Bidding on e-Bay.

[Above The Tie]

I was wondering what tactic the Pro's (that's you guys) use when placing bids on e-Bay for razors. Do you simply place the highest amount you would pay or smaller amounts and increase as needed. Do you place bids early in the listing or wait till the last minute. Or in your experiance does it really matter?
Thanks for your reply to this inquiring newbie.

 

[mdunn]

with one exception (where I really, really wanted it) I decide the max im happy to pay, and set a snipe with it.

Otherwise you get into bidding wars and overpay.

 

[The Knize]

I was wondering what tactic the Pro's (that's you guys) use when placing bids on e-Bay for razors. Do you simply place the highest amount you would pay or smaller amounts and increase as needed. Do you place bids early in the listing or wait till the last minute. Or in your experiance does it really matter?
Thanks for your reply to this inquiring newbie.

Use a service like Auction Sniper. It puts in your bid right at the last second.

 

[Dustinl]

I wait until the last few seconds to bid. I know this is looked down by some but if you want the product, why would you place a bid and give someone else the opportunity to drive up the price or outbid you? With that being said, a lot of people do this.

Sometimes you win, more often you lose.


DL

 

[ouch]

Unless you're the only bidder, almost every auction is won by a last second snipe.

Any way you look at it, it's fair. The person who bids the most wins. It doesn't matter if the bid is placed now or days from now.

 

[tlanning]

+1

i wait until the last few seconds to bid. I know this is looked down by some but if you want the product, why would you place a bid and give someone else the opportunity to drive up the price or outbid you? With that being said, a lot of people do this.

Sometimes you win, more often you lose.


Dl

 

[UncleStu]

I've used Esnipe for years now. You either win the auction or you don't- but you don't "bid it up"/get involved in ridiculous bidding wars, and you don't have to be anywhere near a computer at auction's end.

If you're not using some kind of snipe service, you're just messing around and costing yourself extra $ when you do win.

 

[Stubblefield]

Starting with a lowball bid and bidding incrementally is the worst tactic imaginable. All it does is drive the price up--and you still get sniped at the last minute.

I always bid at the last minute. The person who bids the highest (and in case of a tie, first) always wins.

 

[krissy]

with one exception (where I really, really wanted it) I decide the max im happy to pay, and set a snipe with it.

Otherwise you get into bidding wars and overpay.

Yep I'd decide what I wanted to pay and set a snip. Then no one knows I'm interested until my bid is placed. I prefer not to get into bidding wars with others and pay more than I have to.

But that's not just with razors but anything on ebay.

 

[Above The Tie]

Great advice. Thanks!

 

[pmast]

I usually just put in a bid for what I am willing to pay. As you can see everyone else is sniping. In the end it boils down to who was willing to bid more. I have enough self control to not get carried away. I just wait for the next whatever to go on auction and bid again. In the end, you will usually find a decent deal if you have patience and remember that you are buying something without the benefit of a face to face transaction or physical inspection.

 

[D.Irving79]

i bid with 8 seconds left.

sniping is lame. cowards

 

[Stubblefield]

Of course, as a seller I usually list items with a BIN price. If my price is fair, I usually have a sale in 4 days max.

 

[cooncatbob]

Only idiots get in bidding wars with days to go.
I put items of interest on my watch list, then if they're still in my price range I place my bid with about 15 seconds to go
I don't use a service, I like doing it myself.

 

[blackdog1101]

I've bought and sold a lot of pipes on eBay. I usually wait until the very end to bid, and mostly use a sniping service. I typically bid on a little below what I think the item is worth. Some you win, most you lose. The nice thing about eBay is that aside from some genuinely rare items, another similar item will come up again in the near future. If you don't win the item this time, bid on it again next time.

 

[Groundhog]

Another vote for sniping.....I set my snipe for what I'm willing to pay, and walk.
Of course, I don't win much because I'm cheap.

 

[rainman]

I won't even put anything in my watch list. Then the seller might start bidding more. I just favorite the page and wait to the end.

 

[Luc]

I usually place the maximum amount that I am willing to pay and walk away. I look 5 minutes after the auction and pay the seller if I won...

The only exception was that Bostonian...

 

[Stubblefield]

Only idiots get in bidding wars with days to go.
I put items of interest on my watch list, then if they're still in my price range I place my bid with about 15 seconds to go
I don't use a service, I like doing it myself.

Whatever you do, do not use eBay Countdown . . . On two separate occasions I placed a high bid with seconds to go, and it came back and told me I was not the high bidder, when I clearly was . . . auction ended far lower than my bid. I lost out on a 40's Super Speed and some NOS Platinum Plus blades as a result.

 

[TSWebster]

I usually place the maximum amount that I am willing to pay and walk away. I look 5 minutes after the auction and pay the seller if I won...

+1

I like to enter bids myself rather than rely on some kind of automated program and most of the stuff I bid on is overseas and ends at 4AM