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 Replies: 12 / Views: 1,530 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
870 Posts |
Alright ebay experts... am I missing something here? I've bid on about a dozen auctions over the last few weeks on some really cool coins I really wanted for my collection, BUT I'm ALWAYS the second bidder. Is there a way to tell what a bidder's maximum or proxy bid is that I don't know about? It's just creepy that I'm always outbid by $1, and it's starting to get really frustrating! = / I know, I know, wah wah. I should feel fine because I put my max in and I'm good with my max, but it's annoying that I'm almost always the second bidder. Any ideas? |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
2448 Posts |
My God; a revelation! I thought I was the only one.  |
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Valued Member
United States
376 Posts |
If I really want a coin bad I always overbid by a little bit.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
870 Posts |
Alright alright carmykle, nyuk nyuk nyuk. ; )
Just sayin... since I posted this, it happened AGAIN! I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but this is gettin' silly!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
689 Posts |
If it is a conspiracy, then I'm knee deep in it with you delaner.
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Valued Member
United States
72 Posts |
No conspiracy, no mind reading, this is just how proxy bidding works.
All e-Bay auctions all have a predetermined bid increment. On many smaller auctions the bid increment is $1. So if your maximum bid is $10 and another bidder comes along and bids $20 they become the high bidder at $11.
The auction price doesn't immediately jump to $20 like it would in a non-proxy auction. If you bid again for $30 you become the high bidder at $21.
If five seconds before the close of the auction someone outbids you at $50 they win the auction for $31 (your max bid of $30 + the minimum proxy bid increment of $1 = $31.)
They haven't somehow devined your bid to outbid you by $1 each time, they've likely bid much more than that. But they need only beat you by $1 to win the auction. Hope this helps.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2448 Posts |
It happened to me the other night. I stayed up until 1 AM and was ready to slam in the extra two bucks to get that Morgan, no Walker. At 10 secs remaining I put in two extra bucks and wouldn't you know it, some one else put in three. Flabbergasted; absolutely and simply flabbergasted.  Now, if I really want the coin, I bid what I consider high retail (Coin Values list price). If I get the coin bidding rarely gets to my high bid. Occasionally I do get blown out of the water by some one else's bid, and I think that's when I just didn't do my homework on the coin. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
615 Posts |
I like being the second bidder, keeps me from trying to spend too much on something.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2448 Posts |
 It just hit me, I was sniping the other night. OMG, no wonder I lost. I've heard there are anti-snipers that will not accept bids the last 10 seconds of an auction. Although, CRH is correct, no matter what you do, if the proxy bid max is $3 or $4 higher than your snipe, the proxy will win. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
870 Posts |
No, CRH, I know all that... in fact, I take solace in pretending that they outbid me by $20. But after a while it gets depressing!
And Hippie - you're danged right! It's a good thing I didn't win those 12 auctions or I'd have a hard time eating, I s'pose.
Yeah, Carmykle? I didn't know about anti-snipers. What GOONS. lol I suppose the subject is divisive, but I think sniping is cool and it certainly doesn't hurt anything. I haven't come across that yet. I'll have to watch out for them and STAY away. I like sniping... hyeh hyeh hyeh... until I get out-sniped! Dose bashterdz!
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Valued Member
United States
364 Posts |
I should point out there are automated utilities that follow auctions and robo-snipe.
You can't win against the T-800 series, delaner ;)
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Pillar of the Community
United States
870 Posts |
But the question is: are there utilities that robo-snipe no matter what the price is...?
And I'll bet I could with a Z000.M.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2448 Posts |
They got me again; this time a leather bound copy of the Hobbit. Saw it through until the last ten minutes and though I had it made. I went to bed and the next morning someone snipped me by a buck.
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Replies: 12 / Views: 1,530 |
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Posted 08/18/2010 10:06 pm
