eBay question... I may have already asked

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Posted By: <b>Joe D.</b><p>This is a head scratcher to me, and I prefer not pointing to the particular auction because it is still ongoing (and I hope to win it <img src="/images/happy.gif" height=14 width=14> )<br /><br /><br />Here is the question:<br />On a reserve auction, can a bidder select to automatically bid as high as the reserve (without competing bids running it up)?<br /><br />I see an auction where the initial bid price (when it had no bids) was much lower than what the current bid is... <br />yet there currently is only one bid.<br /><br />So how did that one bidder bid higher than the initial bid? which subsequently was exactly the reserve price (reserve now met).<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />

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Posted By: <b>Kyle</b><p>If you bid on a reserve auction and don't met the reserve, the auction runs as a normal auction would be. If you bid the reserve and its met, the bid automatically goes to the reserve. Maybe thats why some people pay $4.00 for it.<br /><br />-Kyle-

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Posted By: <b>Joe D.</b><p>I did not know that.<br /><br />So if I want to trip a reserve I could just put in a high max bid... or keep raising my max bid until it trips?

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Posted By: <b>Kyle</b><p>If you're bidding on an item that you want, and want to meet the reserve, go for it... but keep in mind sometimes the reserves are much higher than you expect. I also wouldn't be surprised if people put in a very high reserve just to see what the bidding goes to to guage value with have no intention of selling.<br /><br />-Kyle-

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Posted By: <b>T206Collector</b><p>It is for this reason that many people do not bid on reserve price auctions and thus the sellers really do not know what their item is worth, because the style of their auction turned off many prospective bidders. <br /><br />All ebay auctions -- reserve or not -- should be treated the same by bidders: only make a serious bid in the last 20 seconds of an auction -- make one bid, your highest and then hope you win. Period.

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Posted By: <b>Joe D.</b><p>that is the way to handle an eBay auction - bid high bid at the very end of the auction.<br /><br />but that is also why I appreciate 'normal' auctions with the 15 minute rule.... it at least gives me a second chance and an opportunity on an item - and I don't have to play beat the clock.<br /><br /><br />with regard to the reserves, I wish I had known about that strategy of upping your max bid until the reserve trips... there have been a few auctions that did not meet the reserve that I would have gone higher on - I just never knew how. I always thought I needed a competing bidder to get me to the reserve.<br /><br /><br /><br />

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Posted By: <b>fkw</b><p>I dont like reserve auctions. I like to know if I have the high bid I win.<br /><br />I dont know why sellers just dont start the auction at the lowest they want for the item..... if they need to be safe on a card. But thats just me.<br /><br />Also on reserve auctions, some bidders will overbid a huge amount (to see the reserve price), then retract the bid saying they put in the wrong amount. Now they know the reserve.