# Question About Ebay Bidding **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 11, 2004, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-ebay-bidding/223995 "2004-01-11T15:47:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lucwarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@lucwarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucwarm)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-ebay-bidding/223995/1 "2004-01-11T15:47:19Z")
Let’s suppose that I put in a maximum bid of $100, and I am the current high bidder with a bid amount of $75. Let’s suppose I want to go to bed and not worry about “sniping.” If I put a bid of $150 in, will that affect the amount of the high bid? In other words, how do I increase my maximum bid? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-ebay-bidding/223995/2 "2004-01-11T15:52:27Z")
No, you can’t outbid yourself. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-ebay-bidding/223995/3 "2004-01-11T16:00:19Z")
Proxy bidding lets you set a max amount to bid, and goes up only if someone outbids you. So if set the limit at $150, go to bed, someone bids $151, you’ll have to enter a higher amount. Should nobody else bid, the $75 stands no matter the limit you set. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-ebay-bidding/223995/4 "2004-01-11T16:02:22Z")
Just an additional bit of help about spoiling _most_ snipers… if you do increase your maximum bid, don’t put in an even amount. A lot of inexperienced eBay-ers do that themselves when they’re bidding at the last minute and you could easily be outdone by someone at $151.00, for example. And you’d be pretty unhappy to have lost by a buck. So I’d suggest coming up with some off the wall number, like $153.86, and then that seems to squelch those kinds of problems when the amounts are in the same ballpark. That way if you’re outbid by an additional $25.00, you’re not put out and there’s nothing you’d have done different anyway. Otherwise, you got 'em whooped. Just my method. Hope that helps you auction easier. ---
**Author:** ![Freejack00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Freejack00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freejack00)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-ebay-bidding/223995/5 "2004-01-11T16:36:58Z")
try going to [auctionstealer.com](http://auctionstealer.com) and you can zzzzzzzz all night without any worries!! ---
**Author:** ![PhilAlex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/839c29/32.png) [@PhilAlex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhilAlex)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-ebay-bidding/223995/6 "2004-01-11T17:38:35Z")
Hopefools right… but be sure that you at least one full bid increment above your snipe level. IE: Don’t enter $100.01, that’s not enough to win from someone who bid $100 earlier. Enter $102.00 (The theory being that most, but not all people bid evenly.) ---
**Author:** ![Shrinking\_Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Shrinking\_Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shrinking_Violet)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2004, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-ebay-bidding/223995/7 "2004-01-11T20:01:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Johnny L.A. \* > \*\*No, you can’t outbid yourself. \*\* Unless there is a reserve price on the item, and your second bid takes you _above_ the reserve for the first time.