Re: [AMC-List] bidding on ebay/parts - it's mostly mental...

[Jerry Casper <gremlingts@xxxxxxxxx>]

--- MIKE DIAN HATHAWAY  wrote:

> All- I have been trying to buy a 4sp console for my
> 73 Ranchero..... when I got outbid
> with 20 seconds left. Both 
> times by a buck!  So my big question is, does
> anyone have advice on how to 
> get around this problem? 

  Mike, if you're bidding on something rare and hard
to find like that console...do you think anyone ELSE
is going to just make a bid and walk away, hoping to
win it 2 days, or hours, later? If you REALLY want it,
you HAVE to be online and bidding, OR, get the Sniper
software and snipe it, OR bid way higher than the last
bid. Last, but not least, if it's typically selling
for $300-400, but the price is only $135 now with a
few hours left, and you're WILLING to spend the money,
put that 300 or 400 bid in. You'll outbid the
cheapsters who try to get it as cheap as possible (
like me ), by only bidding what it takes to get over
the last bid. Or someone else will pay the bigger
price if they want it badly enough. 
  Bottom line is, if you really NEED it or WANT it,
you must A) be online to duke it out ( smartly), or B)
be willing to shell out whatever the highest going
rate is, to try to beat the cheap. The other way, if
you haven't tried it, is to open TWO Ebay windows, one
with your final bid with seconds left ( I leave no
more than 12 seconds, sometimes it won't work if you
go less than that, depending on servers ), and the
other with the auction up, and keep hitting refresh
every 10 seconds on the non-bidding window. You only
get one shot at this, so DON'T just bid a dollar more,
for a $400 item, at least 5-10-20 more than the last
bid. If someone on the "other side" is just creeping,
you can win this way. If they've put in a higher bid,
you may still lose, anyway, to snipers who are willing
to pay more. But don't just bid the next increment
higher, take it at least $5 more on items, and be
realistic about the worth on  items, if you really
want it, don't waste time on just dollar increments if
you see someone else bidding againest you. 
 Sniping is the biggest hinderance to winning these
days, but it means the person is willing to bid
higher, not creep higher incrementally. So you MUST be
willing to pay more, not just creep your bids up at
the last second. If you continue to play stingy,
you'll continue to get beaten on bids. THAT is the key
to "winning" a bid, is know what it's worth, and be
willing to pay it if necessary. You may WANT to get it
cheap, but you may NOT, and it seems like your
experience is that you seem to be doing incremental
bids, rather than seriously wanting, and willing to
pay more for, a desired item. So make up your mind
BEFORE you begin bidding on an item, is it worth it to
bid more, or is it a neat I Want It item, and then
just incremental bid, if you don't get it, oh well.
Once you're past that choice, you can win. But you
won't if all you try is incremental bids. That is a
sure way to lose to the other guy(s), and Sniping. Bid
honest value, and you may win one yet. Just my honest
opinion from someone who doesn't snipe, but has won
his share of auction bids by NOT being too cheap, and
knowing what you're willing to, and can, pay for an
item. 

Jerry Casper

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