I hate e-bay....

[red71cheyenne]

So, you know I been looking for a tach dash for the Blazer right? Well, I find one on ebay, and bid about $200. I'm the high bidder for a while there. Then the guy I outbid, went high and to the right and pushed it up past where I would pay. 2 days go by, and I get an email saying he retracted his bid, and now I am the high bidder. 2 days to go. Get another email tonight, I've been outbid and oh ya, its just past what I would pay for it. Drives me crazy!!!!! Sorry, just had to rant for a minute. Later, Jeff.

[Sheverlay]

I always wait till the last minute (bid snipe) anymore to bid on there. It may not be morally right, but it avoids bidding wars, and usually assures you will get the item for the lowest possible price, unless of course, someone puts in a very high bid earlier on.

[jimmydean]

I snipe as well. Ebay is a game, your bidding against a clock. I might bid early just to show my interest, but my final amount I bid around the 10 second mark. I have missed a few good deals because I didn't bid early and the seller pulled the auction because there were no bids.

I have been sniped before, so it's only fair.

[Ricks1971]

I never bid on anything I can't be there when the auction ends. Like Sheverlay says wait until the last few seconds to bid. I am usually watching several items and that way some items go way more than I want to bid I quit watching them.

[Doug76]

You guys sound like you are bidding for the thrill of it..If I want it I just bid the MAX I am willing to pay for it..If somethings worth 10 And I bid 20 and some other fool bids 21.50 I say let him have it.

[red71cheyenne]

Doug, thats about how I do it too. I just hate it when some one else changes their mind. If its more than I'm willing to pay I let it go. This one though, they came back on me. Got me back into it with that retraction. I could'a been a contender!!!!

[N2TRUX]

I'm like Doug. I can't always be there to fight off snipers in the end, so I just bid as much as I think I should pay early on. If someone wants it more than me, let them have it. It's too easy to get caught up in "buyers frenzy" at the end of an auction...

[Doug76]

LOL..You know I always bid on USED 275-45-20 tires on there For a set of four I might bid 200.00 bux..BTW I have yet to win any..But I cant believe what they end up selling for like 350-400+..You can buy new ones for 110-120 a peice..I think ebay is like gambling for some people.

[vk_chevy]

I set my snipe at the max that I would want to pay and forget about it, if I win, I win, if not, no big deal either.

[Brainchild]

Wait till the last few hours,bid my max and check how much I got outbid by....lol.

[Frizzle Fry]

Originally Posted by vk_chevy

I set my snipe at the max that I would want to pay and forget about it, if I win, I win, if not, no big deal either.

That's what I do. If I really want it I might buy "priority points" and get a 3 second bid in... Snipe the snipers

[Ron 586]

Not long ago I had my only shot at eBay. Somebody posted that there was a truck on eBay, project, going cheep. I bid through my wife's account (I didn't have one set up at the time) and 2 or 3 bids later the wife tells me the plan. Wait until last 5 Min. to bid. We had gone back to board and another member came on and said he wanted it but would hold off for me but don't let it get away. Back on eBay 8 min. left by my clock so here goes. Put my bid in and got the auction has ended message. I was disappointed because not only had I missed a deal but another member had also missed out. I was so sure that I was going to get it I had gone out and unloaded my trailer and checked lights, and tire pressure and was ready to go. Told wife she might be the expert but next time I'm going to bid what I think and be done with it.

[Joe67]

Ebay is a game
There are the two schools of thought, throw out a max bid and see what happens, or snipe

[glock35ipsc]

I wait for the last seconds. I will only put in a max bid if I know I can't be there when it ends. Otherwise, all that happens is people try to be in the high bidder's seat all the time and just end up driving the price through the roof! Which, for that reason, is why I love selling on eBay! I can get more out of something than what I have in it about 90% of the time because someone always want to be the high bidder.

[RainFade]

I've been using ebay since the beginning and anymore I see something I'd like I bid the most i'd be willing to pay (including s/h) and walk away.
You want it more than I do then more power to you.
I've seen too many people get caught up in the heat of a bidding war and pay silly prices for stuff. Of course the few times I'm selling stuff on there that is just fine hehehe

[thejoker]

A lot of times people don't bet there max and think they will be getting a great deal and sniping relies on that few that think this way. I always bid in the last 10 seconds and bid the max. People tend to be competitive even if it means paying more than the worth. I've seen people pay 25% more than the local price and then have to pay for shipping too. I saw a idler arm that sells for about $25 at Advance sell for $45 + $12 shipping and it was the exact part number. Competition sometimes drives the game, so I avoid getting into the game till there's no time for thinking.

BTW...I love Ebay! I've made a considerable amount of money on there without really trying!

JKR

[70rs/ss]

Ebay is a sellers market and buyers nightmare. I have been on for years and I have made decent profits, and bought some steals, but don't get caught up, and sniping, isn't that against the rules? If you want it bid your max and wait, otherwise you pay $30 for a $5 item. Sniping is kinda, well I don't know, but whatever floats your boat. Me personally I'd rather be with the kids, the trucks (many of them) or watching TV but waiting till 10 seconds, just so I can win? Not me, but more power to you!

[Sheverlay]

After a couple years, I have learned that bidding early just drives the price up. If you bid your max early, you still might win, but you will probably end up paying more that if you would have waited til the auction's close and bid the same amout. As far as bid sniping being against the rules: not on ebay, but on yahoo, if a bid is placed within the last few min. the auction gets automatically extended to prevent this. I think I read somewhere that people tried to petition ebay to prevent sniping a couple years ago, but ebay decided against it. Also, there automatic sniping tools out there that put in a bid for you within the last few seconds, so you don't have to be there when the auction closes. Never tried it though, because I don't like idea of giving a 3rd party company my ebay ID and pass.

[stan79chevy]

Originally Posted by jimmydean

I snipe as well. Ebay is a game, your bidding against a clock. I might bid early just to show my interest, but my final amount I bid around the 10 second mark. I have missed a few good deals because I didn't bid early and the seller pulled the auction because there were no bids.

I have been sniped before, so it's only fair.

ebay is a game, and ive been sniped befor so now i do it. also you could try mispelling what yourlooking for when you search for it. ive found some stuff with no bids on it because nobody could find it.

stan

[jimmydean]

Originally Posted by Sheverlay

After a couple years, I have learned that bidding early just drives the price up. If you bid your max early, you still might win, but you will probably end up paying more that if you would have waited til the auction's close and bid the same amout. As far as bid sniping being against the rules: not on ebay, but on yahoo, if a bid is placed within the last few min. the auction gets automatically extended to prevent this. I think I read somewhere that people tried to petition ebay to prevent sniping a couple years ago, but ebay decided against it. Also, there automatic sniping tools out there that put in a bid for you within the last few seconds, so you don't have to be there when the auction closes. Never tried it though, because I don't like idea of giving a 3rd party company my ebay ID and pass.

That's what I am talking about. I bid the max I'm willing to pay, I just do it at the last few seconds (unless the item is over that, then why bother). Bidding early jacks the price up more often then not. I also watch a ton of items I may never bid on based on what they go for.

[72armyswbtruck]

I always hate it when I bid on something and I get outbid, I try not getting caught up in a bidding war, but what I really hate is when someone retracts their bid after they won the item, there is a bed on a frame and the bed is cherry as well as are the side markings, well I got outbid and the bed got bid up to over $200 bucks, but had it not been bid up by the other guy I had it for only $75, now he can't get it (1000 bucks to ship) and so he is backing out.

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Be the sniper!!!!!! Thats my plan always..

[red71cheyenne]

Ya, the item I was bidding on was a tach dash. I started bidding at around $200 and went up to $260. After that it was just too much for me. It ended today at $350. More than I would ever pay, just because I can build one for less. As far as making money on ebay, I must not know how to do it, cause I almost always either break even, or lose a little on it. I've only sold about 4 things on there and I always seem to mess it up somehow. Either no one bids, or they take my low ball buy it now price and I'm screwed. Guess I'll just stick to buying from vendors and save myself the head ache. Thanks for the inputs guys, and I read about that sniping software in a computer course I'm taking. Cool stuff. Later, Jeff.

[409biscayne]

I love ebay . I think it's the game part i like , i can go a casino and never gamble a dollar , but i bid ( gamble ) on ebay everyday . I'm addicted . I mostly buy , but in the summer when work slows down a bit i sell . Heavy equipment parts and pieces and chevy parts , do fairly well for the most part. I did buy a sports car in Montana in the middle of the winter , cheap . Who the heck would list a sports car when it's freezing ?

[longhorn70gmc]

Well, they are getting looked at by the irs now. I think they will survive!