Has A Bid Placed Early On Ever Held?

[MattyC]

I'm sure collectively here we have an immeasurable amount of auction experience... Was just wondering if anyone has a war story about a bid placed early on in the action of an auction, and it miraculously held to the very end and won? We've all seen the opposite of course: an item with seemingly no interest explodes in the final minutes or hours. Anyways was just curious.

[cfc1909]

I once bid on a lot of 6 Hindus in Huggins and Scott on opening day and forgot about it. When the auction was over I got a invoice, pretty cool. Lot had a Tinker and a few southern leaguers and well before the back craze. It happens but not so much anymore

[CardTarget]

I think it's kind of an art to find cards where the next bidding increment would push the sale "too high" while the current bid is a slight deal. I think in the last REA auction I placed 7-8 bids on the first day on items that I thought were in that category and I think I only won one of them.

[conor912]

Originally Posted by CardTarget

I think it's kind of an art to find cards where the next bidding increment would push the sale "too high" while the current bid is a slight deal. I think in the last REA auction I placed 7-8 bids on the first day on items that I thought were in that category and I think I only won one of them.

I agree, Mike. Unfortunately that method isn't much of a secret and all it takes is that 3rd beer for it to sound like a good idea to someone to pull the trigger on that one bid higher. I know because I have been that guy many times

[atx840]

Put my "entry bid" into the recent Sterling auction on a lot I wasn't going for and ended up winning. Happy with the win

[7nohitter]

Once, years ago on Ebay, a full ticket to game 3 of the 1969 WS popped up...I'd been looking for one for years and was wiling to pay for it...I was the first bidder in a 7 day auction...My initial bid withstood all the others and I won the ticket! I didn't want to chance losing it.

[CW]

I am trying it for the first time myself in the upcoming Heritage auction. I have placed a perfect bid amount where one more bid will cause the buyer to overpay

...I'll let you know how it turns out in 11d 10h 47m....

[MattyC]

Originally Posted by conor912

I agree, Mike. Unfortunately that method isn't much of a secret and all it takes is that 3rd beer for it to sound like a good idea to someone to pull the trigger on that one bid higher. I know because I have been that guy many times

That is hysterical-- and too true! Man, I am hoping some other guys stay stone sober until this Heritage auction is over. Or at least I hope they stop at the second beer.

[sbfinley]

I usually enter max bids on the day auctions open, so you could say that any item I win is from the original bid. My Goldin Auction winning was the opening bid this month, but it was an oddball item that probably did not attract a lot of attention. That does happen occasionally.

[glynparson]

Many times over the years.

[markf31]

Originally Posted by conor912

I agree, Mike. Unfortunately that method isn't much of a secret and all it takes is that 3rd beer for it to sound like a good idea to someone to pull the trigger on that one bid higher. I know because I have been that guy many times

Or delirium from being awake still at 1:30am waiting to see if you get outbid on an item or two.

[Exhibitman]

Absolutely. Just happened to me in Lipset and Hake's.

[bobbyw8469]

I have placed a perfect bid amount where one more bid will cause the buyer to overpay

What is the definition of 'overpay' recently?? $10 above VCP average? The card market is heating up. VCP averages mean squat lately.

[CW]

Originally Posted by bobbyw8469

What is the definition of 'overpay' recently?? $10 above VCP average? The card market is heating up. VCP averages mean squat lately.

I would have to agree. The two winking smilies at the end of my sentence were an indication of sarcasm.

[jimivintage]

See this is EXACTLY how I "accidentally" win auctions!

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by CW

I am trying it for the first time myself in the upcoming Heritage auction. I have placed a perfect bid amount where one more bid will cause the buyer to overpay

...I'll let you know how it turns out in 11d 10h 47m....

Don't laugh, that is a viable strategy that I try to employ. A strategic bid can dissuade others from going into a card, especially where the bid increments are fixed sums rather than set percentages of the last bid. Take REA for example, which uses a fixed dollar increase. If you have a $500 bid, the next mandatory increment is $100 [20%]. Which equates a price jump with BP from $592.50 up to $711.00. If the item has a retail of around $700, by occupying the $500 tier you force the next guy to 'overpay' for the item.

The other thing that works when an auction allows a straight bid, like Legendary, is to play king of the mountain. I will sometimes place a straight bid rather than a max bid to prevent bargain hunters from pot-shotting my bid at a low number because the fewer people who place initial bids the less competition there is in O/T. If I get lucky, no one bids and the item closes at my straight bid. Of course, the art is not overbidding...

[CW]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

Don't laugh, that is a viable strategy that I try to employ. A strategic bid can dissuade others from going into a card, especially where the bid increments are fixed sums rather than set percentages of the last bid. Take REA for example, which uses a fixed dollar increase. If you have a $500 bid, the next mandatory increment is $100 [20%]. Which equates a price jump with BP from $592.50 up to $711.00. If the item has a retail of around $700, by occupying the $500 tier you force the next guy to 'overpay' for the item.

The other thing that works when an auction allows a straight bid, like Legendary, is to play king of the mountain. I will sometimes place a straight bid rather than a max bid to prevent bargain hunters from pot-shotting my bid at a low number because the fewer people who place initial bids the less competition there is in O/T. If I get lucky, no one bids and the item closes at my straight bid. Of course, the art is not overbidding...

Thanks, Adam, that's some great advice, and I'll take all the advice I can get when it comes to auction house extended bidding, at which I am a novice. It's definitely a different beast than eBay bidding with a set ending time. Auction house bidding is more like true auction style bidding.

Amazingly, my high bid actually held, so it worked this time! It was lot 80041, which I believe ended at a very fair price. Admittedly, someone with deep pockets could've come along and paid a couple hundred dollars more, and it still would've been a fair deal, so I'm pleased to add this one, finally.

[William Todd]

not a bid that's too low....

[Seiklis]

Yup it's happened to me a few times. The odd only are when you don't even really want something but drop a poke bid on it in case some other cards from the auction get to high...and then the poke bid wins