High Bidders Who Overbid on Ebay?

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

What is a snipe?

[Sean]

A snipe is when you wait until the last few seconds, then jump in with one large bid. That way no one else has a chance to answer with a higher bid of their own.

[Shoele$$]

Originally Posted by Sean

A snipe is when you wait until the last few seconds, then jump in with one large bid. That way no one else has a chance to answer with a higher bid of their own.

Of course it only works if somebody else doesn't have the same idea with a higher snipe

When two snipes collide it usuall ends in disaster for one of the parties involved, lol.

[I Only Smoke 4 the Cards]

So you have to sit there and do it? Can you set it up to snipe?

[JollyElm]

One reason for increasing your maximum bid is to simply add more bids to the tally. This could make people who stumble upon the auction react, "Geez, a lot of people are bidding on this one. Maybe I'll sit it out." In other words, it could be an attempt to scare potential bidders away, especially those who only see the number of bids and don't investigate further.

[Sean]

I have to sit at the computer and make a bid with about 8 seconds to go in the auction. There are people here who are much more experienced than me, so maybe they know of some way to set up a program to snipe. I can't help with that.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Sean

I have to sit at the computer and make a bid with about 8 seconds to go in the auction. There are people here who are much more experienced than me, so maybe they know of some way to set up a program to snipe. I can't help with that.

There are services that will do it for some small fee.

I've always done it manually. With a fast connection I can get within the last 5 seconds or so, closer if I don't get anxious.

Besides, if I used a service and bid on everything I wanted I'd be broke in an hour.

I don't usually look at bidding patterns. I used to on bike parts because there were a couple japanese bidders that I knew I could never outspend. I finally saw a couple pictures of one of those collections. Impressive, but not as impressive as a 2 car garage in Tokyo. Bikes on one side nice car on the other, Ferrari on the lift above the first car.

A group of minimal bids in a row wouldn't be intimidating, or really all that interesting. The ones I worry about are the lone low bid in the first few days with a followup by the same bidder the next day. That usually lets me know that someone else has spotted the same thing I have (Usually a stamp with an expensive variety that wasn't listed as such) And that they've looked it up - That means I probably won't win it cheap.

Steve B

[CW]

http://www.gavelsnipe.com/index.php

[Paul S]

Originally Posted by I Only Smoke 4 the Cards

So you have to sit there and do it? Can you set it up to snipe?

Alex, There's several good 3rd party software that does this. - Paul

[Ease]

Originally Posted by Shoele$$

Of course it only works if somebody else doesn't have the same idea with a higher snipe

When two snipes collide it usuall ends in disaster for one of the parties involved, lol.

This has happened to me once, when I was collecting modern cards. I was putting together a player collection of former Tennessee Titan TE Ben Troupe and pretty much the whole season had been duking it out over the 1/1's and low numbered cards with a Florida Gator collector (this was when you could see ebay id's). When the card pictured below came up on ebay, I was going to win it at all costs, I thought maybe 200-250$ would get it. I set my snipe for something ridiculous like 700$, wouldn't you know that Florida collector did the same damn thing. Unfortunately I won it for something like 500$ Hard to explain to my ex-gf that I'd spent 500 on a card, that's one of the reasons she's my ex I'd be lucky to get ten bucks for it today, Ben's probably working construction somewhere now...

[travrosty]

Originally Posted by I Only Smoke 4 the Cards

What is a snipe?

There really is no such thing as sniping, if you put in the highest bid you are willing to pay the first day, you either win it or you dont. it doesnt matter if you wait until the final few seconds. someone is either willing to pay more for it with their highest bid or not regardless of when you bid.

[camlov2]

Originally Posted by travrosty

There really is no such thing as sniping, if you put in the highest bid you are willing to pay the first day, you either win it or you dont. it doesnt matter if you wait until the final few seconds. someone is either willing to pay more for it with their highest bid or not regardless of when you bid.

This statement is only true if everyone puts in the highest amount they are willing to spend and doesn't ever change their mind.

example-
99 cent starting auction
I see one bid in place at 99 cents (but the person's actual bid is $20)

I decide it is worth $25 and bid that the first day of the auction. This gives the person 6 days to think about that bid of $20 and maybe up their bid. They don't know if your bid is $20.50 or $200 and they might not want to lose due to a few cents.

If i decide to place my $25 bid with 5 seconds left it doesn't give the other person the time to second guess their bid.

Using a snipe also gives you the option to back out of a purchase up until the last 5 seconds, in case you find something better or spend the money before it ends.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by camlov2

Using a snipe also gives you the option to back out of a purchase up until the last 5 seconds, in case you find something better or spend the money before it ends.

From the 2 big sniping services I have used this is 100% incorrect. They don't let you change or add snipes with less than 5 minutes left.

[camlov2]

Originally Posted by Leon

From the 2 big sniping services I have used this is 100% incorrect. They don't let you change or add snipes with less than 5 minutes left.

Good to know, I must have read it wrong. I have never retracted using a snipe service, I normally just snipe manually.

[Exhibitman]

One thing I've noticed is that if you use the ebay mobile app from your iphone it defaults to a minimum increment bid and it is very easy to bid repeatedly with one click. That may explain some of the minimum bid escalation patterns. I know I've sometimes tapped out ten incremental bids before saying the hell with it on an item.

[doug.goodman]

Originally Posted by travrosty

There really is no such thing as sniping, if you put in the highest bid you are willing to pay the first day, you either win it or you don't. it doesn't matter if you wait until the final few seconds. someone is either willing to pay more for it with their highest bid or not regardless of when you bid.

That is absolutely not true.

In those rare occasions where I bid before the final few seconds, I have many examples where a previous bidder has upped their bid, after I bid, to either beat me, or cost me money. Had I bid later, they would not have had time to do so.