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 Replies: 23 / Views: 3,116 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2797 Posts |
Is it just me or .... I used to wait till the end for a snipe bid on all auctions. Then, after a few closed early with a BIN that wasn't on the original listing, I started placing a nominal bid and wait for the auction end to close the deal. Lately on some tremendous VAM picks there's been the same bidder topping my nominal within 24 hours and driving up the price at auction close. If I don't place an upfront bid and snipe at the end, the guy/gal doesn't show. ebay masks the id of the bidder, but you can tell with a high degree of certainty (same number of feedbacks, and same prefix/suffix) that it's the same person. Am I being stalked?  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1391 Posts |
Seated, I have no clue if someone can do that. I have always assumed that people couldn't see what you bid on until after the auction was over. It does make for an interesting theory though. Let someone else do the research and then just piggy back on their bids and hope you are getting a good deal and try to figure out what you got later. I suppose I could add to your paranoia by suggesting that an ebay employee probably has access to the bid information....  If you had another ebay account you could do a test. Or you could try bidding one something that wasn't a great "pick" and see if they bid too. Say a Morgan that was worn almost slick. |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
2448 Posts |
I doubt you have anyway to prove it...even with two accounts. I felt the same way about a year ago. I just couldn't win an auction for PCGS graded Morgans. I just stopped bidding for about 30 days and when I started back up, I had no problem winning an auction I really thought was fairly priced. Just curious, was the sniping pattern specific to any one seller? |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2373 Posts |
Doubt you are stalked. Same thing happens to me with recognizable vams. I would think its a product of keen eye competition. nlp
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1812 Posts |
I first registered with ebay back in 1997 (when it was a fun site to surf) and loved dealing on ebay (even had a coin store there) untill both me ebay and PayPal accounts were hacked into in April 2006... When ebay and PayPal both refused to provide me the necessary information on the hackers so I could pursue legal action against those involved, claiming privacy rights, I closed my PayPal account and ended about 99% of my ebay purchases. Getting back on topic, back then anyone could track another member's bidding activities and follow all their activities... As many here know, I collect errors and have purchased many errors from the top error coin dealers ebay auction listings (ie; Fred Weinberg, etc.) and at the same time was able to track all their bidding. I don't know if ebay still has this option or not, but I was able to locate what the dealers were bidding on, and knowing that they were dealers who would only bid about 50% of retail so they could turn a profit, I would place a snipe bid and most times received the coins 1 bid above the dealers... This was the best way to not overpay. |
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
You're not being stalked; the coins are being stalked by someone with your general interests and expertise. That's why nobody ever knows I have any interest in a given auction at all until the last 5 seconds.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7840 Posts |
This boat is getting crowded! I have experienced similar experiences on more than occasion, and yes, the same bidder (example z***r 613)! I normally watch an item and jump in at the last few seconds if it has not exceeded my high bid, and I normally come out ahead...but there are the exceptions ( Trade dollar comes to mind as a recent thorn-in-my-side). It's all part of the game, but I don't think that you are being stalked, it might be " you" in a parallel universe as the outer rings cross over the thresh-hold ever so slightly and cross-over into each others opposing paths. Edited by oih82w8
09/04/2012 3:52 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2448 Posts |
Super Ddave...you r--------d, I used to respect you...now I fear you! The game's afoot! I fear, however, you have more experience. LOL
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
Heh.  I'm well aware of the moral arguments against my form of sniping, but I've been a victim of it as a seller as often as a winner as a buyer. It has caused me to believe that either A) It was my failing as a seller as regards timing or listing quality, or B) some days you're the windshield, and some days you're the bug. Oh, and to address the specifics of the OP: People are discovering that sellers will respond to offers even though they haven't listed a BIN. I've done it before, and here's how: End the auction. Agree on a specific time to list the BIN so the buyer has a chance to snag it, and relist as a BIN. That way the buyer gets the coin at the price they want, and ebay gets their fees. That way they'll turn their head the other way when you do it. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3076 Posts |
You are all correct...Seriously the auction ends at in the last few seconds as most have the "cheapest" low ball bids UNLESS those serious players are there at the last few seconds with firm prices they will pay for any said coin...
I will never bid 4 days before with my bid for any coin...But I do have my max bid in mind to pay for any given coin....Sniping has always been and forever will be,,, the guy who gets it at the last minute..
One thing I must say..If I perhaps thought the coin was worth $100 and bid $98 even less...and some one bids it much over the fair price..let them have it...MOST THINK RETAIL or
listed values are what you can recoupe or sell you coins for is UNTRUE....They are dealers and must make there percentage to make a living. Nothing wrong with that...ONE MUST realize......the price you are paying really is determined by a few factors......
FIRST is the coin cleaned? despite the apparent photo..
CAN it be gradeable...due to other fake toning ect...
A nice coin but with apparent defrauding is worth about melt...with exception to certain years and grades....
Say and 1883-s looking AU cleaned..is still a nice coin with faults.. not worth AU pricing, but not melt...Its a touch subject..that many will exploit..ONE has to learn how to grade as a first priority, and secondly LEARN what cleaned coins look like..BLAST WHITE AU coins...HMMM. circulated coins that look uncirculated...it takes time...G
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1551 Posts |
For the most part I will wait until the end. If I really what it I will bid over the value, thinking if I what it the person that beats me will Pay. And if I am almost topped out someone else is thinking the same way. And as we all know you can tell how intelligent you are by the number of people that agree with you. So both ways I can feel really good!  |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
2797 Posts |
I used to only bid at the end, but got tired of seeing great rarities go poof in the wind with an offline offer or agreement to set a BIN. I would put them on my watch list with 6 days remaining and after a day or two they would be closed. When I opened the auction there was a BIN that wasn't there when I put it on the watch list. Placing an early nominal bid won't stop a seller from accepting an offer outside the Bay, but it will stop BIN insertions. I was fortunate one time ... I was looking at a new listing for a 78 8TF VAM 9 in VF+ and it had no bids. I put it on the watch list and hit the refresh on the browser and up popped that BIN for $55. It hit the buy it now and outsniped the guy who talked the seller into placing a BIN on the auction.  Back to my original paranoia ... that bidder always places the next bid on all the auctions I bid on. It doesn't matter if it's right after the item was listed or if it has sat there a few days without a bid. I swear he/she has some App that tracks my bidding.  |
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
13 years I've been doing this, and I never knew you could modify an existing auction to insert a BIN.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2797 Posts |
Quote:13 years I've been doing this, and I never knew you could modify an existing auction to insert a BIN. I found out the hard way. If there are no bids and more than 12 hours left, the seller can insert a BIN. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
Quote:
Seated, I have no clue if someone can do that. I have always assumed that people couldn't see what you bid on until after the auction was over. You used to be able to see what a member was bidding on way before the auction was over. There was one ebay user that used to be very interested in 1878 VAM's and I used to look at what he was bidding on from time to time. This was probably 8-10 years ago or so and the last time I checked they were buying allot of walking liberties and I don't even remember how I used to do it now to check and see if it still works. I am guessing since they changed it to the anonymous bidder thing it would no longer work Edit: Seatednut, I just found it and checked you out and if you are bidding on anything right now it doesn't still work, all I can see is the 1878 Morgan you won from thepackratking |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2797 Posts |
Quote:
Edit: Seatednut, I just found it and checked you out and if you are bidding on anything right now it doesn't still work, all I can see is the 1878 Morgan you won from thepackratking
That was my last pick ... decent 78 7TF VAM 189. Maybe it only works if I am the current high bidder or winner of an auction. My current bid on an item has been topped by three others (including the Mystery Person). I'll be there at the end though. |
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Replies: 23 / Views: 3,116 |
Posted 09/04/2012 1:20 pm
