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Last Post Nov 11, 2009 6:49 PM by: acecycleworks
Replies: 9
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plateblockstampsoutlet
Posts: 1

stamps

Nov 7, 2009 7:40 AM
Just curious, there seem to be so many more Buy It Now listings, any reason? What has happened to the AUCTION?

Dick
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acecycleworks
Posts: 217
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Re: stamps

Nov 8, 2009 12:39 PM
Sniping " happened

IMHO:

"A basic misunderstanding of the proxy system; In theory: If people would fairly bid the maximum they would pay for an item and walk away, the auction system would function like a live auction,and items would reflect their true market value.

but people bid alittle less, and watch the last 2 minutes and if they are outbid they rationalize they can can throw a few more dollars on top.
(To be completely fair a live auctioneer counts on this raising the bid by small margins and playing on the competitive nature of people.)

To exploit this folks( live bidders and and specialized computer programs ) wait until the last possible minute to "snipe (place a last second high bid" )hoping the clock will run out and he previous "high bidder" won't be quick enough to up their bid and win the item.
.
Which means the auction ends and item sells for the sniped bid not the extra few bucks the high bidder would've paid in the first place ..

Unfortunately it's not hard to find discussion forums where this has become an indoor sport for teenager's(who watch for any auctions ending soon and who brag "I Just beat "grandma247" out of that pair of antique knitting needles.( then they admit they have no use for, and didn't want anyway).

It's not strictly against any e-bay policy but it turns ebay into a competitive environment. where the edges are exploited for no good reasons( "bragging rights"). IF I really want an item I prefer to "buy it now" even if its significantly higher than the bid. cuts through the foolishness.
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tlr_shooter
Posts: 8
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Re: stamps

Nov 8, 2009 5:11 PM
Unfortunately it's not hard to find discussion forums where this has become an indoor sport for teenager's(who watch for any auctions ending soon and who brag "I Just beat "grandma247" out of that pair of antique knitting needles.( then they admit they have no use for, and didn't want anyway).

Got a link to one of those discussion forums?
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acecycleworks
Posts: 217
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Re: stamps

Nov 8, 2009 8:28 PM
Think I'm full of it ?:

i I can'tgive you a thread: I istumbled onto this or another one likeit. a long time ago.( "sniping community and lifestyle")(?)

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acecycleworks
Posts: 217
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Re: stamps

Nov 8, 2009 8:33 PM
f

Posted August 13, 2006 05:53 PM
I really get a kick out of Sniping I laugh when I win and it makes my day. Who cares if anyone thinks it’s not fair. This is how it works for me.
The first thing I do after locking in on an auction item is to be sure the seller has a high positive feedback percentage. I make sure to read all or most of their negative feedback to see if any of the circumstances may relate to me when I win. I also check the other bidders ID to see if I have been up against them before. The bid list tells a lot. For instance, is the bidder experienced or how many times have they had to bid on the item to stay on top. I actually enjoy an auction with lots of bidders as it makes it all the more challenging and satisfying when I win.
Another thing is to check the other bidder’s feedback to see what kind of items they have won in the past and who they were up against. Who knows, they may be some sort of expert.
After that or at some point before placing my first bid I check completed auctions on the same type of item. This gives me a starting point to help decide my opening bid. Then I check the bid list to see who I'm up against.
When I’ve completed all of the above that’s when the fun begins. At this point hopefully it’s early on, I start. First I jump in with a ridiculously low bid. If there is a reserve I may bid a few times to get my name in there. When the bidding reaches a point somewhere around forty or fifty percent less than I am willing to pay I stop bidding through Ebay. That’s when I make my decision about what I will actually pay and then I Snipe it.
I’d bet this all sounds like a lot of trouble to some. And it is definitely a sign of someone with too much time on there hands. That’s OK, for me it’s tons of fun and I get to buy things I want at a good price.
I would appreciate any comments or suggestions from those of you out there to improve on my strategy. Just maybe my way can help you get more fun out of Ebay.








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vaison-la-romaine
Posts: 24
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Re: stamps

Nov 10, 2009 7:28 AM
Your are the ideal bidder: you raise the sellers prices by bidding against yourself. eBay needs more buyers like you.

By the way, sniping is not unfair, it is simply a different approach to bidding. A sniper can be beaten anytime provided a stronger bid was made in time. I've had some of my snip bids defeated, simply because I didn't want to go beyond a certain price.
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acecycleworks
Posts: 217
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Re: stamps

Nov 10, 2009 9:01 AM
The previous post is taken from the auction sniper board ( note the "link")and I agree is an example of thorough reasearch , hardly "sniping..".
"Fair"? "Unfair"..who's to say?. The simple fact is it games the system to set an artificially low sale price on an item.
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vaison-la-romaine
Posts: 24
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Re: stamps

Nov 10, 2009 8:24 PM
The origin of the post "taken from a sniper board" explains everything: it is more a wishful advertisement than a genuine narrative. I was wondering how someone could find it fun to bid against himself, but then, at my age, there's hardly anything that can surprise me...

For most of my 11 years on eBay I did not use to snipe, but I started noticing instances of shill bidding when I would bid early on. I then decided to bid only on the last day of the auction, it happened again very recently, and I can prove it. Now I only snipe. I decide how much the item is worth to me and nobody will nibble me into a higher price.

A few days ago I even canceled the snipe because a competitor was himself being shill bidded on the item! The bidding record of the shill, (some 70 simultaneously on-going other bids, revealed him as a bigtime seller/buyer, and it had absolutely nothing to do with the item he was shilling. I got out.

I'll do without the item rather than be taken for a fool. Even if I'm wrong, I still save money. With this shill bidding gone berserk, it's the sellers who will lose over the long run. Personally I can use Delcampe to bid on stamps, and leave eBay completely. Delcampe still has the transparency that eBay has lost.

Shillers ought to remember that buyers do not have to spend to survive.
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acecycleworks
Posts: 217
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Re: stamps

Nov 11, 2009 6:45 PM
Perhaps all this computer time has turned my brains to guacamole'
because:
I can barely figure out the relationship here; "A few days ago I even canceled the snipe because a competitor was himself being shill bidded on the item! The bidding record of the shill, (some 70 simultaneously on-going other bids, revealed him as a bigtime seller/buyer, and it had absolutely nothing to do with the item he was shilling. I got out. "
So you "canceled" your last minute snipe bid.. because two other bidders were nickle and diming each other up.???
Don't bother to going in to more detail IMHO that's way too involved to save.15. in my experience I haven't noticed a massive shilling problem but then I don't buy all that much anymore.
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acecycleworks
Posts: 217
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Re: stamps

Nov 11, 2009 6:49 PM
Oh wait, the puzzle fits
you were selling and canceled a snipers bid because"shilling" took place?? Shilling means you( the seller) is fraudulently involved in raising the bid of your own item??? Now I'm really confused.screw it:I've gotta go find a' troll to feed...
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