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Getting outbid on E-Bay, and it makes you happy?

JdurgJdurg Posts: 997 ✭
in Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum
Has anyone else ever been in the same situation? You bid on something you want on E-Bay after looking for hours upon hours upon hours for that item. You finally find it and place your bid. You then go on to look at other things, and while searching for other items you come across an auction or BIN for the item you were looking for ealier. The seller had a typo in the title which is why it didn't show up. At this point you are now praying that you get outbid on the initial auction so you can buy the item for about 75% of what you would win the other one at.

I had this happen a couple of times recently and have been very happy about that. For a few insert sets I bid on them hoping to win the entire set, but then later on found the same insert sets with a BIN of about half what I had put for my max bid. Thankfully, I got outbid and was able to get the sets much cheaper. These are the few times where I'm happy to lose an auction. image
I collect the elements on the periodic table, and some coins. I have a complete Roosevelt set, and am putting together a set of coins from 1880.

Comments

  • GriffinsGriffins Posts: 6,076 ✭✭✭
    One more reason why you should always snipe.

    Always looking for Topps Salesman Samples, pre '51 unopened packs, E90-2, E91a, N690 Kalamazoo Bats, and T204 Square Frame Ramly's

  • calaban7calaban7 Posts: 3,019 ✭✭✭
    About 2 years ago, there was this beautiful proof 65 Barber dime that was on a 10 day listing. It had a starting price of $999 . It was worth about $2,500. The seller had just listed it, and I said well lets get it started. I really didn't collect these and figured someone would sweep it away. Well 9 days , 23 hours , 59 minutes and 55 seconds later it was sniped. I never did that again. It would have been a very nice dime to own, but was I glad I got sniped.
    " In a time of universal deceit , telling the truth is a revolutionary act " --- George Orwell
  • XanaduNowXanaduNow Posts: 1,718


    << <i>One more reason why you should always snipe. >>



    ALWAYS snipe. It makes no sense not to.

    Arthur
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,761 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I agree--sniping is the way to go, and will save you much more $$$ in the long run. But in the case above, if there's at least 24 hours left in the auction, why don't you just retract your bid?

    Edit: For the record, I don't advocate retracting bids, but in unique situations like the one above, it may be a good idea to save you a few bucks.


    Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
  • BenOutbidBenOutbid Posts: 78 ✭✭
    Impulsively I have bid on cards and instantly had buyer's remorse. I never retract bids so I go through the anxiety described - hitting the refresh and chanting my mantra hoping that someone outbids me. The chant did not work once, and I will always have the raw Williams that is trimmed. I was a traditionalist and skeptic about sniping EBay auctions. No more and never again. Sniping using the JustSnipe link for any auction I am interested in is without question the only way to go.









  • SportsCardCollectorSportsCardCollector Posts: 320 ✭✭
    It happened to me today. I had been watching a large oddball lot of cards that I thought I could pick up cheap and re-sell. After careful thought, I placed my bid this morning for the opening amount and waited to win it tonight.

    As I went through the day today, I did the math in my head and began to realize that the reason this lot was so cheap was that the cards would bring little to nothing if you tried to sell them on the bay. So I started praying that someone would be dumber than me and outbid me. They did, about an hour ago.

    And yes, I'm happy to be outbid.image
    "It's not so important who starts the game but who finishes it."
    - John Wooden
  • Treasures4uComTreasures4uCom Posts: 48


    << <i>I was a traditionalist and skeptic about sniping EBay auctions. No more and never again. Sniping using the JustSnipe link for any auction I am interested in is without question the only way to go. >>



    Where do you find this JustSnipe link? I don't see such a link at eBay! I guess it's not in their best interest to do that!

    Russell
    image
    Treasures of a Lifetime: Something of value from a period of time representing someone's life!

    Edited: My URL removed! I don't spam!
  • stownstown Posts: 11,321 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Where do you find this JustSnipe link? I don't see such a link at eBay! I guess it's not in their best interest to do that!

    Russell >>



    Their best interest being they don't give out free advertising, then yes, you are correct.

    BTW - google is your friend.
    So basically my kid won't be able to go to college, but at least I'll have a set where the three most expensive cards are of a player I despise ~ CDsNuts
  • BenOutbidBenOutbid Posts: 78 ✭✭
    I agree there is no service to advertise. But you can enable some snipe connections on your tool bar and they will auto-link to the auction you are interested in. The instructions are found during registration - whatever you use.
  • JdurgJdurg Posts: 997 ✭
    I don't use snipe services because I always bid the maximum that I am willing to spend on a card or set of cards. If I outbid someone and they want the card(s) bad enough then they just wind up paying more than they should. I consider that a nice payback. I don't have to purcahse the cards for a price any higher than I'm willing to spend, and the person who did buy it spent more than they should have. Sniping is only useful if you just absolutely have to have a card and are willing to spend any amount necessary. Then you put in your snipe for an insanely high amount and plan on taking the card at the end. What that could result in, however, is running up against another person who "super-snipes" and being stuck with an insane final price.

    I guess I'm just saying that I don't snipe because I always have a maximum amount that I'm willing to spend on an auction and if someone bids higher than that, well, congratulations because you just paid more than you should have. image
    I collect the elements on the periodic table, and some coins. I have a complete Roosevelt set, and am putting together a set of coins from 1880.
  • XanaduNowXanaduNow Posts: 1,718


    << <i>I don't use snipe services because I always bid the maximum that I am willing to spend on a card or set of cards. If I outbid someone and they want the card(s) bad enough then they just wind up paying more than they should. I consider that a nice payback. I don't have to purcahse the cards for a price any higher than I'm willing to spend, and the person who did buy it spent more than they should have. Sniping is only useful if you just absolutely have to have a card and are willing to spend any amount necessary. Then you put in your snipe for an insanely high amount and plan on taking the card at the end. What that could result in, however, is running up against another person who "super-snipes" and being stuck with an insane final price.

    I guess I'm just saying that I don't snipe because I always have a maximum amount that I'm willing to spend on an auction and if someone bids higher than that, well, congratulations because you just paid more than you should have. image >>



    If you snipe you can't be run up and you may end up paying more than you should have.

    Arthur
  • JdurgJdurg Posts: 997 ✭
    But how can I pay more than I should have when I only put a bid in for as much as I'm willing to spend on the card?
    I collect the elements on the periodic table, and some coins. I have a complete Roosevelt set, and am putting together a set of coins from 1880.
  • softparadesoftparade Posts: 9,281 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>But how can I pay more than I should have when I only put a bid in for as much as I'm willing to spend on the card? >>



    Because when you snipe the bid is not put in until the final seconds and eliminates the guy who is bidding you up until he gets a buck past you. You don't always win but it just does not make sense to bid your max amount days or even hours before a auction ends. You will always save money when your bid is not seen until it is too late image

    ISO 1978 Topps Baseball in NM-MT High Grade Raw 3, 100, 103, 302, 347, 376, 416, 466, 481, 487, 509, 534, 540, 554, 579, 580, 622, 642, 673, 724__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ISO 1978 O-Pee-Chee in NM-MT High Grade Raw12, 21, 29, 38, 49, 65, 69, 73, 74, 81, 95, 100, 104, 110, 115, 122, 132, 133, 135, 140, 142, 151, 153, 155, 160, 161, 167, 168, 172, 179, 181, 196, 200, 204, 210, 224, 231, 240

  • XanaduNowXanaduNow Posts: 1,718
    Durg,

    I'll use a recent auction that I was watching as an example.

    Let's say that there were 5 bids in on the item and the total is at $30. Bidder #6 strolls in and starts making bids in $5 increments, bringing the cost up to $60. Throughout the course of the week that same bidder (#6) keeps bidding up the total in $5 increments until, eventually, he was the high bidder at around $125.

    Now if the guy who was the high bidder all week had just sniped, what would have happened? Bidder 6 would have placed a bid early in the week and become the high bidder at around $35. The other guy snipes and wins it at $36 instead of losing it at $125.

    Now you can say you only bid what you're comfortable paying but I'd be willing to bet that you'd rather win an item at $1 than at $20. But you keep paying $20 for it if that's what makes you feel good.

    Arthur
  • XanaduNowXanaduNow Posts: 1,718
    Here's another reason to always snipe.

    Arthur
  • jimq112jimq112 Posts: 3,511 ✭✭✭


    << <i>But how can I pay more than I should have when I only put a bid in for as much as I'm willing to spend on the card? >>



    I just won an auction a couple minutes ago. I knew all week I wanted the cards, but didn't bid. I was willing to pay $200 for them. I bid $202.02 with 3 seconds left, the high bid at that time was about $62, and won at $76. If I had bid 200 on monday, and the guy who bid 75 might have kept going if he really wanted them. It would have cost me more for sure. He probably thought 75 was a safe bid.

    Listen to them, they're right. Justsnipe gives you 5 freebies a week, save those for the ones you have to win and bid on the cheapies that don't matter image
    image
  • CDsNutsCDsNuts Posts: 10,092 ✭
    You have to understand that everybody doesn't bid like you Jdurg. A great deal of the bidding on ebay is spur of the moment without putting much thought into it.

    For those people, there's actual market value and there's the perception of value. If there is 5 minutes left in an auction and a card is at $25, this type of buyer who wants that particular card says to himself: "Wow, I think that card is worth way more than that. I'll bid $45 and take it easily." Now same situation, except the card is at $50 (you're bid). keep in mind that the seller still wants the card, so he says to himself: "That's kind of high, but I think $60 should take it."

    Now, say you put a last minute snipe of $50 on the card instead of just bidding on it. In situation one, you take the card. In situation two, you get outbid. Same card, same bidder involved. Different perception of value because of where the bid is, and he doesn't have time to convince himself to bid higher on the card because your bid is put in with 5 seconds left.

    Lee
  • lawnmowermanlawnmowerman Posts: 19,477 ✭✭✭✭
    You need to snipe everything! If you dont, you end up paying way too much.

    Not sniping is like being locked in a garage with only some cold baked beans to eat out of a hollowed out flashlight.

    Ask Arthur, he can tell you firsthand!

    1994 Pro Line Live

    TheDallasCowboyBackfieldProject

  • XanaduNowXanaduNow Posts: 1,718
    Matt's right. It sucks. Big time.

    Arthur
  • blindflyerblindflyer Posts: 758
    Honestly, there is absolutely zero logical reason to *not* snipe.

    Sniping is convenient.
    Sniping saves you money.
    Sniping removes a lot of the "emotion" from bidding.
    Sniping protects your privacy.

    I'll repeat:
    Sniping saves you money.

    To choose not to snipe makes absolutely zero logical sense.

    -t
    - Building these sets:
    ------- 1960 Topps Baseball PSA 8+
    ------- 1985 Topps Hockey PSA 9+
  • ElemenopeoElemenopeo Posts: 2,577 ✭✭

    I am also a devotee of the snipe, but with one exception: when the minimum bid is the maximum I'm willing to spend or very close to it. I figure I'll have to be the only bidder in order to win the item anyway -- and I may as well get my bid in before anyone else who doesn't want to spend any more than that.
  • XanaduNowXanaduNow Posts: 1,718


    << <i>I am also a devotee of the snipe, but with one exception: when the minimum bid is the maximum I'm willing to spend or very close to it. I figure I'll have to be the only bidder in order to win the item anyway -- and I may as well get my bid in before anyone else who doesn't want to spend any more than that. >>



    I've often contemplated this. I can see the logic in doing this because as an auction winds down some people may be more apt to bid of they see no one else has bid. But when they see that someone has already put in a claim it's just logical to assume that they're bid is for more than the OB. Elemenopeo, I SHOULD do this but what usually happens is I tack on a few extra dollars and convince myself to pay more than the OB. image

    Arthur
  • TNP777TNP777 Posts: 5,710 ✭✭✭


    << <i>I am also a devotee of the snipe, but with one exception: when the minimum bid is the maximum I'm willing to spend or very close to it. I figure I'll have to be the only bidder in order to win the item anyway -- and I may as well get my bid in before anyone else who doesn't want to spend any more than that. >>

    Exactly. That is the only situation in which I put in a manual bid. Sniping is convenient, hassle-free, time- and money-saving.

    Geordie

    Dodgers collection scans | Brett Butler registry | 1978 Dodgers - straight 9s, homie
  • blindflyerblindflyer Posts: 758


    << <i>I am also a devotee of the snipe, but with one exception: when the minimum bid is the maximum I'm willing to spend or very close to it. I figure I'll have to be the only bidder in order to win the item anyway -- and I may as well get my bid in before anyone else who doesn't want to spend any more than that. >>




    Good point, Bryon. I will actually put a manual bid it in this one situation. Otherwise, snipe or bust!

    -t

    EDITED TO ADD:
    I thought of a second exception. If there is an item with a low min bid + a BIN price. If I want to "kill" the BIN I'll put in a min bid to kill it --- then use snipe to put in my max bid.
    - Building these sets:
    ------- 1960 Topps Baseball PSA 8+
    ------- 1985 Topps Hockey PSA 9+
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