Is snipe bidding killing the hobby?

[murphusa]

well it can't be killing the hobby, look at how many collectors are using it.

[perezfan]

If anything, it's helping the hobby.

I don't see anything remotely detrimental

Now if eBay finds some way to prohibit sniping (which I wouldn't put past them), that WOULD be a blow to the hobby!

[drcy]

I don't think it's "killing the hobby"-- that was an over the top question--, but it does help explain why there are fewer auctions and more BINS on eBay. Bidders like the lower prices caused by snipe auctions, but sellers don't. Sniping is also why sellers will more often these days end auctions early to accept an offers.

Realize that eBay may some day realize that snipe bids costs them money and add a 5 minute (or similar) rule. It may not be a repetitively resetting clock as with the big auction houses, but perhaps just a one time five or ten minutes added on when there's a last millisecond snipe bid to give the other other bidders chances to place one last additional bid. As someone in this thread said, he's surprised they hasn't already done it.

[vintagesportscollector]

Two weeks ago I had an amusing, but fortunate, snipe incident. I usually place auto snipes on about half the items I bid on, and the other half I manually snipe if I am not sure on the amount I want to bid and if I know I am going to be around to watch the auction end.

There was an item that I really really wanted that I figured would go for around $50. For whatever reason I didn’t choose to auto snipe and planned to just be around and watch the end and place a last second bid. My bid was going to be $111.11 just to place some odd amount, that we all often do. I figured that amount should win it because it was an odd item in my niche which I figured wouldn’t attract much interest.

As I watched the end of the auction with about 4 mins to go, I noticed my internet connection was getting really slow and spotty. The current high bid was about $25. Fearing my internet was slow, I placed my bid at about 40 seconds left…and wouldn’t you know the max bid for the current high bidder was also $111.11, but he had bid first so I was still losing. Go figure. Since I had placed it with 40 seconds left, I had time to nudge it up, and I won the item. If I had placed my auto snipe with the amount I figured would be enough to win, or waited to the last second to manually bid, I would have lost. That’s called dumb luck.

[travrosty]

yeah but if you were willing to pay more than the 111.11, why didnt you place a higher bid instead of 111.11, why not place the highest bid you are willing to bid and not a penny more and be done with it?

figure out the highest amount you are willing to pay and no more than that even if someone twisted your arm, then you will never have regrets and dont have to go through the 'snipe exercise'.