Rats....

[Fore Check]

I woke up early this morning to bid on a couple of rockets on eBay that ended around 6:00 am (CST). Apparently I wasn't the only one - I *still* got outbid....

 

[Hospital_Rocket]

The technical term is a sniper. I hate it when they make their bid within a minute of the auction end. This is why I now look at the auction close time and won't bid unless I will be awake for it.

 

[Fore Check]

I was attempting to be that "sniper." Got outbid by about $0.50 in both cases (and by another "sniper" too - not the dude who had been the high bidder for days.)

 

[illini]

Unfortunately, e-bay is a system that encourages sniping. I've rarely won an e-bay auction *without* sniping.

 

[MetMan]

Originally posted by illini
Unfortunately, e-bay is a system that encourages sniping. I've rarely won an e-bay auction *without* sniping.

You say that like it's a bad thing.

I think it's amazing that anyone will bid on anything the first day. Let's say that first $10 bid on an original Red Max. Like maybe everyone else will miss it...

From the seller's point of view, sniping is a blast. I once was selling a circa 1908 toaster. The last two minutes was like watching a horse race you couldn't lose. Even my wife got into it.

 

[BlueNinja]

Well, both times I've bought something on EcchBay i bid on, oh, the 5th or 6th day, won the auction.

 

[rocketsonly]

Originally posted by MetMan
You say that like it's a bad thing.

I think it's amazing that anyone will bid on anything the first day. Let's say that first $10 bid on an original Red Max. Like maybe everyone else will miss it...

From the seller's point of view, sniping is a blast. I once was selling a circa 1908 toaster. The last two minutes was like watching a horse race you couldn't lose. Even my wife got into it.

It's only a blast when you have multiple snipers bidding on your auction. I'm sure it sucks when your auction doesn't go as high as it should go because of a sniper.

 

[SwingWing]

Originally posted by MetMan

I think it's amazing that anyone will bid on anything the first day. Let's say that first $10 bid on an original Red Max. Like maybe everyone else will miss it...

I do just that, and you would be surprised that occasionally everyone else DOES miss it..... Also, if you don't watch the new auctions, you never see the ones from people that put up that Red Max with a $10 Buy-it-now

 

[jflis]

I really don't see what the problem is with snipers.

I mean, if you put a high bid of $10 on an item and in the last 10 seconds a sniper gets the item with a bid of $10.50, are you saying that if he didn't *snipe* but made his $10.50 bid a half hour earlier that you would have bid $11??

If so, then why didn't you just bid $11 in the first place and not worry about it.

Point is, if the sniper won the bid with a bid higher than you would be willing to out-bid, then it doesn't matter whether he places that bid 10 seconds befor auctin end or if he places it on the first day of the auction. He's still willilng to pay more than anyone else.

Bottom line is, while we would *love* to get it for as low a cost as possible, the "reserve bid" option allows you to bid the maximum you would be willing to pay and then you have no worries.

or am I missing something?

 

[Planet Andy]

To be sniped is annoying, but to be the sniper is divine. IMO It's actually pretty much how a "live in person" auction would function. However those with slower technology (dial-up...me included) are at a disadvantage. If you see it as a contest or competition, someone has to win....right?

Andy

 

[sandman]

Sniping is exciting!

When you're selling.

There is Sniping software that "Snipes" for you automatically...not sure how it works...but my question is...

What happens if a lot of people have the same sniping software??

 

[Stymye]

simple... because it sucks when you are outbid by .50 cents in the last second and not left enough time to re-evaluate your own bid. I bid what Im willing to pay, and what I think the item may go for..often It may be a seldom listed item. and I may be a tad low... but the chance to regain the higher bid is often shot down by the sniper.

 

[KermieD]

When you're sniping, always bid the highest amount you're willing to pay. It'll always just jump up that minimum increment. Also, if you're sniping, bid that maximum amount PLUS $0.04 or so. It's ONLY that first bid that needs to go up the minimum increment.

Say for example, your item is out there for $10.00 now with an increment of $0.50. Put a bid in for $11.04. When you enter, it puts your bid in for $10.50 to start. If the other guy has a max bid in of $11, the proxy bidder puts him in for that. If you bid $11.04, you just beat his max bid by $0.04

 

[astrowolf67]

Originally posted by jflis
I really don't see what the problem is with snipers.

Bottom line is, while we would *love* to get it for as low a cost as possible, the "reserve bid" option allows you to bid the maximum you would be willing to pay and then you have no worries.

This is how I won a new HobbyZone Firebird II, a couple of months ago for 31 bucks. I had put a maximum bid of 40 bucks in (shipping was only 7). In the last minute, snipers jumped it from 25 bucks to 31, but ran out of time. I ended up with a darned good beginners RC plane, for 38 bucks total!!

 

[illini]

Originally posted by MetMan
You say that like it's a bad thing.

I don't know if its bad or not, but I hate it when I'm out-sniped! I love it when I'm the seller, though, and snipers bid up beyond what they could pay for a brand spankin' new item elsewhere. Sniping definitely rewards the seller, and that's to e-bay's benefit as well.

 

[Hospital_Rocket]

I only find sniping annoying because the auctions for what I want always end a 3:00 in the morning. If you ever meet me, you would understand why I need my beauty sleep....

Don't take me wrong it's a free market and if I want it bad enough, I'll wake up and sit bleary eyed next to the PC.

I just really hate getting outbid after I make a fair offer, hold the lead for days,and get ouitbid by $0.50 10 seconds before the auction ends by someone who has not bid until the last minute.

Sniping just does not fit into my personal "do unto others" way of thinking. As such, I won't do it. You wanna get into a good old fashioned auction? Come after me while the sun is up.

 

[TheRadiator]

IMO eBay is certainly geared towards the West Coast. After discovering old rockets on eBay, I spent several late nights watching auctions 'till 3 in the morning. I go tsick of that and now just put in how much I'm willing to pay for it, and since the system automatically ups my bid to the maximum, if I'm outbid, then I'm not upset about it. Sniping turned into a late night adventure, and I got tired of it as I like my sleep.

 

[Fore Check]

Speaking of eBay: Let's all break out our wallets and go bid on this baby!!

https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2567&item=5943038692&rd=1

 

[sandman]

break out our wallets and go bid on this baby!!

Dream on!

Don't see anything there that's worth as much as my old pick-up truck I just sold for $700!

 

[Fore Check]

No kidding!

He *might* have had somehting there if the original box for the entire starter kit was unopened and in great condition - but still nowhere near the $700+ he's hoping for.

Now, that K-11 WAC Corporal kit that is in the starter package, if it is indeed in an unopened pack, could get him anywhere from $200 - $300 if it's in mint or near-mint condition. But that's just for the kit.

 

[Donaldsrockets]

Once on an ROL auction, I had two snipers attempt to swipe an H242T reload from me. Unfortunately for them, I was waiting right at my computer for the auction to end so really their efforts to snipe me were in vain.

One other time, someone sniped an H180W from me at the last minute and ended up getting stiffed by the seller.