Which kind of bidder are you?

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Posted By: Julie

I only bid ONCE on each item I think I might be interested in. When it's time when all first time bidders on each item
must already have bid, if I am not high (which I usually am not), I bid on--probably only one--item, until I am high bidder. I NEVER place limit bids; it's like drawing a line in the sand--"Just DARE top step over this!" and sure enough, someone will. Then I play as much of a waiting game as possible. I try to wait until the last 5-7 minutes before someone else wins the item to raise him.

But--at this point, I am playing it by ear. If someone raises my winning bid at half the time till the bid is scheduled to run out, I may IMMEDIATELY raise his bid. The object is to make the opponent think I have all the money in the world, and never grow tired.

There is ONE EXCEPTION to my rule never to place a limit bid; if my funds are a more limited than I would like, when the bid is 2-3 steps below my highest POSSIBLE bid bnefore i runj out of money, I WILL fill that slot.

As soon as the aution starts, when I see something I really want (like the Old Judge Hoy in the Mastro just concluded), I get my FUNDS together--as much as I think I ought to bid and a little more (I find that an excellent rule: to win, you need to bid as much as you think you ought to, and a little more). If I think I might have enough, I'll go for it, even if I'm disappointed. If the thing is OBSCENELY expensive, I probably don't have th money to begin with, and would stop bidding before the obscene level is reached.

I try not to WANT stuff I can never afford. Why bother?

Everything I want on ebay (which is damned little) I snipe. Same rule applies--bid as high ass you think you should, and then a little higher.