[Previous entry: "Contemporary Coy"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Red Turds"]

11/13/2003 Archived Entry: "Sniping"

I heard a guy on the Motely Fool radio show on NPR (which should know better than carry them) explaining how he thinks it's pointless to bid early on items on Ebay. Instead you should "snipe" the item at the last minute with a generous bid.

While I'm sure lots of sellers like to hear this, I think he strategy gives the illusion of success.

If you really want to do things the way I think makes sense. Go ahead and call me the fool if you think I'm wrong.

Find an item your interested in.
Check the seller's feedback (with a grain of salt) and ask the seller any questions about the item you want.

With all this information decide what you would be willing to pay for the frock, including shipping. Bid the amount you would be willing to pay minus the shipping costs.

Wait till the auction ends.

If you win you win. If you don't win, that means someone was willing to pay more than you for the item.

That's it!

Q: "But what if someone wins by bidding just $2.00 more than me"?

A: "That person is paying $2.00 more than you were willing to pay. You have to have a cut-off price, or you'll bid for more than you really know is wise. If you spend more than the logical amount, you haven't really 'won'".

BTW, this way you won't need to adjust your schedule for bidding, or pay for some service to bid for you.

Entries and Images Copywrite M. Stewart