# Dancin' on the edge with eBay **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 24, 2001, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dancin-on-the-edge-with-ebay/70011 "2001-06-24T23:25:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2001, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dancin-on-the-edge-with-ebay/70011/1 "2001-06-24T23:25:30Z")
I’m a good eBay customer–several very possitive reports and no negatives. But there just isn’t the spice anymore. So I’ve started to bid on things I not only don’t NEED, but also would have a lot of difficulty explaining to Wife. First was a Lotus Europa. Nice car, would actually have been REAL pleased to get it at the price I bid, but, with several people bidding, several days to go, and the fact that my maximum bid five dollars more than the previous published bid, I was surprised I was high bidder for about ten minutes. Kewl! This time it’s a Honda Trail 90, the ultimate Old Fart bike (you’ve seen them–folding handlebars allow them to be lashed to the fronts of Winnebagos). And I’ve wanted one since I was a YOUNG fart, 36 years ago. There are a dozen bids and five days to go, so I up it five bucks. Rutt-row! A day later I’m still high bidder! Hmmmm, if this continues I’m going to have to do some fast talking! “Honey, this is the fullfillment of a dream I’ve had since I was eleven…” But who’d believe that someone could dream about owning a Trail 90? Wait–I’ve been married to her for a quarter century, so she knows about my Dorky Tastes. ---
**Author:** ![robinh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b77776/32.png) [@robinh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robinh)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2001, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dancin-on-the-edge-with-ebay/70011/2 "2001-06-25T01:56:01Z")
Oooohhh, this is sounding familiar…my husband went through something similar, though it involved guitars…which now adorn our walls and reside under our bed. Yeah, she’ll probably forgive you. ---
**Author:** ![Searching\_For\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@Searching\_For\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Searching_For_Truth)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2001, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dancin-on-the-edge-with-ebay/70011/3 "2001-06-25T02:16:08Z")
Cover your ass and tell her you got it for her. “It seemed like a good idea at the time…” ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2001, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dancin-on-the-edge-with-ebay/70011/4 "2001-06-25T03:00:04Z")
[http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=592524488&r=0&t=0](http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=592524488&r=0&t=0) I checked out ebay out of curiosity per the Honda Trail 90 listings and the most current auction expires in 40 minutes and has this (seemingly) dinky little 31 year old Honda with a (IMO) astounding bid for this little thing of 760. and the minimum bid is not yet reached and the "buy it now" price is 1300! Am I out of touch with the old scooter market or is this some kind of collectible item? ---
**Author:** ![Cap\_n\_Crude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Cap\_n\_Crude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cap_n_Crude)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2001, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dancin-on-the-edge-with-ebay/70011/5 "2001-06-25T03:05:42Z")
And here I was, all set for some kind of Internet-age parody based on a classic Otis Redding song. Bastards. I still haven’t recovered from John Lee Hooker’s death, y’know. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2001, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dancin-on-the-edge-with-ebay/70011/6 "2001-06-25T03:13:23Z")
“Seemingly” dinky? No, REAL dinky. The “90” is the displacement, and we ain’t talkin’ cubic INCHES here! Think of a moped, except stronger and with limited (it’ll take you around the world, but not at motocross speeds) off-road capabilities. The one you found is older (Classic!) and in real good shape. [“Mine”](http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=592697599&r=0&t=0&showTutorial=0&ed=993847570&indexURL=0&rd=1) is a '77 and in not quite so good shape. But at a still-pretty-good-considering price. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2001, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dancin-on-the-edge-with-ebay/70011/7 "2001-06-25T12:23:30Z")
Whew! FINALLY outbid. That’s enough adrenaline for one weekend (told ya I was an old fart!). Back to good ol’ caffeine for my rushes. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2001, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dancin-on-the-edge-with-ebay/70011/8 "2001-06-25T12:58:23Z")
I do it too. If I see something I know is seriously underpriced, I bid just to bring the price up. And that explains how I just got the Sarah Brightman Song&Dance LP for 22 GBP. That’s $31 ($42 with postage), folks, for a 2LP set I’ve NEVER seen sell for under $150! ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2001, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dancin-on-the-edge-with-ebay/70011/9 "2001-06-25T14:38:53Z")
OK, someone needs to explain something to me - if you see something you really really want to bid on, why would you **not** wait till the last possible moment to bid? Seems to me you just drive the price up against yourself. If the bids close at midnight, why not wait till 11:30 to bid? Is there something I don’t understand about eBay? ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2001, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dancin-on-the-edge-with-ebay/70011/10 "2001-06-25T15:13:45Z")
No, you understand it perfectly. That’s how I bid when I actually want to buy something. And I only sort by closing time. Otherwise you just see REALLY GOOD prices, rather than realistic ones. Maybe I’ll bookmark something to keep an eye on it, but real bids go in at the last moment. Early bidding just starts a bidding war, which is good only for the seller. It’s just that it was fun to imagine I really could get a Lotus Europa for $520US. And, for ten minutes, I could. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2001, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dancin-on-the-edge-with-ebay/70011/11 "2001-06-25T15:38:03Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originnally posted by FairyChatMom_: > OK, someone needs to explain something to me - if you see something you really really want to bid on, why would you not wait till the last possible moment to bid? Seems to me you just drive the price up against yourself. If the bids close at midnight, why not wait till 11:30 to bid? Last minute bidding is called “sniping.” Although it’s not exactly against eBay’s rules, it _is_ frowned upon. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2001, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dancin-on-the-edge-with-ebay/70011/12 "2001-06-25T18:28:36Z")
Well, boo-hoo! 😉 It’s in eBay’s interest for the price to go as high as possible. It’s in my interest to keep it as low as possible. My interest wins. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2001, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dancin-on-the-edge-with-ebay/70011/13 "2001-06-25T19:31:28Z")
You might want to keep in mind that someone else could be trying to snipe you! Had that happen to me once, I can’t remember what it was but I wanted it and kept refreshing my browser. With about 15 minutes to go, someone sniped me. I countered with a snipe of my own, and we got into a bidding war. The two of us were going at it until the final minute. IIRC, I was a second late with my last refresh. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2001, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dancin-on-the-edge-with-ebay/70011/14 "2001-06-25T19:46:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jeff Olsen \* > > > [@](#): > > > > Seems to me you just drive the price up against yourself. If the bids close at midnight, why not wait till 11:30 to bid? > > Last minute bidding is called “sniping.” Although it’s not exactly against eBay’s rules, it _is_ frowned upon. Now, I have stumbled upon an auction half an hour before it closes, and won it. I wasn’t “sniping”, I just didn’t find it before then. I’ve even found auctions just a few _minutes_ before they close. However, I have been guilty of sniping. It’s just part of eBay. Sniping won’t work if the other person (the current high bidder) puts their absolute _highest_ bid in beforehand. I don’t know why people don’t do this anyway, if they are dead serious about getting something. I got my iMac because I bid the ABSOLUTE highest I was willing to pay, days before auction ended. No one touched the auction for days, but sure enough, about 3 minutes before the auction ended, a sniper came in and jacked up the price. But they didn’t even come close to outbidding me, because I _knew_ I wanted this iMac, and _knew_ how much I was willing to pay for it, and bidded accordingly. Had they actually outbid me, it would have been OK, since I wasn’t going to go over a set price anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2001, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dancin-on-the-edge-with-ebay/70011/15 "2001-06-25T21:00:09Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Jeff Olsen \* \*\* > [@](#): > > Last minute bidding is called “sniping.” Although it’s not exactly against eBay’s rules, it _is_ frowned upon. \*\* The only people who frown on sniping are the people who lose auctions when a sniper bids higher in the last few minutes/seconds of the auction, not giving the losing bidders enough time to raise their bids. I _love_ sniping, both as a bidder and a seller. As a bidder, I often wait until the last _seconds_ to snipe something I really want. The only time I lose is when the high bidder has bid more than I’m willing to pay. As a seller I have had items with a high bid of ten bucks all weeek and I love it whan a sniper comes up in the last minutes of my auctions and ups it a couple dollars more. Remember, it’s not the last bidder who wins, it’s the **highest** bidder who wins. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2001, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dancin-on-the-edge-with-ebay/70011/16 "2001-06-25T21:13:32Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Boscibo_: > The only people who frown on sniping are the people who lose auctions when a sniper bids higher in the last few minutes/seconds of the auction, not giving the losing bidders enough time to raise their bids. > [@](#): > > _eBay’s official line on sniping_: > We encourage all members to use the proxy bidding system that is in place to bid the absolute maximum they are willing to pay for an item right from the start and let the proxy bidding system work for them. This way, although it may be disheartening if they are outbid, they won’t be paying more than they were willing to. IIRC, eBay declared the practice of sniping to be a violation of their rules until they realized it was virtually unenforcable. Now they just encourage bidders not to do so. ---
**Author:** ![Devin\_Austra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/59ef9b/32.png) [@Devin\_Austra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Devin_Austra)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2001, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dancin-on-the-edge-with-ebay/70011/17 "2001-06-25T21:28:14Z")
I hate being outbid at the last moment. I had been looking for an opal ring for quite a while, a tiny one for my pinky. It had to be small, the opal had to be oval in shape, and I wanted two tiny diamonds on each side of it. I also like asymmetrically shaped rings. I found the perfect ring, bid on it. Was high bidder for three days at $15.50, no one else bid on it in that time. I go to work, come home and find that someone has outbid me. **#\*&Y%(#%^(\*&%!!!** That sums it up. I’ve never found a ring that I liked more than the one I got outbid on. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2001, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dancin-on-the-edge-with-ebay/70011/18 "2001-06-25T21:40:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jeff Olsen \* > \*\* > IIRC, eBay declared the practice of sniping to be a violation of their rules until they realized it was virtually unenforcable. Now they just encourage bidders not to do so. \*\* The bottom line is: The highest bidder wins, whether you bid mid-way through the auction or at the very end. I have won some fantastic deals by sniping and will continue to do so. I have read some of the messages on the eBay help boards and it seems like sniping is favored by the majority of bidders and sellers. eBay would be doing a great disservice to sellers and bidders by not allowing sniping. I can almost guarantee winning an auction by sniping it. For example: I was bidding on a set of tires a few weeks ago. Bidding stalled at $167 for most of the week and I knew they would go much higher. On the last day of the auction they crept up to $400, but I expected them to go for as much as $500. A minute before the auction’s close they rose to $450, and I opened two windows on the same auction, one to refresh the time and one to place my bid. I placed my high bid, $501.98 (the $1.98 in case someone bid $500), and started to refresh the other window which was counting down the time left. At 30 seconds left I placed my $501.98 bid. I won at $455 because the high bidder before me had only bid $450. So I out-bid him by $5, even though I would have won if he had bid $500. If I would have bid $501.98 ten minutes before the auction ends, I could have possibly been outbid by someone willing to go higher. Sniping works. Sniping wins auctions. I’m sure the seller was happy to get the extra $5 my bid gave him. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2001, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dancin-on-the-edge-with-ebay/70011/19 "2001-06-26T12:35:05Z")
There was a CD I wanted so bad I was desperate. Ten minutes to go, I had it at $20 and bid up to $30. Had to do some work. Got back 15 minutes later, the auction was over and the CD went for $63! I wasn’t that desperate for it. Obviously, sniping does not always work. ---
**Author:** ![lurkernomore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@lurkernomore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurkernomore)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2001, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dancin-on-the-edge-with-ebay/70011/20 "2001-06-26T18:25:05Z")
Happen to have a bid on a book out right now. (No, it isn’t under this name, so you can’t play around with the bid). I used the proxy and set my top. Any more, I just walk away. Bid on this title before and walked. Most of you have good experiences with ebay? Never actually bought before. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dancin-on-the-edge-with-ebay/70011.md?page=2)