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Registered
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 4,612
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Ebay bidding question- why the early bids?
Hi,
I found something on Ebay that I could eventually bid on. I have been tracking this item and plan on bidding on it <30 minutes before it closes. My question is; Unless you are going to be away from your PC, why would you bid on something days before bidding closes? It doesn't seem to bring you any advantage and why start a bidding war days before the bidding closes? Just wondering.
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Neil '73 911S targa |
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04-14-2005, 12:53 PM
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Cars & Coffee Killer
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: State of Failure
Posts: 32,246
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I agree. However, before I had a home PC, I would put bids in on items that closed over the weekend on Fridays, and see what happened. I sometimes won (and usually paid the starting bid). It does however act as an indicator to me which auctions are going to get out of hand...
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Some Porsches long ago...then a wankle... 5 liters of VVT fury now -Chris "There is freedom in risk, just as there is oppression in security." |
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04-14-2005, 12:58 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Minneapolis
Posts: 7,482
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I suppose it is intimidation for some.
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04-14-2005, 01:19 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: SE PA
Posts: 3,188
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For one thing, it tells the seller there's interest, and may incent him not to pull the auction and sell the item elsewhere. I had that happen on a 911 engine/tranny. I was planning on sniping at the end, but seeing no bids after a couple of days, the seller cancelled the auction and sold it off Ebay.
Then if he pulls the auction, you can report his sleazy butt to Ebay. 
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04-14-2005, 01:25 PM
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A Man of Wealth and Taste
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Out there somewhere beyond the doors of perception
Posts: 51,063
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I have bought and sold quiet a bit of Art on the Bay. When I see it I bid...mostly because it has a Reserve on the item., and there is NO SALE until the reserve is hit. So you try and find how much it is...without going over...I also don't nickle and dime anymore, I just bid big...it tends to keep the riff raff away...and still I get beat....things tend to find their level of value...
One reason not to bid until the end is if your a well known buyer, that way no one will know you have an interest until the end...The last piece I bought through the Bay, the Author of THE book on Ca Plein Aire painting was my underbidder...I will pay $25 more for any painting he bids on, cause he will double ro triple the price on his website...www.edanhughes.com
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Copyright "Some Observer" |
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04-14-2005, 01:35 PM
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: N. Phoenix AZ USA
Posts: 28,952
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Another thing is that many times I will bid just so I can watch it. If I am watching a lot of things there may not be room for it on the offical watch list, so I bid the minimum and that puts it on my "bidding" list and does not take up a slot on the watch list.
In the old days you could only watch 10 or 20 items, so I did this more often. Now that you can watch 100 items its not such a big deal. Have also done what Tabs talked about ... JoeA
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2021 Subaru Legacy, 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins (the workhorse), 1992 Jaguar XJ S-3 V-12 VDP (one of only 100 examples made), 1969 Jaguar XJ (been in the family since new), 1985 911 Targa backdated to 1973 RS specs with a 3.6 shoehorned in the back, 1959 Austin Healey Sprite (former SCCA H-Prod), 1995 BMW R1100RSL, 1971 & '72 BMW R75/5 "Toaster," Ural Tourist w/sidecar, 1949 Aeronca Sedan / QB |
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04-14-2005, 02:34 PM
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Parrothead member
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Monmouth county, NJ USA
Posts: 13,847
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I always wait until the last minute if its possible. i dont think ive ever won something ive bidded on early. Unless it was something that was obvious nobody else would want.
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Vinny Red '86 944, 05 Ford Super Duty Dually '02 Ram 3500 Diesel 4x4 Dually, '07Jeep Wrangler '62 Mercury Meteor '90 Harley 1200 XL "Live your Life in such a way that the Westboro Baptist Church will want to picket your funeral." |
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04-14-2005, 02:46 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: AUSTRALIA
Posts: 3,492
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Quote:
 When I started out on eBay I used to bid early. Now I wait untill there are less than 5 seconds, and then hit the bid button in another screen. Only works of you open about 3 sessions on the same item and have impeccable timing.
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Audi B7 S4 |
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04-14-2005, 04:18 PM
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1989 3.2 Carrera coupe; 1988 Westy Vanagon, Zetec; 1986 E28 M30; 1994 W124; 2004 S211 What? Uh . . . “he” and “him”? |
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04-14-2005, 04:25 PM
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Parrothead member
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Monmouth county, NJ USA
Posts: 13,847
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Quote:
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Vinny Red '86 944, 05 Ford Super Duty Dually '02 Ram 3500 Diesel 4x4 Dually, '07Jeep Wrangler '62 Mercury Meteor '90 Harley 1200 XL "Live your Life in such a way that the Westboro Baptist Church will want to picket your funeral." |
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04-14-2005, 05:04 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: AUSTRALIA
Posts: 3,492
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That's not as bad as David Hasselhoff memorabilia.....
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Audi B7 S4 |
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04-14-2005, 05:38 PM
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Where is that wrench?
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Irvine, CA
Posts: 1,415
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Quote:
Wait. Isn't he really popular in Germany or something? |
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04-14-2005, 07:37 PM
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Team California
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I've often wondered the same thing. It makes no sense to me whatsoever on an item that is obviously going to have serious competition, like an early 911. Still, as a pretty studious ebay watcher I have to say that there are constantly exceptions to every rule. And most of the time things go according to plan, more or less.
I buy expensive shirts on ebay, (for a substantial discount of course), w/ those I will just put in my max. bid at any time and wait for the end. If I get it for less, (usually the case), great. If not, no problemo. There is a big difference, though, w/ things that will not necessarily be back next week, like a particular car. And usually they get sniped in the end, but sometimes the max/winning bid was in for days. It's fairly amusing to watch. 
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Denis Trump uses an autopen and votes by mail, in case anyone wonders. 
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04-14-2005, 08:21 PM
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Student of the obvious
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Phoenix
Posts: 7,714
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More often than not early bidders have low feedback scores. I think most just haven't figured it out yet.
One trend I've noticed when there is early bidding is that a newbie will come in and bids $5 over the current price. If that doesn't put them ahead they bid $5 more. They will repeat this until they have the high bid. What a shock when a snipe beats them... by $5!
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Lee |
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04-14-2005, 09:02 PM
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1989 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2
