an auction ends on Friday, especially if they only like to search the auctions once or twice a week.

 

As a seller, it's very nice to see early activity in your auctions. At least, with a starter bid, you know that it won't go unsold --- when I see a bid on my comic, I then get a head start on packaging it. Saves time later, when 8 or 10 items all end together.

 

As a buyer, of course, I'd love to place 1 bid and win the thing uncontested. But, that's just not realistic. So, I'll usually enter a bid (or an actual snipe) on the last day, for an amount I'd be willing to pay. Then, I walk away and try to forget about it. The only time another early bidder bums me out a little is when that bid has wiped out a nice Buy-it-Now price. But, what can you do?

[s-man]

Ive bid early and bid late...basically IMHO there is no such thing as sniping really, its just last minute bidding. I get upset if Im outbid on something last minute, but if Im really serious about a book Ill throw up a number that I wont pay more than and hope they won't either. Its all part of the eBay experience!

[tilleycs]

I've been annoyed by the same thing, and wondered the same thing ("Why in the world are people bidding this up now? There are <insert number> days left in the auction!"), especially when there's a bidding war early into the auction. But, like someone else wrote, not everyone has the time (or the desire) to watch the auctions they bid on. They just bid what they want to bid, and let it go.

[SolitaireOne]

Don't get mad...get even. Can you say "punishment bidding"?

 

That's a good point! Hey, have you ever bid on an item because you've seen that a bidder as bid again, against themselves, to up their 1st bid? It might be dirty pool, but you know that you can hit one more time and still be the underbidder...

 

... I'm sad to admit that I've played that game before, even on items that I have NO interest in.

 

Maybe I'm a meanie, but in those cases -- bidding early 2 times becomes fair game I say!

[Scrooge]

I've been annoyed by the same thing, and wondered the same thing ("Why in the world are people bidding this up now? There are <insert number> days left in the auction!"), especially when there's a bidding war early into the auction. But, like someone else wrote, not everyone has the time (or the desire) to watch the auctions they bid on. They just bid what they want to bid, and let it go.

 

I agree but by bidding early instead of setting a snipe for the same amount, they are showing their hands early in the process which works against them. Honestly, that individual should set the snipe and hide their "demand". They have nothing to lose and can gain from enticing fewer bids (which are costly to him) in the auction.

 

Now, I don't begrudge people bidding early because 1) they may not care and 2) they may not be aware of sniping services and their advantages.

 

I "snipe" all the auctions I participate in mostly for the convenience of not being tied to the machine at a set time and for the pricing discipline it imposes: I decide what the max I want to pay for the item and have no temptation to up my bid at the last minute. Boy, do I know I need that discipline!

[tilleycs]

... I'm sad to admit that I've played that game before, even on items that I have NO interest in.

 

Man, that's terrible. I've never bothered keeping track of who beats me for an auction. I guess I'm just vindictive on other things.

[tilleycs]

I agree but by bidding early instead of setting a snipe for the same amount, they are showing their hands early in the process which works against them. Honestly, that individual should set the snipe and hide their "demand". They have nothing to lose and can gain from enticing fewer bids (which are costly to him) in the auction.

 

True. I've also thought that it worked against them to show their hand so early. I tend to always wait until the last few seconds before I bid. But, all's fair in love and ebay.

[icefires]

I use a sniping service, enter the most I am willing to pay, set it for 7 seconds, then forget about it.

 

If I win, I win. I never get caught up in a bidding frenzy anymore.

 

However, when I lose, I often wonder what the winner's maximum bid was.

[heinlein99]

Funny, we usually get threads complaining about sniping, not early bids.

 

As a sometimes early bidder, it allows me to make sure I get a bid in to a book I really want. I'm absent-minded, and sometimes miss auctions. (And I don't care for sniping software.) Also, having a decent bid in early can sometimes 'scare off' casual bidders who lowball bids to see if they can get a book cheap.

 

Bottom line, people should bid up to what they are willing to pay. That way, the highest bid wins, whether it was made three days ago or in the last few seconds.