Very Upset With Myself

[Jewish-collector]

I never did understand sniping. I agree with the previous posts. Just put in a bid the most you want to pay. If you win great, if you lose, that's OK because a similar card will be listed the next day or in a week or a month. It never ends.....

I think with sniping, you just don't show your interest in the auction. That's all.

[t206hound]

Originally Posted by Jewish-collector

I never did understand sniping. I agree with the previous posts. Just put in a bid the most you want to pay. If you win great, if you lose, that's OK because a similar card will be listed the next day or in a week or a month. It never ends.....

The entire reason that sniping exists is to combat the bidders (or potentially shillers) who chip away at your max bid... essentially the less disciplined bidder who continually bids "just one more time" to see if he/she can be top bidder.

There was a card I sniped last night at a price roughly half of what I was willing to pay. If I had put in a max bid, I believe that I would have ultimately paid a higher price on that item as it would have given one or more people more time to chip away at my bid.

[travrosty]

Originally Posted by t206hound

The entire reason that sniping exists is to combat the bidders (or potentially shillers) who chip away at your max bid... essentially the less disciplined bidder who continually bids "just one more time" to see if he/she can be top bidder.

There was a card I sniped last night at a price roughly half of what I was willing to pay. If I had put in a max bid, I believe that I would have ultimately paid a higher price on that item as it would have given one or more people more time to chip away at my bid.

there is no chipping away at the bid.

Whether sniping or not, he put in the price he was willing to pay for the piece. that's it. you won it, because your bid was higher. if he wanted to pay more, you think he would have bid more before time ran out, right? he didn't, because he wasnt willing to pay more.

its a psychological balm only, this sniping, there is no sniping, you put in the most you are willing to pay, he puts in the most he is willing to pay, whether you both enter it right away or with one second left, and the highest bid takes it. if you are kicking yourself because you should have entered more, THEN ENTER MORE!

[t206hound]

Originally Posted by travrosty

its a psychological balm only, this sniping, there is no sniping, you put in the most you are willing to pay, he puts in the most he is willing to pay

I think this where your assumption is incorrect. Under your assumption, you would only see one bid on an item from each user id. Look at bid histories of some of the items that you've bid on. It's not uncommon to see the same user id place several bids on the same item. If he put in the most he was willing to pay, he wouldn't have to bid again. He is chipping (trying to find the lowest bid that will put them in the lead) or he is undisciplined and thinks maybe if I just go $X more, I'll win (and repeats this several times). In the end, it's my belief that I win more items (and pay less for them) by sniping.

[mrmopar]

Bingo.

Whether or not you are willing to pay more, there are bidders who just have to be high bidder no matter what. If you use a large proxy bid right off the bat and one of those bidders comes along, you will see your bid eclipsed and the item may very well sell for much more than had a snipe bid been used.

This is not necessarily a realistic example, but it shows the logic:

For example, let's say you are willing to pay $1000. You bid $1000 and along comes the "has to be high bidder at all times" guy. He just keeps bidding and bidding until he is the high bidder. You are out, but since you placed your max bid, you walk away and say oh well, maybe next time.

However, let's say that you only bid $100 initially and then set up a snipe for $1000. That "has to be high bidder" guy then goes to work and becomes high bidder at $101.00 and then assuming no other bids, your snipe takes the win at $102.

I have found that almost every time I place a bid when I don't feel a snipe is necessary, I lose because someone outbids me early, not just snipe bids. I still lose when sniping, but I win more often and I believe I pay less along the way.

Originally Posted by t206hound

The entire reason that sniping exists is to combat the bidders (or potentially shillers) who chip away at your max bid... essentially the less disciplined bidder who continually bids "just one more time" to see if he/she can be top bidder.

There was a card I sniped last night at a price roughly half of what I was willing to pay. If I had put in a max bid, I believe that I would have ultimately paid a higher price on that item as it would have given one or more people more time to chip away at my bid.

[freakhappy]

Good point, Curt...I believe your assessment is correct.

However, if you find a card that may be worth 1k and think I can get it for $100 with a snipe bid, let me know!!!


Mike