Ebay fun

[Cjcrescent]

Early bidders don't win auctions. Only the LAST bidder wins. Early bidders only inflate the bid. And if those early bidders aren't honest bidders, it's called "shill" bidding, friends or associates of the seller who bid the price up just to get more money for the seller. E-Bay prohibits the practice, although it's very difficult to prove shill bidding.



Darrell, quiet...for now

Now Darrell. Have you forgotten everything I've taught you??? I always bid as early as I can. I also win at least 90% of what I bid on. I also don't return to the auction. I find out whether I've won or lost by the e-mail I get from E-bay. I rarely get one saying I was outbid. When I do get one telling me that, then it doesn't bother me as I know that I'll get that same item within the next week or so, and probably cheaper.

We all have our own theories as to what works on the bay. Mine works for me, yours for you.

 

[tankist]

theories? nope, these are not theories, those are well documented approaches actually.
here is an simplified article. to summarise it - put your best bid in last seconds. not early on.

"I also don't return to the auction. I find out whether I've won or lost by the e-mail I get from E-bay."
Carey, it looks like you are a gambler or that you not really interested in items you bidding on (which is fine too i guess). your approach however does not guarantee you get the item, and when you do get it, you pay measurably more than you could have (just look at all random people raising you to determine how much you overpaid). of course that might not be of concern to you and you could spend more but then why do i always hear "ohhh! prices on ebay got crazy!" . well, because somebody is raising the plank, why else?

 

[dgwinup]

Cjcresent said "We all have our own theories as to what works on the bay. Mine works for me, yours for you."

Yup! Can't disagree there!

We can step and shuffle back and forth 'til the cows come home and neither one of us is going to change our minds. LOL

But I gotta agree with Anton. Those early bids only serve the purpose of driving up the cost of the auction. There's ALWAYS somebody out there willing to pay more, sometimes simply because they CAN! LOL I admit that I've won some auctions where I was the first bidder, but only because there were no other bidders. On most auctions that I bid on, I am outbid long before the end of the auction. For what purpose? Just to have the high bid? How ridiculous! The high bid doesn't win, only the highest bid AT THE END of the auction wins. I watch 3 to 4 times as many auctions as I bid on. If something is going cheap at the end, I'll place a snipe bid. I still lose some, but not very often.

You keep doing what you're doing, Carey, and I'll keep doing what I'm doing. Both of us will be happy!

I keep replying to this thread for two reasons: 1) Newer e-Bay buyers will read this and maybe try out our different techniques and benefit from one or the other; and 2) It is SO enjoyable expressing a difference of opinion in a calm, non-agressive, non-flaming manner!

And model railroading seems to be ripe with differing opinions! Sectional, flex or hand laid track! Atlas, Peco, (insert your choice) turnouts! Cork v. foam roadbed! Plywood, foam or both!

Like you said, Carey, do what works for yourself!

And thanks for the pleasant discussion!

Darrell, quiet...for now

 

[oplholik]

The following looks mighty suspicious to me. Notice how o***f ups his own bid? I've seen this on a lot of e-bay auctions, and this is way early.

Paul O.




Bidder Bid Amount Bid Time

h***e( 130) US $15.50 Jan-04-10 04:52:59 PST



0***f( 1 ) US $15.00 Jan-03-10 20:50:25 PST



0***f( 1 ) US $12.00 Jan-03-10 20:50:13 PST



h***e( 130) US $11.97 Jan-02-10 17:08:08 PST



0***f( 1 ) US $11.00 Jan-03-10 20:50:02 PST



0***f( 1 ) US $10.00 Jan-03-10 20:49:52 PST


Starting Price US $9.50 Dec-28-09 15:25:11 PST

 

[lmackattack]

yea, it shows that either the seller is upping his own item or some noob is not aware how the auction works. If im at home watching the auction I wait for the last 30 sec and insert the highest amount Im willing to pay. If Im lucky I get it alot less than that price. If I know I wont be home to watch till the end it I wait for the last time I will be able to view the item online and bid my highest bid and then cross my fingers as I will check back hours after it has ended.

 

[tankist]

opholik,
what you see isAutomatic bid . o***f bid 15 but only 12 was required to gain the lead. as soon as H***E bid more then 15, system increased the bid to the proper 15 on O***F behalf to indicate new high bid (old max bid + increment). please distinguish bids from automatic bids.

and with that, why would increasing your own bid (others will not see this BTW) be wrong?

 

[Cjcrescent]

...
"I also don't return to the auction. I find out whether I've won or lost by the e-mail I get from E-bay."
Carey, it looks like you are a gambler or that you not really interested in items you bidding on (which is fine too i guess). your approach however does not guarantee you get the item, and when you do get it, you pay measurably more than you could have (just look at all random people raising you to determine how much you overpaid). of course that might not be of concern to you and you could spend more but then why do i always hear "ohhh! prices on ebay got crazy!" . well, because somebody is raising the plank, why else?

Anton,

You can say all you want about this but the way I bid on the bay works for me and always has. I bid my max price and that's it. You say that I will always get outbid or pay too much. You are also assuming that I'm bidding on the same stuff you are. I am neither a gambler nor do I don't care about what I do bid on.

#1. You don't know what I'm bidding on, as does no one else. Most things I get and win, generally only has a total of 5-6 bids, at the most.

#2. You're also assuming that I'm placing max bids in the neighborhood of $1000 or more, since that's the number that everyone is batting around. Wrong, I don't often go above $30. It has to be something I really want to go above $50.

#3. You're also thinking that I'm also trying to bid on some of the "latest and greatest", that everyone else is bidding on. I don't. Let's just say I don't bid on any modern models of locos and cars. I also don't bid on anything RTR, except brass and I haven't bid on any of that for years. I will not bid on a structure that my LHS has in stock.

#4. You're trying to get my wants and needs for MY hobby to fit what YOU bid on, and they just don't fit.

#5. You're also assuming that I spend alot of time on the bay. Again I don't. I have specific searches set up in My E-bay that I use, and I use those to find what I want. I may spend 4-5 hours a month on the bay.

You can quote all the articles, books, and internet writings on auction bidding and how to win and such you want, but I'm not going to change my habits. I've used my method from the early days of E-bay, a long time before all those auction experts wrote their stuff, and it works for me.

 

[tankist]

1. correct, i do not know what you bidding on. it matters little however as you still using ebay system and as such bound to same "laws of nature" any ebay user is bound to.

2.3. both are incorrect - i assume nothing since there is no need. it doesn't really matter what you bid on, what is its real value, amount of bidders or if it is "latest and greatest", the same mechanics apply to all auctions.

4. why on earth would I be interested in that?

You can quote all the articles, books, and internet writings on auction bidding and how to win and such you want, but I'm not going to change my habits...

the only purpose of this is to demonstrate how the "bid all out early on" approach is less efficient then "bid your best at the end". more efficient being consistency of results (since one proactively takes measures to win and not just sitting and watching) and in case of success least dollars spent.

i understand how you might have gotten that impression but none of this was written to get you to change your habits really.

I've used my method from the early days of E-bay, a long time before all those auction experts wrote their stuff, and it works for me

you can't be seriously making such claim.

 

[Cjcrescent]

...

you can't be seriously making such claim.

Keep in mind that e-bay has been in business a while. Our club has a member who had an "insider" at E-bay when it first started. I was able to bid on e-bay at that time and before it went "national", or "international", before the books on how to win on e-bay had ever been thought of. Those are the books I'm talking about.

So yes I'm serious.

All I can say is, given what I bid on, what I bid as a limit, and when I bid, still nets me the item I want 90% of the time.

You cannot sit there and tell me that it has been successful and efficient for me.

 

[stationmaster]

All of the "eBay experts".............. Rather amusing.

Glad you've got it down, Carey, though I doubt you do. There is no cut and dry scheme to eBay, regardless of what anyone says. Bottom line is, "He who bids the mostest money wins the item." Ain't no secret to that. And I really doubt that any "insider info" would help you much if someone else would bid a dollar more.

I employ a couple of things when bidding on eBay.
1.) Set a limit.
2.) When I buy trains stuff , I try to keep in mind what I pay at train shows. Most used rolling stock can be purchased at shows for $3-$10. I have purchased numerous quality engines(Proto, 2000, Atlas, Rivarossi Red Box, Kato.....) for under $50 new at shows. And most have been in the $35 range.
3.) And I love sniping.

If I see something that I'd like to have on eBay, I watch it. If it languishes for a couple of days with no bids and the starting bid is low, I jump in and try to steal it. I may up my max bid immediately afterward, but usually lay low for the final seconds. I recently one a K4 for $.01 plus shipping. Someone really messed up on that one.

Bob

 

[Cjcrescent]

Glad you've got it down, Carey, though I doubt you do. There is no cut and dry scheme to eBay, regardless of what anyone says.
Bob

I've never said my way is the end all and be all. I've merely told you how I do it.

Well I tell all you guys what. Yall just come to my town, at your own expense and such, pay for your hotels, etc., let me know where you're at, and I'll call you then next time I decide to bid on e-bay and yall can just sit by my computer for the duration of the auction and watch it.

I don't understand why NO ONE seems to understand that this method works for ME.

But I think I know why. Its because every one of you who has disagreed with me about my method, has said that you use sniping as your predominate method of winning on E-bay and since I don't use sniping, there's no way I can be winning.

You're all wrong. Darrell had it right, agreed to disagree, yall use your method and I'll use mine.

 

[suprduc]

For the record Carey, I bid in the same manner as you do and have no problem with it. If I get snipped in an auction I too will just wait for the next similar item to be listed and go for that one. It usually works eventually and, with patience I usually save some money.

 

[tankist]

Carey, first of all no need to get all worked up.

then,

the fact you think this method works for you i don't doubt. what i am trying to understand why is that you under such impression. and that you not explaining well.

in the course of the discussion I and some others brought several substantiated points, not personal opinions, in favor of "put your best bid towards the end" approach. what i wanted to hear the same from you so we can establish Pros/cons table for the two approaches. instead of "fact one, fact two, leading to X conclusion" or explaining how identified weaknesses of your approach are not really a weaknesses, all you keep saying "it works for me". (or have i missed explanation somewhere?)

and then you claiming 15 years of experience , knowing insiders, bashing on those writing articles and taking defensive position as if anyone tries to convert you from your ways (do you really think it is that important to me or anyone else so you bid in certain way?) is this really contributing to the argument?

if you don't care, fine, i don't feel so strongly about the subj, we don't really need to debate anything.
but i'm curious, if you going to see me or anyone else hammering nails with wrong tool (say pair of nose pliers), are you going to say anything about how using correct tool is going to accomplish task easier and with less destroyed/bent nails? is "i was doing it this way for 15 years and it works" going to be appropriate answer?

regards

 

[UP2CSX]

This discussion is going nowhere and deteriorating rapidly. I think we'll all bid the way we want to since there's no laws I know of that makes you bid, not bid, or bid any way you want to. I'm going to suggest to the moderators that this thread be locked. I think everyone, including me, has had his say.

 

[stationmaster]

Jim, no one is bashing anyone. Constructive conversation is being tossed about. Though some may be getting defensive, I see nothing wrong with spirited debate.

Everyone has their own methods, their own style and beliefs that they follow when bidding on eBay. If it works for them, no need to fix it. I'm not going to change my way of doing things.

Bob

 

[UP2CSX]

Everyone has their own methods, their own style and beliefs that they follow when bidding on eBay. If it works for them, no need to fix it. I'm not going to change my way of doing things.

Bob

I agree. That's why I think it's time to close this thread. No point in continuing to defend our own styles of bidding when we are convincing no one else they are wrong...or right.

 

[Larry]

This discussion is going nowhere and deteriorating rapidly. I think we'll all bid the way we want to since there's no laws I know of that makes you bid, not bid, or bid any way you want to. I'm going to suggest to the moderators that this thread be locked. I think everyone, including me, has had his say.

Jim, I agree. Lock this Topic.

 

[West Virginia Midland Man]

Larry, there is a holiday effect and I see it every year. People get the train set out to put around the tree and decide to get a new engine or a few more cars. They have no idea what the items are really worth, they just want them. I agree there has been more bidding since the recession was officialy declared over but most closing prices are still below where they were last year, especially on high end stuff and brass.

Some horse's wazoo tried to sell an entire EBT loco collection unpainted for $5000 minimum about a week/10 days ago. People are out of work, losing their homes, going hungry and they're going to bid $5000 on a brass collection? Yeah right.

Except for the occasional item, Ebay is ca-ca anymore.