Best strategy - eBay auction

[Reynard]

The one thing that *really* pisses me off on ebay is price gouging, i.e. people "winning" an item, often in a bunfight, and then a few days later, the same item is re-listed at a hefty mark-up.

I'll keep an eye out for the mechanical version @Kingfisher101 - though watches (or much of anything) are off limits for the moment, as my savings have taken a right battering recently and I need to let my funds recover somewhat.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

To be fair, I got my first one in Zürich when I was 16

Was it this one?

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Was it this one?

View attachment 702362

Erm... Why?

... It was a Pluto one if you must know! 😆

 

[Dadam]

5 seconds sounds a bit short as there is the time taken for the system to record the bid and leaving it so late in my experience means the auction has timed out before the bid has been recorded.

API round trip response times should be well under a second, 300ms or so ideally. I’m not familiar with eBay’s logic but the bid request has a timestamp to the millisecond so typically if the server gets the bid request before the auction end time it should register it.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

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API round trip response times should be well under a second, 300ms or so ideally. I’m not familiar with eBay’s logic but the bid request has a timestamp to the millisecond so typically if the server gets the bid request before the auction end time it should register it.

Yes I find I can get it down to the last second. The 'system' still records, it has too as, like I said before, you are sometimes not sure who won in a last second fight until it is 'announced' afterwards.

Think of it as being a close finish on the line at le Tour, it needs to be determined.

 

[Dadam]

On the other hand I wondered if bidding high and early might put off anyone who is just bargain hunting.

Bidding high and early won’t have that effect as it won’t show other bidders your max bid, only the current bid. If you bid more than the current max bid, it will put you as winning bidder and current bid as the other bidder’s max bid plus 20p or something*

*I’m not sure the exact amount but I think it changes to whole pounds at some point.

 

[Mike_P]

Yes I find I can get it down to the last second. The 'system' still records, it has too as, like I said before, you are sometimes not sure who won in a last second fight until it is 'announced' afterwards.

Think of it as being a close finish on the line at le Tour, it needs to be determined.

More luck than I have then.

 

[gbb]

The one thing that *really* pisses me off on ebay is price gouging, i.e. people "winning" an item, often in a bunfight, and then a few days later, the same item is re-listed at a hefty mark-up.

I'll keep an eye out for the mechanical version @Kingfisher101 - though watches (or much of anything) are off limits for the moment, as my savings have taken a right battering recently and I need to let my funds recover somewhat.

I kinda get that but...
We used to feequent boot sales fot years and the times I've heard someone indignantly complaining...
"Hang on, I sold you that 1/2 hour ago, you're now selling it for 4x the price"

Tbf, I've had it done to me but my attitude is...
I sold it happily for the price I got...its now someone else's to do with as they please.

 

[DCLane]

Most of the above although I don't use a sniping tool. That means occasionally I miss items but that's life.

I bid £x.86 on items as it's above the standard £1/50p increments.

Also, if I'm not around to bid in the final 20 seconds, like today on a pair of wheels, I'll stick two bids in: one at the start price/ just above the rest and another which is my maximum. That tells other bidders that I've definitely gone above just the start/current price, which should (hopefully) put them off. It did with the carbon wheelset I bought; two bids 3 hours' before auction end and a new £600 pair of wheels were mine for £265 delivered.

 

[wiggydiggy]

I normally just do Buy It Now and sell but theres something I want to bid one. Couple questions if I may.

If I bid under the reserve does it tell me, and what the reserve is? Can I still set a maximum bid when I place the 1st bid and it'll increase automatically if I'm outbid?

 

[DCLane]

If I bid under the reserve does it tell me, and what the reserve is? Can I still set a maximum bid when I place the 1st bid and it'll increase automatically if I'm outbid?

It'll tell you that you've not reached the reserve, allowing you to bud higher. But not what the reserve is. Some unscrupulous bidders bid, then retract their bid(s) once they've worked out what the reserve is.

Also, yes it'll keep bidding up to your maximum and whoever placed the maximum first is the highest bidder.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

I normally just do Buy It Now and sell but theres something I want to bid one. Couple questions if I may.

If I bid under the reserve does it tell me, and what the reserve is? Can I still set a maximum bid when I place the 1st bid and it'll increase automatically if I'm outbid?

It will tell you if you have not reached the reserve, yes.

And no, what you bid is what you bid - It is down to others to bid up to your amount and pass you. If they do not pass you, you get the item for the cheaper price of what the second highest bidder submitted.

This only works if someone bids more than your own 'highest lowest' bid, of course.

 

[wiggydiggy]

It'll tell you that you've not reached the reserve, allowing you to bud higher. But not what the reserve is. Some unscrupulous bidders bid, then retract their bid(s) once they've worked out what the reserve is.

Also, yes it'll keep bidding up to your maximum and whoever placed the maximum first is the highest bidder.

It will tell you if you have not reached the reserve, yes.

And no, what you bid is what you bid - It is down to others to bid up to your amount and pass you. If they do not pass you, you get the item for the cheaper price of what the second highest bidder submitted.

This only works if someone bids more than your own 'highest lowest' bid, of course.

Cheers both. I'll put a bid in now and set my max bid. If I don't hit the reserve I'll leave it and buy new.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

What's the item anyway?

 

[All uphill]

What's the item anyway?

Cheeky!

I'm not that stoopid.

I'll tell you after the auction ends.