Just got sniped on eBay

[Brownian Motion]

The main reason to snipe all auctions is that many outbid bidders will pay more if given the chance. Sniping forecloses on them.

[Big Al]

The one $5 bidder had come back, and chipped away at my proxy bid, dollar by dollar (the guy must have bid 40 or more times!!!). And each time my proxy would outbid him, just like it was supposed to. He finally gave up at like $57 -- so with shipping, I was out a little over $60.

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That actually ties in to another reason not to place early bids but rather wait to snipe at the very end.

Let's say for instance that you're on some rock board and know that fellow board member 'Tommy' has been dying to get a rare copy of a Monkees CD...and suddenly one appears....and soon afterwards you see that 'Tommy' has placed a bid.

Well, you're pissed at 'Tommy' because he insulted your mother and also beat you out on 10 other auctions over the years, so you start to screw with him (he doesn't know your eBay handle) and start placing bids. Well, given the fact that he's been foaming at the mouth about this rare cd for 2 years you just know that, up to a point, he's gonna keep coming back.....so you decide to place a few more bids and up the ante...but not too high......and suddenly just back off.

The auction finally ends two days later and 'Tommy' ends up paying $78 for the disc...but had you not 'intervened', he might have had it for $40?

He telegraphed his interest by placing an early bid and you took the opportunity to mess with him a little. He should have just popped in with a few seconds to go and avoided it.

That was you???? YOU BASTARD!!!!

[Soul Stream]

In this day and age, if you really want an item at a reasonable price you should snipe. Sniping also forces you to set a max amount you're really comfortable with. No biding wars. No paying more than you really want to 'cause you "set it and forget it." There's plenty of free snipe sites and I think it's prudent to go that route. It's all part of the Ebay game. I was bummed the first few times I was sniped before I was hipped to the free sites. I would venture to guess that nearly every auction that has multiple bids has at least one snipe program coming in at the end.

[Jazzmoose]

As far as I'm concerned, anything having to do with sniping is irrational.

Well, truly irrational behavior on ebay is bidding more than once on a single auction. However, a lot of newbies (and some who ought to have learned by now) do it, and a snipe prevents that. Clean, simple, and done.

Most arguments I've heard against sniping are from people who still haven't been able to understand the basic difference between the traditional "going, going, gone" type auction and the "ends at a set time" auction. Totally different animals.

By the way, I love snipers when I'm selling...one more bid is always cool with me!

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

Most arguments I've heard against sniping are from people who still haven't been able to understand the basic difference between the traditional "going, going, gone" type auction

Is that what you'd call the Mosaic style?

close to running low.....closer to running low........now running low......ruuuuunning low.......still running low.......okay, last chance......last chance......last chance......still last chance.......get off your ass and buy the %$#@ set 'cause it's last chance! .......hurry up, last chance........bang, it's gone.

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

The one $5 bidder had come back, and chipped away at my proxy bid, dollar by dollar (the guy must have bid 40 or more times!!!). And each time my proxy would outbid him, just like it was supposed to. He finally gave up at like $57 -- so with shipping, I was out a little over $60.

.

That actually ties in to another reason not to place early bids but rather wait to snipe at the very end.

Let's say for instance that you're on some rock board and know that fellow board member 'Tommy' has been dying to get a rare copy of a Monkees CD...and suddenly one appears....and soon afterwards you see that 'Tommy' has placed a bid.

Well, you're pissed at 'Tommy' because he insulted your mother and also beat you out on 10 other auctions over the years, so you start to screw with him (he doesn't know your eBay handle) and start placing bids. Well, given the fact that he's been foaming at the mouth about this rare cd for 2 years you just know that, up to a point, he's gonna keep coming back.....so you decide to place a few more bids and up the ante...but not too high......and suddenly just back off.

The auction finally ends two days later and 'Tommy' ends up paying $78 for the disc...but had you not 'intervened', he might have had it for $40?

He telegraphed his interest by placing an early bid and you took the opportunity to mess with him a little. He should have just popped in with a few seconds to go and avoided it.

That was you???? YOU BASTARD!!!!

Yeah, um sorry... But don't feel bad, that old Monkees disc wound up being an old Soviet era bootleg copy and they screwed up alot of stuff in the booklet -- like calling the 'Last Train to Clarksville'....'Last Train to Permafrost Camp #9'.

[etherbored]

all i can say is that it's a good thing ebay doesn't disclose the number of members watching a particular auction (to anyone other than the seller). that would add an additional wrinkle or two...