Fifty Plus (50+) - The evil eBay

Was just lurking..........

Found some tires in my model and with my color and at an incredible price.........pushed the button. Mine.

Lurking some more.........

Ran across my dream bike set up exactly as I'd like and in the color I always wanted. But I have 3 college tuitions and no money. I've emailed the seller and even the stem and bars are the perfect size........ Did history on the seller and it's terrific..........Rightnow the price is pretty sweet......Auction ends tonight..........

Hopefully I'll get tied up this evening and not able to lurk before the auction ends.

Be sure to snipe bid instead of bidding early. Early bidders just disclose their interest and drive the price up.

Good luck!

Just walk away... just walk away. I do it with cookies all the time. :)

We'll expect you here then instead. Okay?

Good luck.

I was planning to snipe bid on a very interesting lugged frame that was sitting at $100. I forgot until 5 minutes after the auction closed. It went to the lucky first bidder. Maybe you'll get a similar break.

I rarely do snipe bids. I figure what I'm willing to pay for a bargan and bid it. If someone else wants it........oh well, there's next week. If they don't then I get it for 1 bid over anyone else who didn't want it much.

The only time I ever submitted an ebay bid with more than 10 seconds left was when I did it with my cell phone. I was paranoid about the phone's slow browser and bid with 20 seconds left.

Be sure to snipe bid instead of bidding early. Early bidders just disclose their interest and drive the price up.

In our business we routinely bid online on properties of six to seven figure value. IMHO sniping is both a skill and an art.

To put in your full price beforehand only drives up the price and lets the other guys know what they have to beat.

There have been 4 times when I wasn't going to be around at the end of a bid & put my bid in 3-4 days in advance, and was the winner. Twice no one else even bid on the item and I got it at the minimum bid.

Of course I've lost some using the same system. I've seen some bids go from $200 to $900 in the last 10-15 seconds.

I thought all the PC people were using sniping software now....

For a long time there wasn't an equivalent for the mac, but I suppose there is now.

Anyway, I just figured I didn't have a chance against robots any more....

I just lost a bid for a hoist to store your bikes in the rafters of your garage.

I bid $2.50, with a max of $2.75. Someone else got it for $3.00

Whew, I was afraid I was going to win and then I would have to install the darn thing.

Lucked out again!

Your priorities are a bit askew. A few years in the day- to-day work force ("Do you want fries with that?") might actually help your young scholars better appreciate the value of higher education. In other words, bid high/bid often!

I thought all the PC people were using sniping software now....

For a long time there wasn't an equivalent for the mac, but I suppose there is now.

Anyway, I just figured I didn't have a chance against robots any more....

Sniping is a fee-based third-party service. All you need is a browser, a user name, password and PayPal...A Mac will work fine.

I use BidNapper but here are many others. Their servers are continually pinging eBay and measuring the latency. There is no way a human can beat them for last (nano)second timing. Plus, you don't need to sit there with your finger on the mouse.

Bidding the normal way just telegraphs interest and invites attention and competition. Decide what you are willing to pay, activate the Bidnapper (or whatever) and wait for the email to tell you whether you won or not.

Sniping is a fee-based third-party service. All you need is a browser, a user name, password and PayPal...A Mac will work fine.

I use BidNapper but here are many others. Their servers are continually pinging eBay and measuring the latency. There is no way a human can beat them for last (nano)second timing. Plus, you don't need to sit there with your finger on the mouse.

Bidding the normal way just telegraphs interest and invites attention and competition. Decide what you are willing to pay, activate the Bidnapper (or whatever) and wait for the email to tell you whether you won or not.

And what happens if you have two sniping 3rd party services sniping at each other - ot three - or four of them?

Do they tie?

I don't understand why sniping will beat you. Bid what you are willing to pay. Snipers have to top your bid to win. If they do then OK, you didn't want to pay that much. If they don't then you win.

Don't be afraid to walk away from a bid when it gets too high.

I don't understand why sniping will beat you. Bid what you are willing to pay. Snipers have to top your bid to win. If they do then OK, you didn't want to pay that much. If they don't then you win.

Don't be afraid to walk away from a bid when it gets too high.


The only problem with that approach is you increase the likelihood of the price going higher than your top price. Last second bidding is an art and can be fun. Sniping programs take the fun out of it.

A thought for people who are happy about winning an auction:

Congratulations...you just paid more for something than anyone else thought it was worth!

Sniping on eBay aside, those Nashbar and Performance sales are nearly as evil as eBay.

I have a Nashbar flip/flop fixed rear hub ($29.95!! How could I resist!?!), a frame pump bag, and other goodies I really didn't need on the way.

Looking at some nice MTB rims (no bids yet!) on eBay too...to lace up with the Deore hubs I got on eBay a couple weeks ago.

And I'm not even 100% sure I'll even like mountain biking. :eek:

The only problem with that approach is you increase the likelihood of the price going higher than your top price. Last second bidding is an art and can be fun. Sniping programs take the fun out of it.

While the first statement is unprovable and/or false, the highlighted statement is the key point.

All the previous arguments about exposing what you are willing to pay just don't exist unless you have hacked Ebay.

What maximum bid has been placed is not exposed until someone outbids it... just the same as if I bid my maximum at the exact instant that someone else bids. How does this raise the final price? With all of the sniping, I agree that the price goes up at the last minute due to all of the snipes hitting... but either way, the highest bidder wins.

Y'all are the reason that Ebay's latest ads are pushing the thrill of the win. Me, I look to get items I want at a good price. The few times I remember sniping, I ended up paying more than I wanted because of the thrill of the hunt. :o

The only real down side of the proxy bid (from the perspective of getting a good deal) is that it could tie up the funds you are willing to spend on an item you are waiting for the auction to end, and you are unable to jump on another item (i.e. buy it now or a new listing with a shorter duration).

A thought for people who are happy about winning an auction:

Congratulations...you just paid more for something than anyone else thought it was worth!

:roflmao::roflmao::roflmao::roflmao:

I had never thought of it quite that way, but you are absolutely right!

I don't understand why sniping will beat you. Bid what you are willing to pay. Snipers have to top your bid to win. If they do then OK, you didn't want to pay that much. If they don't then you win.

Don't be afraid to walk away from a bid when it gets too high.

Well put. As a beginner on scambay I got caught up in the "I am going to win this item at all costs" and it did cost me. Put in a bid at the price you are willing to pay. Delete the item from your watch list. If you win it, you pay what you think it is worth. That is the definition of a market.

There are lots of ebay buyers that overpay for stuff all the time. You do a search and bidding has exceeded the price of the exact item which is offered as a buy it now? Definition of stupid. Often paying more than retail when the shipping cost is included. If the item is uber rare maybe that is a different issue but more common items will come up again.

While the first statement is unprovable and/or false, the highlighted statement is the key point.

All the previous arguments about exposing what you are willing to pay just don't exist unless you have hacked Ebay.

What maximum bid has been placed is not exposed until someone outbids it... just the same as if I bid my maximum at the exact instant that someone else bids. How does this raise the final price? With all of the sniping, I agree that the price goes up at the last minute due to all of the snipes hitting... but either way, the highest bidder wins.

Y'all are the reason that Ebay's latest ads are pushing the thrill of the win. Me, I look to get items I want at a good price. The few times I remember sniping, I ended up paying more than I wanted because of the thrill of the hunt. :o

The only real down side of the proxy bid (from the perspective of getting a good deal) is that it could tie up the funds you are willing to spend on an item you are waiting for the auction to end, and you are unable to jump on another item (i.e. buy it now or a new listing with a shorter duration).

I appreciate the entusiasm of your response, but you missed my point entirely. :)

Last minute bidding without the cheater programs is good sport and doesn't have to lead to higher bidding on your part. When it works it leads to getting things as cheaply as possible. When it doesn't work, you don't get the item.
Where it comes into play is when you find an item you want that has few or no bids on it. You watch it until the end of the auction. If it makes it to the last minute without the bids going up, you wait as long as you dare and then throw in your bid. If it works, nobody else bids higher and you get it cheap. If others do bid at the end, you only get it if the bid you made is higher than theirs. If you bid too early, other buyers notice the bid and may test your bid by bidding progressively higher until they eventually go higher or decide to bow out. This raises the price. As a seller, I like it when this happens. As a buyer it means the opportunity to get a real bargain is gone. This situation is increasingly rare, but when it works, it works.

A thought for people who are happy about winning an auction:

Congratulations...you just paid more for something than anyone else thought it was worth!


By definition, you have defined the WINNER'S CURSE.

But it is a far cry from the definition of GAMBLER'S RUIN.

A thought for people who are happy about winning an auction:

Congratulations...you just paid more for something than anyone else thought it was worth!

Your point is? The others may have thought that it was worth much more than that. But they didn't have the bucks just then. Money talks, BS walks.

Demand curve met supply curve. It's high school economics. :D

Not too long ago Ebay changed their bidding policies for last minute bidding and now the auctions can run longer than the set closing time if there is activity, unless that changed again. Helps the seller get a few more dollars, helps Ebay get a few more dollars, and whacks the sniperbot users by driving the price up a bit higher until everyone's max is reached except the last one. You pay, then you pay some more.

I've bid early, won some, lost some. I've snipped in the closing minutes of an auction, won some, lost some. Thinking about it I don't think I've bid on or sold anything in well over a year or two on Ebay. Craigslist is what I've been using lately.

This post turned out to be quite relivant for me.

I am presently flying blind on a bid that simply refuses to show up on my Ebay summary page. Ebay can confirm that I have a bid but the only way for me to track it is to go to the sellers page and see what the status is on that item. Ebay help has turned the problem over to their "engineers"

I assume that an email will arrive tomorrow informing me if I have won or not. If not, I have done business with the seller before so I think we will be able to resolve any issue.

A thought for people who are happy about winning an auction:

Congratulations...you just paid more for something than anyone else thought it was worth!

However many auctions end with no one bidding the minimum bid. I've seen unaccepted "winning" bids that were only a fraction of the value of the object. For example, a guy was selling a 6 month old Gunnar Roadie complete bike, worth at least $1500 used, in near perfect condition a couple of months ago and the highest anyone bid was $700.

Of course it was below reserve and he didn't accept it. I've seen this happen many times.

So sometimes even though you bid more than anyone else bid, it can be true that your bid is still a great deal, or can even be a ridiculously low bid. I joined eBay in 1996 and have gotten some incredible deals over the years.

Here's an example of one of my favorite eBay auctions

A person is selling their used bibs.

The "positives" cited in the write-up include:
No Tears
No Odor!!! (odor would definitely be a downer!)

The downside - they have a "very minor abrasion on the butt area"

So far six bids have been made ... still not too late to get in on this one!


http://cgi.ebay.com/Verge-bib-shorts_W0QQitemZ140208100354QQihZ004QQcategoryZ2904QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Here's an example of one of my favorite eBay auctions

A person is selling their used bibs.

The "positives" cited in the write-up include:
No Tears
No Odor!!! (odor would definitely be a downer!)

Stains would be a real downer:eek:

For some reason the idea of buying used cycling shorts doesn't appeal to me.

Yes, buying used pants is one thing, buying used underwear is another. As cycling shorts are both, I can't quite get away from the used underwear negative aspects.

A thought for people who are happy about winning an auction:

Congratulations...you just paid more for something than anyone else thought it was worth!

Don't often look on E-Bay but a few years ago I wanted a particular Front lamp for the bike as it was cheap. Saw it on E-Bay being sold by the shop where I could buy it. Normal retail was about £35 and you could buy it now for £29.99 The Auction had got it up to over £40. I bought it now.

Yes, buying used pants is one thing, buying used underwear is another. As cycling shorts are both, I can't quite get away from the used underwear negative aspects.

I've heard there's a certain group of people that pay big money for used underwear....

I've heard there's a certain group of people that pay big money for used underwear....

Even dogs get hooked on used underwear:rolleyes:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_do_dogs_steal_there_owners_underwear

Here's an example of one of my favorite eBay auctions

A person is selling their used bibs.

The "positives" cited in the write-up include:
No Tears
No Odor!!! (odor would definitely be a downer!)

The downside - they have a "very minor abrasion on the butt area"

So far six bids have been made ... still not too late to get in on this one!


http://cgi.ebay.com/Verge-bib-shorts_W0QQitemZ140208100354QQihZ004QQcategoryZ2904QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Thanks. I'm going to lose my breakfast now.....

Even dogs get hooked on used underwear:rolleyes:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_do_dogs_steal_there_owners_underwear

Yes! I once heard a story of a woman who found several pair of underwear while gardening. Seems the dog had stole them from guests!

Here's an example of one of my favorite eBay auctions

A person is selling their used bibs.

The "positives" cited in the write-up include:
No Tears
No Odor!!! (odor would definitely be a downer!)

The downside - they have a "very minor abrasion on the butt area"

So far six bids have been made ... still not too late to get in on this one!


http://cgi.ebay.com/Verge-bib-shorts_W0QQitemZ140208100354QQihZ004QQcategoryZ2904QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Ew, ew, ew!!! Just the thought of buying something that could smell badly and have anything to do with someone's butt is a turn off in this case. :p

Since we're going down this rather off-color path...

Associative memory running amock: What was that 70's underground comic that featured a boll weavil character who was fond of women's bicycle seats? Do people ever buy used saddles? I know a guy who replaces the toilets in every house he's ever bought because the thought of using someone else's toilet grossed him out. Not just the seat, the entire toilet!

I have no qualms in buying a used saddle. Well, if it were in good condition.

That guy who replaced his toilets, how did he ever go anywhere? Perhaps he purchased a box of those paper toilet covers to take with him everywhere.

I cited this eBay auction because there are always several people on there selling used cycling shorts & bibs. And there are always people buying them.

I've never checked to see if people are buying used underwear on eBay. Same difference to me.

When I was taking a spinning class years ago, a cycling friend gave me an old pair of padded biking shorts. That didn't bother me for some reason. Of course, I didn't know that one doesn't normally wear underwear between the padding and the bod. We're probably being kind of silly. A good wash, and used undies are probably cleaner than any door knobs we touch throughout the day!

Is this the point in the conversation where I bring up that exposé where they brought in a black light to a high end hotel room and found interesting things? That show brought me *this* close to buying a sleep sack for traveling, and would make washed bike shorts a thing of cleanliness.

(I never knew that hotels don't wash the bedspreads* after each guest!)

Hey, I have twice observed hotel cleaning staff, when tidying up a room, take glass cups and just rinse them out in the sink with no soap, then put those paper caps on them. These were higher end hotels --- a cheap motel just gives you a plastic cup in a plastic bag (which are likely to be cleaner!).

I'm sure a good washing cleans cycling shorts quite well.

But I'm at the stage in my life where I just don't feel I need to wear someone else's used underwear.

Is this the point in the conversation where I bring up that exposé where they brought in a black light to a high end hotel room and found interesting things? That show brought me *this* close to buying a sleep sack for traveling, and would make washed bike shorts a thing of cleanliness.

(I never knew that hotels don't wash the bedspreads* after each guest!)

Those expose's come along every couple of years.

The question is - what are the alternatives?

It does me no good to know this info (in fact, it does me bad) if they can't propose a solution - which they never do.

My sister has this solved. When they travel (always by car) they bring their own entire bedding - sheets, blankets and all. Then they pull the Motel's stuff of and put theirs on.

Hampton Inn uses a washable type of filled blanket, which they claim to wash after every guest. I tried it once - I sleep very warm, and I sweated all night long, and I didn't have just a light blanket, only their very, very warm one.

See, now someone* thought about the hotel problem, and instead of worrying about created a product and earned a little money! It's a sleep sack, and it's a lightweight sleeping bag type thing that's easy to stash in the car. I did the Scarlett O'hara thing and decided not to think about it, but I think the product idea is a good one.

This one is made of silk:

http://images.allergybuyersclub.com/img/be-sleep-sack-lg.jpg

Not too long ago Ebay changed their bidding policies for last minute bidding and now the auctions can run longer than the set closing time if there is activity, unless that changed again. Helps the seller get a few more dollars, helps Ebay get a few more dollars, and whacks the sniperbot users by driving the price up a bit higher until everyone's max is reached except the last one. You pay, then you pay some more.

I've bid early, won some, lost some. I've snipped in the closing minutes of an auction, won some, lost some. Thinking about it I don't think I've bid on or sold anything in well over a year or two on Ebay. Craigslist is what I've been using lately.


I don't know if this is true. Just today I was bidding on an ebay item which had slowly creeped up from $100 to $175 over the last 2 hours. (typical). It was obvious that bidders had put in max bids of $125, $150 and $175. About 58 seconds before end, I clicked to bid $200 (which I indeed thought it was worth) and after a little hesitation (probably due to my connection speed) was told I needed to bid $202.50 minimum. Gave it 2 seconds thought and typed in 202.50, but was given a message bidding had ended at $200. In retrospect, I should have done what I usually do, and bid a couple bucks more than my "limit" (meaning, still the same limit, but avoiding ties).

But my point is, why did't the bidding stay open for a few moments since it was obvious I was trying to bid?

I feel a little bad about losing it because it went for my personal limit, which I thought was a really good price. On the other hand, there will be more opportunities ... but at some point the time wasted looking to save $50 isn't worth that time, if you know what I mean.

I use ebay not necessarily to get a "steal" but rather a fair pice for used (and therefore discounted) equipment I just can't get locally. For instance I bought a bike last year. It was not a real bargain, but was a fair price and there is no way to find 2-3 year old mid-high end bikes in my size locally (54 cm Cannondale w/ ultegra+dura ace). I'm happy, but some locals think I over paid by $1-200. I say: show me a bike for that price, similar quality, that was sold locally last spring. They can't. They can show me new bikes selling for $500-700 more though!