Not worth it

[autograf]

I use the "set it and forget it" method. If it hits, I'm good with what I bid. If not, I can live to fight another day. I get more than my share of stuff based on my card room and depleted checkbook. Some auction houses I'm more comfortable than others with leaving a proxy bid. I don't see them changing to an REA type format but that would be nice.

[Edwolf1963]

Originally Posted by autograf

I use the "set it and forget it" method. If it hits, I'm good with what I bid. If not, I can live to fight another day.

Same here and it keeps the emotional bidding/instant overpay regret out of it

[LEHR]

Originally Posted by autograf

I use the "set it and forget it" method. If it hits, I'm good with what I bid. If not, I can live to fight another day.

^This!^

I've never understood why late auction endings bother people so much.

Bottom line is I won't bid with an auction house I don't trust. So if I'm willing to place a bid with an AH and don't feel like staying up I put in a max bid and go to bed. If I win I win and if I don't there's is always another auction right around the corner.

[tiger8mush]

I set my maximum bid on closing night just before bed (10pm Eastern time, maybe 11pm if its a weekend) and wake up in the morning with a normal night of sleep.

[Bicem]

Max bids don't really work if you're after multiple things, can't afford them all, and have to prioritize.

I don't think reasonable ending hours is too much to ask. AH's are reluctant to change simply because that's how it's always been done so all their data supports ending late. Kudos to REA for having the courage to make a customer service-centric change.

[Bicem]

That said, Heritage's lot by lot closing seems to keep most items ending at a reasonable time.

[GasHouseGang]

I like the "set it and forget it" method too. Otherwise, I'm sure I'd let emotion get involved and decide to just spend a little bit more to get what I want. Plus, I need sleep!

[LEHR]

Originally Posted by Bicem

Max bids don't really work if you're after multiple things, can't afford them all, and have to prioritize.

I don't think reasonable ending hours is too much to ask. AH's are reluctant to change simply because that's how it's always been done so all their data supports ending late. Kudos to REA for having the courage to make a customer service-centric change.

Good point, Jeff. Typically I'm only seriously chasing one or two items per auction so I guess it's easier for me than others who may be interested in multiple lots but can only afford one or two.

[bn2cardz]

Originally Posted by Bicem

Max bids don't really work if you're after multiple things, can't afford them all, and have to prioritize.

I don't think reasonable ending hours is too much to ask. AH's are reluctant to change simply because that's how it's always been done so all their data supports ending late. Kudos to REA for having the courage to make a customer service-centric change.

This prioritization is what always got me. I am not suppose to be a buyer anymore (though I have certainly fallen a few times). When I was more involved, though, I had to prioritize.

I once I mentioned something about this type of thing in a thread on the board. I stated how hard it is when you get outbid on something your put as your first priority but now unable to bid on the backup stuff because I didn't place any initial bids. I was told essentially that nothing ever sells for the Minimum Bid so I should just bid on everything I want with place marker bids. Turns out they were wrong and I won my priority with the MB and a few of my backups never got bids, had I taken the advice I could have potentially ended up in the hole.

[Buythatcard]

I understand the pain.

If you live on the East Coast like I do, we lose 3 hours to the West Coast guys. I place my high bid before I go to sleep and just let it ride. When I wake up the next morning, I am met with all the outbid emails. I notice the outbids are always around midnight or early morning. I am in dreamland but the West Coast guys are still up and ready to bid.

AH's are out to make money and not to please everyone.

[T206Collector]

It's an unfair advantage to West Coast collectors. REA is smart - they recognize the value in treating every dollar equally, regardless of geography. Every "set it and forget it" is a sleeping bidder who might be willing to bid yet again if he was awake when he gets outbid. I think AHs are losing money on that system.

[conor912]

Originally Posted by T206Collector

It's an unfair advantage to West Coast collectors. REA is smart - they recognize the value in treating every dollar equally, regardless of geography. Every "set it and forget it" is a sleeping bidder who might be willing to bid yet again if he was awake when he gets outbid. I think AHs are losing money on that system.

Probably true, but you've got to draw the line somewhere. If they found some way to equalize the time difference and make it equitable across the board, we'd all be complaining about the new convoluted system designed to milk every bidder for every penny.

Personally, I bid one bid increment over what I really want to spend and go to bed assuming I'm not gonna get it. If someone wants to way over pay and snatch it from me, then its all theirs.

[RedsFan1941]

Originally Posted by conor912

Probably true, but you've got to draw the line somewhere. If they found some way to equalize the time difference and make it equitable across the board, we'd all be complaining about the new convoluted system designed to milk every bidder for every penny.

I think REA has found a way to equalize the time difference by ending their auctions at 11 p.m. On Sundays. I don't think it's convoluted and haven't seen many complaints, except from the usual suspects who complain about everything in the hobby.

[rats60]

I also use the bid my max and go to bed method. Only on a rare occation for a rare card will I stay up.

[tab]

I was late for work today also not because I was up late bidding but shut alarm off and thought I'd get out of bed in another minute. Lol. Hate starting my day off late

Anyways, I haven't bid on live auctions in a couple years. I remember my first live auction that I bid on. I didn't understand the rules and was confused. I had bid on an item and thought that if nobody bid on that item within the time frame that that single item would end. Come to find out that the ENTIRE auction kept going was stupid to me! I won the auction and there weren't any more bids in extended bidding but had to wait all night to figure out if I won.