Ebay sniper tool?

[tsg68]

Using a sniping tool online is no different than sending a representative armed with a top dollar amount to bid on an item on your behalf (a tactic used by serious collectors when they cannot be present for a live auction). My Mom owned and operated an auction gallery when I was a teenager in the 80's and collectors would peruse the auction catalogs that were sent out before hand and then send a rep to bid the item up to an agreed upon top dollar amount and if they won, they won, if not the rep would drop out of the bidding. Another method they use is "Pickers", who are people who work for many collectors and usually hold onto active want lists and amounts for many different clients, they do all the leg work (the collector just sits on his fanny) and frequent auctions, fleamarkets and estate sales (they also strike up friendships with dealers for first dibs on choice new inventory) trying to obtain the items for below the resell amount and then collect the difference, based on conditions, as a fee.

Applying strict morality to this is like trying to apply it to live auctions and believe me there are some characters on both the selling and buying sides of that realm of business also. And some rather underhanded tricks of the trade too!

TSG /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[TOB9595]

I'm a proponent of sniping.
Many auctions get bid up artificially because folk can't watch the auction or they get caught up in the bidding frenzy.
How many people bid higher than they wanted just to win the bid? MANY.
I use Auctionmagic (Snipe)
Ebay is continually changing their programming to subvert the snipe programs. Why does ebay limit you to such a small "watch list"
To escalate the bids.You have to bid just to track the auction.
I'm not a fan of ebay and think they are unscrupulous folk.
Ever try to contact them? Not an easy task. Then a form mail comes back to you.
With sniping, you choose your max bid, set it and forget it.
If I lose so be it.
I don't get caught up in the frenzy.
Tom

 

[tsg68]

I agree with you Tom, ebay has gotten dopey. Difficult to navigate with certain browsers too.

My favorite stupid ebayer move is when I see an item offered for a reasonable "buy it now" price and then watching some idiots bid it up past the price trying to nickle and dime their opponents out of the bidding. I once saw a brand spanking new Strider fixed blade up for a low "buy it now" price of $275 ($50 below retail, and a steal!) get bid up to $350 ($25 above retail) by a group of dopes. If I'd had the money at the time I would have gladly paid the "buy it now" asking price, no doubt the cuttoff bid was around $5 below the "buy it now" and some dope had to bid like, $273.50 and blow it for everyone. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

TSG /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[keithhr]

I have been studying ebay and buying there for a couple of years now. I have several rules and am successful most of the time. I never bid unless I can be at the computer at the close of the auction. When I bid, I only bid for the item at the close of auction so I strike without any warning. When I bid on an item, I calculate the absolute maximum an item is worth and then that becomes my proxy bid amount. I often look at the bidders feedback to see what they buy and how much they spend to determine what trends I can see. Much can be gained from this and finding out that they collect certain things and will be willing to pay a certain price for those items can be useful. I use two screens and have my maximum bid ready on one screen and I keep refreshing the other screen with my dsl line to see if anyone has bid. I keep track of time with my wrist watch after finding out what ebay time it is during the last minute. I always wait till the last 20 seconds to place my somewhat formidable bid which is not be an easy amount for someone to take a last second shot at and one that will not be beaten by a single low proxy bid. It places an emphasis on value and being a bit selective.I have often outbid someone's attempt to snipe by making my first bid my last and only ultimate bid. Now that I have written this out , I will surely never win another bid again.

 

[TOB9595]

KeithR, we're onto you now.
May as well give up your account
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
That's the way to do it. Don't keep bidding up and up.
If you do, you're bidding against yourself and driving the price up.
How often do you see an auction that has no play but one bidder.
That bidder invariably bid very close to the open price.
If it's what I'm lookin for they then lose it due to not having their proxie hi enuf to keep the bid.
And Always bid a few cents higher than a close price.
As in 10.63 instead of $10.50.
Hope this helps you take the goods right out from under me /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Tom

 

[2dogs]

A little off tpoic here, but what frosts me are the "1 cent" auctions. Who is nuts eneough to think they're getting a good deal because they pay a penny for an item but the shipping is 20.00 or 25.00?

 

[The_LED_Museum]

Yeah, like those 1 cent CDs that cost you $20.01 or $25.01 when all is said and done. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif :toliet: /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

 

[flownosaj]

Keithr--now I know why you always want a primo accurate watch /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

-Jason

 

[keithhr]

Jason, good observation. The sniper tools that other people refer to in the previous posts require ebay passwords to be given, and I'm not comfortable with an unknown quantity of people knowing my passwords etc. You never know who might be able to use them.

 

[nikon]

There is nothing dishonest, immoral, unethical, dweeby, weird, or unfair about sniping. Ebay is a marketplace and those who know how to buy and sell will do better than those who do not.

If you pick a fight with someone and get your butt kicked, would you complain because the other guy knows martial arts and you don't? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/whoopin.gif

In the immortal words of Malcolm X..."Arm yourself or harm yourself".

 

[paulr]

Sniping is a standard and accepted ebay tactic that's a natural consequence of how the auctions work. Ebay doesn't object to it. Ebay, however, does object to automated sniping, so sites and programs that do that have to go to some lengths to disguise themselves.

If you're going to snipe, you really have to do it in the last 3 seconds or so, not 20 seconds. If you put in your bid 20 seconds before the end, your opponent has more than enough opportunity to overbid you, sometimes several times. I've bid with 10 seconds left and been overbid at 5 seconds and then overbid the overbidder with 1 second to go!

 

[LED-FX]

Used:

http://www.snipeville.com

with good results so far.Be careful with your ebay password at all times though. Regular changes are always a good idea.

Adam