Something Fishy Going on Here?

[mferronibc]

Dirtbags. But how do they know exactly when to stop and not push it over everyone's max? Or do they not care because it's all a volume game and they'll just relist it?

[swarmee]

1) It's not normally the consignment company: it's the owners of the cards or their friends.
2) Say the current bid is $25 and you set your max bid at $101.44 . eBay will continue to bump your bid to the highest for any bid up to your max. So if the owner of the card bids $50, yours will show $51. Then they bid $60, you bid $61, etc. But if they bid $100, and the minimum increment (additional bid amount) is like $2.50, your $101.44 bid will now show. Then they stop bidding.
3) This is why people don't bid large numbers until a few seconds before the auction ends; this is called a snipe bid. It makes it harder for you to be shill bid if you bid your number only at the end.

[irv]

Originally Posted by swarmee

1) It's not normally the consignment company: it's the owners of the cards or their friends.
2) Say the current bid is $25 and you set your max bid at $101.44 . eBay will continue to bump your bid to the highest for any bid up to your max. So if the owner of the card bids $50, yours will show $51. Then they bid $60, you bid $61, etc. But if they bid $100, and the minimum increment (additional bid amount) is like $2.50, your $101.44 bid will now show. Then they stop bidding.
3) This is why people don't bid large numbers until a few seconds before the auction ends; this is called a snipe bid. It makes it harder for you to be shill bid if you bid your number only at the end.

Interesting! I did not know that.

Thanks for sharing that, John!

[mferronibc]

Oh gotcha. So in other words with the set it and forget it approach I can pretty much guarantee I am going to pay that max bid unless I throw it in at the last second and there's no time for them to bid up to my max because they always have the ability to do so by the nature of the min bid increment?

I feel like a moron, guess this is all eBay 101.

[CW]

Here's a helpful tool for setting those snipe bids, or last second bids:

https://www.gavelsnipe.com/

Under the "my account" setting you can find a "my gavelsnipe preferences". On that page you will want to set your buffer to 6 or 7 seconds.

[mferronibc]

Nice thanks CW. So I’m straight- the idea is say a card is currently at $30 with 4 hours to go. I would be willing to spend $50 for it but if I could get for $40 obviously that would be better. If I set a traditional bid at $50 now with that much time left I could definitely get bid up to my max by shill bidding. If I submit my $50 last minute and everyone else’s max is $40 I would win it for $41? With this tool I can still set my max but it waits for the last few seconds do to submit it? Genius.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by mferronibc

Nice thanks CW. So I’m straight- the idea is say a card is currently at $30 with 4 hours to go. I would be willing to spend $50 for it but if I could get for $40 obviously that would be better. If I set a traditional bid at $50 now with that much time left I could definitely get bid up to my max by shill bidding. If I submit my $50 last minute and everyone else’s max is $40 I would win it for $41? With this tool I can still set my max but it waits for the last few seconds do to submit it? Genius.

That helps but some of the shill bidders are now also setting snipe bids.

[swarmee]

Originally Posted by bnorth

That helps but some of the shill bidders are now also setting snipe bids.

Much rarer. If that happens and the seller offers you a second chance when the buyer "backs out", you tell them no.

[Empty77]

Originally Posted by mferronibc

Dirtbags. But how do they know exactly when to stop and not push it over everyone's max? Or do they not care because it's all a volume game and they'll just relist it?

Correct, if they do make a mistake and 'win' then it just ends up re-listed one way or another, whether the first 'win' ever gets paid for or not. Then they're just less optimistic with the shills next time. Happened to me a few weeks ago (same seller).