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February 2004
Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | Is sniping a dirty trick? Would you lose respect for someone who does it? Do you practice sniping because getting what you want is paramount in your priorities? You may use the 3rd person when refering to yourself if you're ashamed.
I'll start. This friend of mine does it whenever he MUST have the item and wants to leave nothing to chance. He's acquired several guitars in this manner, and just the other day an '04 Honda Silver Wing. Now he "tells" me he's after a helmet worth $200, but he wants it for $35. Three other bidders are about to have their hearts broken...thrown on the trash heap along with the others in his wake! He says he feels some guilt over all this, but not enough to stop.
Name Witheld. |
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August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | I snipe ... and not ashamed of it. I primarily do it so that some newby or fanatic out there doesn't bid it up because they have to have it. I wait until the last moment, place my maximum bid, and then let it play out. I've lost more than I've won because someone else had a higher bid. But I have won my share at what I thought were good prices. |
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Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | I hope it's not a used helmet. NEVER buy a used helmet.
Unless, of course, he feels his head is only worth $35. |
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November 2005
Posts: 1126
Location: Omaha, NE | The only way you can be victimized by a sniper is if you yourself are trying to 'game' the system.
When you enter your price in eBay, you are NOT placing a bid. You are instructing the proxy bidder as to what you are willing to have for your maximum bid.
So, if someone complains about getting sniped, my response is "if you were willing to pay more than you entered, why didn't you do so in the first place?" |
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January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | I disagree that it is necessarily wrong, rude, unfair, or disrespectful. By sniping at the end, you are simply throwing in one shot, the maximum you'll pay under any condition. If everybody snipes at the end, it simply becomes a blind bid where everybody takes their best shot without regard to what other folks might be willing to pay. Thus, it is not really an auction, but then again, these things really aren't auctions. The person who is willing to pay the most, wins. The downside is that if you have two or more snipers who absolutely must have it, they could overbid the value of the item. I recently watched a 1960's non-neon Fender dealer sign and banner go for almost $1,300 and $1,250 respectively. In both instances, it was an obvious case of a few snipers going after a must-have item. |
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May 2003
Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | ebay is not a real auction, where you can see and assess your competition. The only strategy that makes sense, is wait until the last 15 - 30 seconds and throw down your maximum bid, otherwise you get the situation like what stonbobbo said, because it cuts out the sicko's who don't know what they are doing, who are like gambler's just raising the bet, raising the bet. In fact, I think the sniping strategy saves them from themselves, because you can get two nitwits in an auction who spend days upping an auction without any semblence to it's value.
Sniping saves the nitwits.
As to the helmet, isn't he worried about sanitation issues? |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Ewww. Good point, Rick. I was only considering the safety issues.
I don't see anything wrong with sniping. It's part of the Ebay game. As Omaha said, If you were willing to pay more, put in your maximum in the first place. |
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January 2004
Posts: 799
Location: Athens, GA & Gnashville | Yeah, hair nits....and nitwits! |
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January 2005
Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | I snipe and am proud of it. It's an AUCTION. The only way you will not get the item you want is if somebody wants it more and is willing to pay more. If you don't like losing an auction in the last few seconds then you should have bid more to begin with. I've also been on the losing end. I was sure I would win an auction and POOF, in the last second someone sniped me. The fault was mine, not his. That's the beauty of an auction, the winner will always be the one willing to pay the most.
Dave |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Karl (kidschool) sniped me on a longneck a couple years ago.
I eventually forgave him. |
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December 2005
Posts: 1234
Location: Tidal Mudflats of Virginia | Well I'm after the T-head on the bay right now, please withhold your snipes till after this item comes my way :) |
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January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | The bidding on rare and unusual items, where the value is very subjective, can get scarily out of control. About four years ago, I won a rare but non-working two-sided Gretsch dealer sign. It was listed under light. I sniped it with a bid of $101 and won it for $35. Upon receipt, I split the cases, cleaned up the lenses and made two perfectly suitable working signs out of one. Two years later, a really nice identical sign in perfect shape came up. I thought to myself that these things are really rare, so I'll snipe this one at $202 at the end. This is about all I figured a non-neon lighted sign was worth back then. Ha! There were about six bidders above me and the winner took it for well over $800. If you absolutely must have it, then you'll have to be willing to take your one and only best shot against who knows how many others, all of whom will be doing the same thing. |
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February 2004
Posts: 1634
Location: Warren,Pa. | BTW...the helmet is new, though a recently discontinued item. |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Good! |
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March 2005
Posts: 1421
Location: Orange County, California | I agree with Tuppy (I hate saying that...)
Throw in your best bid in the last few seconds. I don't care if you do it yourself, use software, a snipe site or whatever. Just don't bid more than you can afford to spend on something :p :D :p :D
I used to like being able to see the bidders so we didn't step on any OFCr's toes over something silly, but all's fair in love and war. I think we do a pretty good job of watching each other's backs around here. |
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December 2004
Posts: 2150
Location: Orlando, FL | I've won 3 guitar auctions sniping. I've probably lost 2 or 3 times that. I rarely place a bid that's not a snipe. It's a good way to give it your best shot at the end and not get a crazy bidding war going in the last 5 minutes. Bid or snipe, you should give it your best shot, bid your max and have no regrets win or lose. |
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August 2003
Posts: 430
Location: Lebanon, TN | If I am not using BIN I always snipe. Legitimate part of what Ebay is all about. I have still lost way more than I have won due to an even sharper sharp shooter or a much higher proxy than my maximum bid. |
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January 2005
Posts: 4903
Location: Phoenix AZ | When you lose an auction, you naturally assume you could have won it if you had bid an extra 10 bucks. I calm myself by assuming that the winner put in a max bid hundreds more than mine. Dave |
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November 2004
Posts: 1374
| I used to watch them to the last minute fighting all the way... too much stress, and sometimes paid too much or let emotions take over..
now if I see it and like it will bid my highest bid, and let it go... or mark it with a fair price then check a little later.. and maybe up my bid.. usually don't as most times "there's always another one"...
running our businesses online and being on the web an average of 14 hours a day.. I do spend a lot of time surfing auctions.. somehow I got an 1885 in mint condition for $745 and a Nakao for $780(maybe a little high but I like the rosewood and abalone)... I got a 1of50 custom elite for $375.. and a Preacher Deluxe for $350 mostly right place right time... but, again I don't like the mad bidding at the end... kind of prefer the set-it, check-it, maybe raise it, then let it go.
BTW.... MY BABY'S HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL TODAY!!
:D :D :D
Glenn |
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January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Sniping as you described it is just the way you do business on ebay. If you don't do it that way you will almost always loose. The better you are at it the more you will win.
Nothing personal, just business.
Now if you know one or some of the other bidders and declare your max and then come back with a much higher bid, now you're being a sneek or snipe or whatever. |
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October 2006
Posts: 5576
Location: big island | Originally posted by Amazingly-Detached..:
BTW.... MY BABY'S HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL TODAY!!
:D :D :D
Glenn alright, glenn!! that is such good news. |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by Amazingly-Detached..:
BTW.... MY BABY'S HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL TODAY!!
:D :D :D
Glenn That's good news, Glenn. Hope all is well. |
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October 2006
Posts: 5576
Location: big island | hey wabbit...we're good! (i beat you cuz of two less letters and no caps ;) ) |
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September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | My name is Arthur, and I'm a snipe-aholic and a Recreational Guitar Player... Thank You. :p
Naw, I got into a bidding war for my 4861, and paid for it. I've seen them go for much less, but I've seen them go for more. But that was the first thing that I bought on eBaaa. That was a $391 lesson.
(Lesson One: Buy something cheap once or twice before you spend over a hundred bucks! Duuuh! :eek: )
Now, when I look on eBaaa, I look at things that are just about ready to end, and BIN's.
I've learned my lesson. Like others have said, in the last few minutes I bid what I am willing to pay for it. Maybe one more time if outbid... tack another $20 on.
And remember, just cuz the jerk beat you out by $1.59, doesn't mean that he didn't bid $200 more. |
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November 2004
Posts: 1374
| Thanks guys. the prayers definitely helped, and most assuredly saved my wife's toe/foot... seems the vascular surgeon who was originally called in to assess and paid for the surgery/stent/possible amputation, may have oopsed in failing to perform additional tests which revealed the clot in the atrium... which were ordered by a cardiologist prior to the pad surgery.... seems some numbers got mixed up as well as to the actual size of the occlusion in the aorta, somehow 28% blockage was reported as 68% blockage... anyway.. the clot in the atrium has been diagnosed as the culprit, including the current circulatory problems in her foot... she is now on 2 different blood thinners, cholesterol drugs, pain and stress meds, and her regular diabetes regimen...
had the clot gone the other way to the brain instead of to the foot.... well she would be dead..
had the vascular surgeon continued as planned with the stent operation, he would have probably blown the clot in the aorta loose... and she would be dead...
thanks to all for the prayers that encouraged the cardiologist to order more tests.
BTW the vascular surgeon has agreed to refund all fees paid to him.... but we'll have to wait 3 weeks.
It's so nice to have her home, now I'll just have to tie her down to keep her from trying to take over the world as usual. that's ok... I like wrasslin'
Glenn |
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OT (maybe): sniping on ebay
