ebay rant (short)

[tiAn@usiw.net (Christian Els)]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Neal Tovsen" <nealtovsen@y...>

>
> > Bid sniping is a silly illusion...
>
> Yeah, but it works...
>

No it doesn't.

Either you want to pay more than the guy you are sniping - in which case you
win 3 days out or three seconds out - or he didn't have his shit together
and underbid in which case your bid 3 days out gives him time to reconsider
what actual value the item holds for him and re-bid accordingly, but if your
price is higher than his you still win. If his initial proxy bid is already
higher than your snipe attempt, you lose, same as if his re-bid is higher.
Where's the advantage?

Bid sniping only plays to folks who have no sense of an item's value
(underbidding) or no fiscal discipline (paying above its value just to win).

Do your homework, figure out when you first find something what it is worth
(to you) and proxy bid that amount. Go to bed and when you wake up either
you won or some schmuck just paid more than it was worth.


Christian Els
1987 Scirocco 16V, For Sale
www.schnellpc.com/scirocco.htm