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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | A little advice on shopping would be appreciated. I was trying for a cheap USO. How can these guy run-over my max bid, then run it up $72 and a weird amount of change. This was faster that any human typing 60 wpm! I came home, checked the Baaa, I was $1 down. I went to 200, and was winning until 30 seconds.
Advice?
http://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBids&item=150067483500&s...
(This is the bid history. It will take you back if anyone wants to see what I was trying for) |
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Joined:
November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | classic snipe |
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Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | Yup. 5 seconds left.
BTW, I have that identical guitar ... I bought it in 1983 and have had it ever since. It's now a slide guitar as the urelite neck bowed over time. Still, it was a fine guitar and there are a lot of memories in those worn frets, fretboard scallops, dings, dents, and scuffs. |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | What Human bids $272.67?!! |
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Joined:
May 2004
Posts: 2850
Location: Midland, MI | I place bizarre bids all the time. Sometimes ending in 7, sometimes in 3. It's a psychological gambit...most people are going to bid up to a round amount or something ending in 5 or, more frequently, 9. Sometimes I bid weird amounts just to make the numbers look more interesting when other people bid.
Weird, I know. But... |
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Joined:
March 2004
Posts: 629
Location: Houston, Texas | Someone thinking that someone elses top bid is likely to be $272.66. No one wants to lose because of an extra couple of pennies. You see this alot, maybe it's a little irrational. |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13983
Location: Upper Left USA | I routinely bid $.01 over. Other favorite bottom feeding bids are $7.77 and $12.34.
I believe I have won some auctions because the other Bidder gave up on the even dollar. |
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Joined:
May 2004
Posts: 2850
Location: Midland, MI | Originally posted by Joyful Noise:
Someone thinking that someone elses top bid is likely to be $272.66. No one wants to lose because of an extra couple of pennies. You see this alot, maybe it's a little irrational. Are you calling me irrational?
;) |
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Joined:
August 2006
Posts: 2804
Location: ranson,wva | i allways bid with odd numbers of change..shit thats way out there..i won something on one of my other usernames that went off at $77.77, another was $89.89...sometimes it is a plus to be a total whack00 lol..jason |
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Joined:
March 2004
Posts: 629
Location: Houston, Texas | Originally posted by cruster:
Are you calling me irrational?
;) No more so than me, I do it all the time.
:D |
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Joined:
August 2006
Posts: 3145
Location: Marlton, NJ | I won the bidding on my house that way... beat the other guy by less than $100. Lesson learned from fantasy baseball way back when before ebay. |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 143
Location: Shotley Bridge, Northern England | I suspect by the timing of the bids that this bidder may also have been using sniping software or a sniping server. I use this all the time; avoids waiting up until weird times (especially on this side of the Atlantic), and also frees you up from any temptation to bid competatively :eek: as the auction winds down . My setup bids automatically with 5 seconds to go. You place your bid 2 or 3 hours/days beforehand, then check to see if you won after the auction is over. The server does the rest. You can also easily retract and alter your bid if you wish before the auction ends because the bid isn't registered with eBay until 5 seconds before the end. VERY handy if you change your mind (as we all can do... ;) )
I also intentionally bid using odd amounts of change too... Won more than a few auctions that way.
HW |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 1817
Location: Minden, Nebraska | I bid what I am willing to pay. If I win, great; if not, oh well. Sometimes it stings to lose by a few cents, but I made the decision on my limit. Getting emotional can result in spending more, so far better to not make it personal. I don't have to watch the end of the auction and I don't have to mess with a sniping program.
IMHO, the guy who paid that much for a used Ultra deserves what he got. :eek: |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | I do both, bid what I'm willing to pay and then throw on a few more odd dollars and cents. |
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Joined:
August 2006
Posts: 3145
Location: Marlton, NJ | I am always willing to go a little higher as well... it's a shame to lose the item for a few extra bucks. I must admit though, in the fever pitch of the final few minutes of bidding, it's easy to get caught up in the excitement and overbid. |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | What most bidders fail to realise is that even tho you lost "by a few cents", that is only a few cents more than you bid.
The winning bidder might have actually been willing to go hundreds of dollars higher....but the system "allows" him to win by the smallest allowable margin.
At least thats the logic I use to help take the sting away while wiping the tears out of my eyes! |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 1817
Location: Minden, Nebraska | Stephen, at least that's not teargas causing the pain....
What you mention works both ways. Sometimes you win something for less than you are willing to pay. |
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Computer bidding on the Baaa?
