Best strategy - eBay auction

[Cycleops]

By the way, if anyone fancies a fake Rolex Yachtmaster, like this real one, but..
View attachment 702320 but ...er not quite as good and doesn't want to get involved in a fleabay bidding war, feel free to PM me as my neighbour's very dodgy fake is going on a fleabay auction in the next few days. We can do a deal, without getting involved in silly bidding wars.

The 'homage' watch has really called time on those fakes. Made in china they are great alternatives and are well made.
There's a bloke who has a YouTube channel featuring Rolex who's very amusing, covered in tattoos with neon teeth veneers, it's enough to put you off buying one, and I believe he was attacked recently and robbed of his watch, another reason for not buying one.

 

[fossyant]

I'll generally just stick a bid in, and see what happens. I did hover about when bidding on the CX bike, but they aren't massively popular (canti brakes) and I was the only bidder. Starting price was realistic and I was 40 miles away, so an easy collection.

 

[welsh dragon]

I would decide what price I want to pay, then and bid using that price. Then forget it. If I win thays a win. If I don't I haven't lost anything. Either way I am no tempted to keep bidding and end up spending way more than I wanted to simply because I didn't want someone to beat me.

 

[gbb]

My strategy always was put in an early bid...as a former ebay seller, it was a bit galling to see someone come in at the last second and snare up something too cheap. So that early bid (which is nothing in the financial sense), just let's me feel I'm not abusing the seller or system by sniping. Its just a personal moral thing for me.

Then I wait until the last seconds and bid,,,,I could get bids in in literally the dying seconds. Don't get involved in bid after bid, just sit back and wait.

Then there's if you really want it....or just fancy a bargain.
If you really want it and say the item is currently at £10, you're prepared to spend £40....put that final bid in at £40....NOT the next bid up or somewhere in the middle. Maximise your chance of winning. If someone outbids you, then it was never going to be anyway.

And don't forget auction end time....,gahhhhh, a sudden jump up, frantic booting up a PC...,to late. DAMHIKT

 

[Cycleops]

I would decide what price I want to pay, then and bid using that price. Then forget it. If I win thays a win. If I don't I haven't lost anything. Either way I am no tempted to keep bidding and end up spending way more than I wanted to simply because I didn't want someone to beat me.

That's very true. You can become obsessed.

 

[All uphill]

That's very true. You can become obsessed.

Not going to happen with me.

I've only checked the ebay page10 times this morning, so far. I'm not obsessed, I can give up any time.

 

[swee'pea99]

Surprised there's been so little mention of snipers, which bid for you in the dying seconds, so you don't have to. Just decide the maximum you're prepared to go up to, then you can set and forget. If you win, you win not at your maximum, but at whatever was the lowest price that would beat the next-highest bidder; if you lose, you wait for next time. There's no downside, and they're free.

Traditionally I used to use auctionstealer, which runs on a desktop; nowadays it's almost always myibidder, which works on mobiles and, unlike auctionstealer, has no limit on bids (three a week, if I remember rightly)..

 

[sapphire and steel]

How many watchers an item has can be a clue as to interest. I won some shifters this week that had nearly 40 watchers that I expected to end up in final frenzy, in that case I put in a bid earlier in the week to show interest and then bid my highest amount I prepared to pay in the last few seconds and still won with it being 20 or so quid less than I was prepared to pay.

I once bought a bike on there for over 2K that I really really wanted and did the above, there's nothing more tense than watching the final few seconds count down and then seeing the numbers fly up like the national debt ticker, and then you get the dreaded 'ebay is determining the winner, please refresh page' message, followed by hitting refresh refresh refresh refresh refresh in a key tapping frenzy like a teenager at an arcade.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

IIRC the second hand stops for two seconds on the minute. Those Mondaine watches are rather cool, shame they don't seem to do a mechanical one.

Not all have the stopping hand and most cheap versions don't.

I felt sorry for the chap I bought it from as it was a really nice bike .

In an auction, nothing is promised

I haven’t worn a watch since 1994, when my watch came off my wrist whilst rock climbing, and my options were try and save the watch or stay attached to the rock.

That's a bit of an extreme reaction! 😆

My strategy always was put in an early bid...as a former ebay seller, it was a bit galling to see someone come in at the last second and snare up something too cheap. So that early bid (which is nothing in the financial sense), just let's me feel I'm not abusing the seller or system by sniping. Its just a personal moral thing for me.
And don't forget auction end time....,gahhhhh, a sudden jump up, frantic booting up a PC...,to late. DAMHIKT

Having sold things myself, I appreciate the sentiment of that disconcerting pause when nothing happens.

As for auction end times... The alarm on your phone is an absolute godsend! 😆

Surprised there's been so little mention of snipers, which bid for you in the dying seconds, so you don't have to. Just decide the maximum you're prepared to go up to, then you can set and forget. If you win, you win not at your maximum, but at whatever was the lowest price that would beat the next-highest bidder; if you lose, you wait for next time. There's no downside, and they're free.

Traditionally I used to use auctionstealer, which runs on a desktop; nowadays it's almost always myibidder, which works on mobiles and, unlike auctionstealer, has no limit on bids (three a week, if I remember rightly)..

I have never used them, I find them almost a form of cheating.

For me, I want to win something using my own wits and ability, not rely on a machine! 😎

 

[Gunk]

Surprised there's been so little mention of snipers

I used one for years, it is cheating, but I've ended up with some incredible bargains.

 

[swee'pea99]

Why is it cheating?

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

They do produce a mechanical one. I've seen it on various sites.
I've had a Mondaine watch, a quartz one and it was nothing to write home about.

It's a watch... What were you expecting? 😆
To be fair, I got my first one in Zürich when I was 16 and was very proud of my first 'proper' watch, hence why I started collecting them.
I have various versions now, including the pocket watch, which I used for years and which I need to get working again. I even have bits of Mondaine publicity/display things, such as a coffee cup and things used in shops.

The whole Swiss Railways thing was such a great thing as a rail enthusiast, too.

I got it cheap in a sale for I think £60 and I sold it a year later on Ebay for more. What I will say about it was it was light on the wrist, I don't like heavy watches.

Yes I like them because they are quite small and thin and easy to wear.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Why is it cheating?

Because it's not 'you' and is unfair on everyone else who is doing it manually?

 

[stephec]

What happens when ten people are all using the same sniping tool, I'm assuming the one with the biggest maximum bid should automatically win?

 

[Gunk]

What happens when ten people are all using the same sniping tool, I'm assuming the one with the biggest maximum bid should automatically win?

Exactly