online auction bidding strategy

Discussion in 'Stove Forum' started by OMC, Jul 6, 2020.

  1. OMC

    OMC United States Subscriber

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    From the moment a sought-after collectible is listed until auction ends nearly endless scenarios unfold (some very upsetting to active bidders).
    My focus could be bidding strategies but any comment re different scenarios of how auctions end (win/lose, good/bad), any such comment (or venting) is welcome in this thread.
    I've made many such comments re bidding in "auction watch" category, although the comments apply "in-general" they expire in that category.
    Bidding strategies (or buying strategies) is very much a part of our hobby. What are the winning strategies?

    Members opinions vary.
    I've always liked "Buy it Now" (as seller & buyer). Many changes have been made to that option through many years.
    In 2001 ebay policy was for sellers to contact buyers directly (ph #s and direct email addresses were not blocked).
    At some point the policy reversed... no direct contact is permitted. FWIW I almost never contact/critique a seller unless I have an interest in buying the item.

    For many years any attempt using ebay messages (by then, the only option) to:
    make an offer,
    strike any kind of other deal
    the messages were often deleted by ebay (w/o notice to either side). All ebay messages include caution:
    any deal outside of the listed auction is not permitted. report such activity.

    vs CURRENTLY... every item, if you click on "contact seller", every item has a "MAKE OFFER" line item (despite many sellers that do not want it there).

    Many buyers/sellers (& myself depending on item) will prefer auctions to run until the end. Little or no interactions expected (well presented, what you see is what you get, high bid wins).

    Nearly any change to ebay auction policy (and there have been more than any user can keep track of), nearly any change can effect a bidder/buyer's strategy.

    Due to latest "make offer" option on every item, currently (which could change any day)...
    one's "bidding strategy" for a particular item should probably include
    >contact seller >make an offer
    (if you don't others will and poof, auction ends, item SOLD, maybe for far less than you are happy to bid ](*,), i hate when that happens).
    -------------------------------------

    Many members to this day have strongest dislike for SNIPERS.
    Ebay would like to eliminate snipers, if they could.
    YET, I'm confident to state that sniping is a winning strategy. Further for global collectors markets (stoves included), the end of an auction will often includes *3rd party SNIPER programs and *3rd party "buyers" (3rd party buyers note the ebay scores in the many thousands).
    *an observation is repeatedly shared on CCS collectors from Asia have buyers that can outbid everyone (".... another stove ships to Asia"). My own experience includes the middle east oil monies as well. No doubt there is money to burn throughout the globe. Where ever they're from there are buyers with very deep pockets, if two happen to compete for one item, it can sell for thousands above previous prices.

    STRATEGY: SNIPING, still, imo, sniping has best potential to have auctions end near market price or below market price. There are of course occasional Sniper bid wars but (unlike bid wars) prices do not increase hour by hour, you put in your one best shot that pops in there in the final minute or so (win or lose).

    Ebay always prefers bid wars. Insanely high prices can result, ebay promotes all things that generate higher sales price HOWEVER they also have to recognize online auction trends / competition and adopt to best survive (good / bad, ebay constantly evolves).
     
    Last edited: Jul 6, 2020
  2. OMC

    OMC United States Subscriber

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    Here's bidding history for an MSR9 that "just" sold.
    Much can be learned from these pages HOWEVER in this case we see
    **"private listing - bidder's identities protected"

    **confession i've never understood how this ends up being the case.
    Nor do I understand why :-k...
    it seems to me
    for over 10 years now, bidders identities are protected on bid lists...? (maybe default list is easily hacked?).
    If it were a default llst (w/o "identities protected"), no one would be able to know if my ebay ID bid on it, nor could i see other ebay IDs that bid on it... as far as i know. Were already protected. We could recognize a unique bidders (w/no idea what ID they are). Example in sniper bid war below, with default list, we could see if it were a sniper war between 2, 3 or more snipers (again, yet not know IDs).

    So with "protections" we learn less from this example but still we do see
    a very active, competitive auction,
    only 7 bidders (at least 2 members :-$)
    early high price
    old fashioned bid war along the way (up up up)
    ending with a sniper bid war.
    MSR9zBida.JPG


    MSR9zBidb.JPG


    MSR9zbidc.JPG
     
    Last edited: Jul 6, 2020
  3. IvanN

    IvanN United States Subscriber

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    My most important strategy is to remind myself that there is always another one. Whatever the item is.
     
  4. presscall

    presscall United Kingdom SotM Winner SotY Winner Subscriber

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    Many? Emphatically, I don’t share that dislike. It’s a tradition of auctions not to ‘telegraph’ a bid, long, long before ebay existed and I see nothing whatsoever reprehensible about it.

    It’s out of order to ‘dislike’ a fellow bidder’s behaviour at auction, if legal. They have as much right to bid as I do and if they’re inclined to match bid-for-bid, driving the price up to a crazy level then that’s their and the other bidder’s prerogative and the seller’s windfall.
     
  5. Ed Winskill

    Ed Winskill United States Subscriber

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    I agree 100% with presscall.

    I haven't participated in an eBay auction for at least 15 years, probably longer. I remember 'sniping' in early days, before sniping programs existed or at least were common. One would get up in the middle of the night.

    I got kind of a kick out of seeing those last minute bids come in; it created a sense of fellow-feeling, that there was some other guy somewhere in the world with the same obscure interest. Sometimes I won, sometimes I didn't.

    Some folks also don't like it if active auctions are discussed, feeling that this will only drive up prices for 'stove brothers'. This ignores the fact that many such brethren are sellers....
     
  6. snwcmpr

    snwcmpr SotM Winner Subscriber

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    Well said John and Ed. I lay awake at the last minute sneaking in to bid. It tests the heart rate and breathing filling me up with adrenaline and excitement.
     
  7. z1ulike

    z1ulike United States SotM Winner SotY Winner Subscriber

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    I always use AuctionStealer to snipe in the last 3 seconds. That way I have until the last 3 seconds to change my mind or increase my bid. The bid is automatically placed on my behalf so I never miss out by forgetting to bid myself.

    If you place a traditional bid on eBay 5 days before an auction ends, then change your mind or find the same item for less elsewhere, you're shit out of luck.

    Ben
     
  8. OMC

    OMC United States Subscriber

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    John, You're right to question "Many?" members dislike snipers / being sniped.
    I recalled some negative comments and that was my thought on it but even from the 5-ish years ago, it does seem (now that you mention it and i did quick search) my recall was not an accurate assessment.

    All chiming in now approve and I know many active members, certainly by now, would view sniping is to be expected.
    -------------------------------

    ebayUS & ebay UK differ.
    On ebayUK, when you click >contact seller,
    do you know if ebayUK also now has a "make an offer" line/option for every item?
     
  9. MrAlexxx SotM Winner

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    If you really want something open that wallet wide and free the $$$. Pretty much guaranteed to win unless you haven't freed enough $$$. lol

    Seriously, I've had more luck throwing my high bid at it and just going about my business and leaving it at that. If it's supposed to end up at your house it will...if not oh well. Like Ivan said, there is always another one.

    Alex
     
  10. presscall

    presscall United Kingdom SotM Winner SotY Winner Subscriber

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    I’ve just checked, Mark, and it doesn’t.

    John
     
  11. geeves

    geeves New Zealand Subscriber

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    Ebay does very nicely out of snipers. Why would they want to eliminate them. Our auction site (Trademe) has a different approach which automatically extends the auction so it cant end until 1 minute after the last bid. One item I was watching turned into a sniper battle lasting 43 minutes and the final sale was some $200 above the price at the proper auction end time. (I had already dropped out as it was already on the rich side)
    For me though the question is should one make a small bid early showing an interest or just add it to the watch list. On Trademe if you are watching anyone looking at the auction will see that x people are also interested but if you bid other people can see your user name and go to your profile to see where you live. In all cases the seller sees how many have looked at the auction and bid or are watching. I quite often look at the top bidders in auctions Im looking at to try and guess what they will do. If an item is pick up only and they are not local they may not bid much higher
     
  12. Tony Press

    Tony Press Australia Subscriber

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    There has recently been a discussion similar to this at CPL.

    The fundamental thing to remember is that it is an auction where the person that posts the highest bid gets the goods. It's no different from any other auction (except the hard timed finish). All a snipe program does is allow you to post your bid very late in the auction process. If someone else has a higher bid, you don't get the goods.

    Like any auction, know how much you are willing to pay, and don't go beyond that. If you really want the item, put in a ridiculously high bid. You'll only pay the next notch above the bidder behind you.

    I don't see why eBay would want to get rid of "snipe" bidding. There's nothing illegal or unethical in posting a bid late in a process that has a hard timed end.


    Tony
     
  13. 8R Pete United States

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    Well I'm the 2nd highest bidder so if the winning guy doesn't pay. I use no sniping service. To me E Bay is a game of chance. I think their fees have increased and they are way off of what things are valued at. My opinion only.
     
  14. geeves

    geeves New Zealand Subscriber

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    The value of any item is a compromise between what someone is willing to sell it for and what someone is willing to pay. Normally the buyers expectation is lower than the sellers. Some auctions pervert this with access to buyers with more money than sense. We cant compete against those people because if we do we end up being them and raising the sellers expectation normalising the formula
     
  15. Haggis

    Haggis Subscriber

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    I’ve sold nigh 20 stoves since the beginning of quarantine, not on eBay, but on some of the Facebook, outdoor forums, or local markets sites. Bidding and selling I have a limit up front: I post stoves for sale at the lowest dollar I’ll take, and generally bid on eBay once at the highest dollar I’ll pay.

    On eBay I’ll frequently bid towards the end of the auction,,, maybe the last minute or two,,, generally I’m disappointed the stove brought more than I was willing to pay. Still, the seller is likely in it for the money, so good for them.

    I don’t really have a strategy.
     
  16. 8R Pete United States

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    I been looking at an MSR Model 9 for about 2 years. I bought a 9A a while back.One day hopefully I will have one.
     
  17. Ed Winskill

    Ed Winskill United States Subscriber

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    This in a nutshell is what it's all about. We get this curious idea sometimes that prices are getting 'too high', etc. Yet these are objects whose primary interest is the collector's interest. Therefore their prices reflect both access to funds and a purely subjective aesthetic desire. People have a greater or lesser amount of both.

    Nobody is paying high prices for used camp stoves for the sole purpose of using them to cook in camp.
     
  18. 8R Pete United States

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    Ed-going to say I buy no stove that just sits on a shelf.
     
  19. Ed Winskill

    Ed Winskill United States Subscriber

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    No doubt, Pete, but I'd bet you have enough stoves for cooking!8]
     
  20. 8R Pete United States

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    Yes I do and I also when I go camping take those stoves and put them in my vehicle when I'm not around. People know what they are and not going to learn the hard way.