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Wow. That was something. First time I SOLD rather than bought a calculator on e-bay---what a rush! Price was looking pretty tepid---like $112, and then in the very last seconds, it goes $117, $147.50, then $150! In the last seconds! Wow.
So now, I am becoming worried for myself---not only am I an insufferable collecting addict (yes, I just found myself the proud owner of yet 4 more last week)---but also an e-bay addict to boot!
The kids asked a question right after the auction, "Daddy, what was all that yelling, about coming around the last turn, up from the backstretch?" I said, "well, it's just a horse-race, that's all."
So, I gess as long as we can keep from too much enthusiasm, going the way of Ponzi, we'll be OK.
Regards,
Bill
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All the smart bidding happens in the last 5 seconds. Everything before that is a sucker or a shill.
bkr
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Brooks wrote,
Quote:
All the smart bidding happens in the last 5 seconds. Everything before that is a sucker or a shill. [sic]
At the risk of launching another eBay-strategy thread, I take exception to that statement. I've won plenty of items entering my final bid in the final 60 seconds, and sometimes much earlier. I've also been sniped a few times with less than 10 seconds to go. The ability to time the entry of bids depends on having broadband internet service.
To give yourself the best chance of winning an item at a reasonable price, without being sabotaged by an overzealous newbie or a shill, is as follows: Decide your upper limit, then bid it within the last minute and hope for the best.
It is best not to "tip your hand" by bidding your maximum too early, if your are serious about an item. Someone may run you up, and force you to go over budget, or pay your max. But, if you wait until the last full minute, someone trying to "feel out" your limit by raising in small increments will probably run out of time.
-- Karl S.
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Why leave anyone time to respond? That's just inviting others to try bidding higher, and runs up the price. Bid your max with less than 5 seconds left and everyone saves money.
The only exception I've encountered is if the current price is near your max and you think a bid will scare away others, or make them move to another similar item.
I feel sorry for anyone who uses eBay via a modem. :/
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"I feel sorry for anyone who uses eBay via a modem."
I feel sorry for anyone using a modem for anything. 
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So what's wrong with using a mod<ERROR: transmisstion disconnected>
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Modems are for procrastenators!!!!
The prayer of a procrastenator:
"Lord help me finish what I sta"
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Especially AOL, with a modem!
I set my alarm so I could place a bid at 4:00 a.m. the other morning. I got up, filled out the bid form, moved my mouse to click BID, and got kicked off. By the time I got back on, it was too late...
BTW, dial-up is all that's available in my area.
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Ron,
As I said a little lower down in this same general thread, SNIPE IT!
There are a few sniping services out there, and some are even free (albeit with some restrictions).
I to got up at 3:00AM once, carefully synching my PC clock with e-bays, then bidding with a minute or so to go. While I won it, it struck me that this was a pretty stupid way to operate, especially for a $20 item.
I love sniping, but then if I was a seller I would hate it.
Best,
Jerry
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I live in an area way too rural to have such modern amenities as high speed internet connections (nor do we have cell phone signals).
But the smell of freshly applied manure on the fields and the deer carcasses littering the roads more than makes up for the lack of services :)
Take care.
Wayne.
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I never use sniping software or try to sneak in in the last minutes or seconds of an auction. I might wait until the last day to see how prices are going.
I've won plenty of auctions this way. If I lose, I try again.
It works like this: I figure out how much a specific item-- say an HP-27S-- is worth to me. Then I bid that number. If I lose, I try again the next time the iten comes around.
I think it took me about 5 tries to win an HP-27S this way.
I refuse to be sucked into bidding more than my initial number.
Of course I can afford to be more patient than most since my collection was almost complete well before the advent of eBay!
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I've got only a modem. So I snipe.
Imposes great discipline. See what you want and what you want to pay. Set the snipe (taking care to allow for setting a little more time on weekend evenings when net traffic is high), then check your e-mail tomorrow.
Will save you item price money, and broadband costs.
Best,
Jerry
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