Ebay Jerk

I may have just become one...

So I was bidding on some OOP GW stuff and with three hours to go I was out bid. I was at the kids soccer game and figured I'd up my bid if I got home in time. I got home and on the computer about 5 minutes before the auction ended so I upped my bid and was high bidder again. Then I was outbid about a minute later... I wasn't the only one paying attention to this item! So... at the risk of being a jerk,I waited till the one minute mark, then nudged the bid up a dollar. At around 45 seconds left, I was outbid again. So, and here is where I may have slipped into firm jerk-hood, I waited until 12 seconds then hit submit on my max bid to $1.50 over current and won.

I know in the old'n days of ebay people used illegal sniper scripts to win auctions, and maybe that's why I feel like sitting on an auction till the last minute was a jerk move? I guess I shouldn't feel too bad, the other guy was doing the same thing, right? And if his max bid had been higher, he'd have still won. I guess that only proves I'm better a being a jerk than him!

I dont think sniper scripts have ever been illegal?! If it make you feel better, I always snipe.

You got it in the end, in battle there is no law. Being a jerk is not going to the kids soccer game to do this. You went with the kid AND got to win some lead, that's quite a good story to me .

This topic keeps popping up and I'm too stupid to understand it: I don't see how waiting until the very end of an auction to bid is jerk-y, nor why people do it.
If I see something I want, I put in my bid. If I get outbid, I wait for another version of the item to come around.
Raising and re-raising a bid right in front of the deadline - why is that "being a jerk"? I mean, the seller is happy with your bidding - you're willing to pay more, after all. And the other bidder, why should he be angry? If he wanted the item, he should have bid higher.

E.g.: Oooh, look, a Plague Cart! And no bids on it, even. I'll bid 10,64. Now someone else sees the plague cart with my 1,- bid and bids, say, 1,5. He's outbid, my bid is now 2,- He can continue to do that piecemeal stuff or decide that a plague cart is worth 17,- to him and just bid that. Either way it's his for 11,64.
Sure, I'd pay 11,64 for it, too, but I won't pay 17,-
I might type in 12,64 when I see that I've been outbid, but I usually don't. If I were willing to pay 12,64, that'd be my first bid. I'll just wait for the next plague cart.

tl;dr: please explain why people get upset over sniping because I don't get it.

If you think the world of miniature collecting is bad, go bid on antique furniture or old masters with the big boys in London, New York and Paris! Ultimately, the winner is the punter with the highest big at the end of the auction. How he or she got there is irrelevant really.

I snipe. I have been sniped. Its just all part and parcel of what we do. I don't feel guilty when I do it, I don't feel angry when I am a victim of it. I just think (either way) better luck next time mate!

I just put in my High Bid and walk away, if i win then great if I lose well there's always another one sooner or later. But since most the lots I go for are Job/damaged/painted/random/junk i never really bid high anyway.

Ti Pouchon":f3vkjppr said:

This topic keeps popping up and I'm too stupid to understand it: I don't see how waiting until the very end of an auction to bid is jerk-y, nor why people do it.
If I see something I want, I put in my bid. If I get outbid, I wait for another version of the item to come around.
Raising and re-raising a bid right in front of the deadline - why is that "being a jerk"? I mean, the seller is happy with your bidding - you're willing to pay more, after all. And the other bidder, why should he be angry? If he wanted the item, he should have bid higher.

E.g.: Oooh, look, a Plague Cart! And no bids on it, even. I'll bid 10,64. Now someone else sees the plague cart with my 1,- bid and bids, say, 1,5. He's outbid, my bid is now 2,- He can continue to do that piecemeal stuff or decide that a plague cart is worth 17,- to him and just bid that. Either way it's his for 11,64.
Sure, I'd pay 11,64 for it, too, but I won't pay 17,-
I might type in 12,64 when I see that I've been outbid, but I usually don't. If I were willing to pay 12,64, that'd be my first bid. I'll just wait for the next plague cart.

tl;dr: please explain why people get upset over sniping because I don't get it.

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I tend to get ticked off when someone swoops down at the last minute and outbids me. I guess I was feeling a bit empathetic (another form of pathetic?) thinking that I mat have just sniped the item from some kid who really wanted it. I think in future I'll just picture the other bidder as a goat who only intends to eat the minis anyway!

I don't typically put in my highest bid because I think most people don't. I'll put in a bid and if someone outbids me, I'll let them think they're safe at that level then bid again later in the auction. The problem is people get a bit of tunnel vision on ebay. I've seen items I could buy off the shelf or online go for 50% higher on ebay, especially in the area of computer parts. People place a bid then they want to win at all costs. By putting in a lower bid than my final, I hope to keep the other bidder from making a huge jump in max bid because he panics that someone else is after the item. It really is a silly game we play on the ebays!

Chico":f3vkjppr said:

I just put in my High Bid and walk away, if i win then great if I lose well there's always another one sooner or later. But since most the lots I go for are Job/damaged/painted/random/junk i never really bid high anyway.

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Despite what I said above I do this sometimes too. Especially if I think the item will go for more than I want to spend... I just set it and forget it. Sometimes it actually works. I just found out I won a Rogue Trader Beastman Packmaster mini I'd had so little confidence in winning that I'd forget about bidding on it. Then I got an email last night.. congratulations! That's one Rogue Trader mini down, a million or so left to go.

To be honest, if we all sniped, prices would stay down. Half the reason prices are so high is that people are driving the price up in the 6 'advertising' days instead of waiting to the last minute and entering their max bid, or using the appropriate software to do it on their behalf.

Don't worry - no one here will judge you for this!

The idea of two people having exactly that idea and ending up having to pay a grand is both hilarious and terrifying.

I don't see the problem. If someone else wanted it more, they should have put a higher bid in earlier. It's been like this for a long time.

Besides, it isn't being a jerk to the person selling the item. For some reason we always focus on the other bidders and not the seller. I used to feel bad bidding above other people, but it just means the seller gets a bit extra and might then think it's worth selling some of their other models anyway!

I've never lost a miniature to a sniper that I didn't find for the price I wanted a few days later, they ended up paying more not me.

I have had my price pushed closer to my limit by snipes that failed, I guess that would have happened with 6 days to go or 6 seconds.

There are two types of people on eBay. Those that snipe, and those who don't have what they want...

I snipe and I'm fine with it.

Yeah, I usually snipe with all my bids. I've noticed when bidding early in the past that some people place multiple bids, bumping my price up a few dollars at the time. Even if they end up not getting the item, my bid is pushed higher. I guess in the end it doesn't matter since I also decide on my max price before bidding, but it's always fun to get something for less than you would have paid!

bidding before he last few minutes seems insane to me

Mucking about seems insane. I just place a bid and then let the auction run its course.

maybe if you have an unlimited budget but early bids cause more interest and drive up the price

Most of the time I place a bid & walk away. The rest of the time I get into a pitiful fit of greed and then put in a few extra bids to make sure I get 'my precious'. Once I've done this I often think to myself, 'oops, too high a bid!' then I'm secretly overjoyed to get sniped. In general though I lose far more than I win as postage to Ireland give uk bidders a £2 - £3 headstart.

mbh":3sdfgb0a said:

maybe if you have an unlimited budget but early bids cause more interest and drive up the price

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I'd say auctions with no bids on them cause more interest, but have no statistical founding for it. I'm less inclined to bid on an auction where someone already have bid.

And I wish I had an unlimited budget!

I'm just basing this on traditional eBay theories.

most people place more value on something if others also desire it. It's one of he tactics used in motivation.


I kinda agree with what you're saying on a personal level though.

I tend to also bid on the ones with no other bidders too, i love the auctions with page counters to tell me how many has looked at it too