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Posted a lot
I won't be there when you cross the road, so always use the Green Cross Code.
Posts: 3,037
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Jul 27, 2006 12:36:12 GMT
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Ooookay I'm bidding for my first ebay car (fingers crossed)
I've heard a lot about sniping etc but I'm a bit of a newb at this. I know Mr B and the Pog probably account for around 90% of all ebay car purchases under £100 so what's the deal guys?
Do I weigh in early with a bid or keep my powder dry. And what about this sniping thing. Does it work? Any recommendations.
Ta chaps
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This space available to rent. Reach literally dozens of people. Cheap rates!
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tigran
Club Retro Rides Member
In rust we trust. Amen.
Posts: 6,444
Club RR Member Number: 142
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buying that car on ebaytigran
@tigran
Club Retro Rides Member 142
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Jul 27, 2006 12:39:50 GMT
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Make sure you are about when the auction ends. Wait until the last 1minue/30 secs if you have broadband, and bid the absolute highest ammount you are willing to pay for the car. You will get it at the smallest possible amount whilst oubidding whatever the other bidder might have been willing to pay.
Not fool proof but that's how I do it.
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1964 Rover P5 i6 1987 BMW 525e - The Rusty Streak 1992 Micra K10 2001 BMW E46 316i 2002 BMW E46 330Ci 2013 BMW F31 320d 2018 BMW G31 530d
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Jul 27, 2006 12:43:08 GMT
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yeah set up a snipe account here www.bidnapper.comIt will bid for you in the last 10 secs or so. PLus you get a free trial so you can use that to do your bidding seeeing as you are a n00b. Highly recommended for buying cars.
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1972 Fiat 130 1985 Talbot Alpine 1974 Lancia Beta Saloon 1975 + 1986 Mazda 929 Koop + Wagon 1982 Fiat Argenta 2.0 iniezione elettronica 1977 Toyota Carina TA14 BEST CAR EVER!!!!!!!! 1979 Datsun B310 Sunny 4-dr 1984 Audi 200 Quattro Turbo 1983 Honda Accord 1.6 DX GONE1989 Alfa 75 2.0 TS Mr T says: TREAT YO MOTHER RIGHT!
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Jul 27, 2006 12:43:14 GMT
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A key feature of Ebay is to set your limit. So decide your price so that you can say to yourself "I am happy not to win the car because it sent over my maximum."
Then you may as well just stick in that maximum bid and leave it. The car will sell for its worth as dictated by economic laws of supply and demand. If your bid is higher than anybody elses you will win it. Last minute bidding is all very well but it can go wrong (PC crashes, Ebay freezes, line is unreliable etc) and it's a real pain when you fail to get your bid in.
Charlie
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bstardchild
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,949
Club RR Member Number: 71
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buying that car on ebaybstardchild
@bstardchild
Club Retro Rides Member 71
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Jul 27, 2006 12:46:42 GMT
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Make sure you are about when the auction ends. Wait until the last 1minue/30 secs if you have broadband, and bid the absolute highest ammount you are willing to pay for the car. You will get it at the smallest possible amount whilst oubidding whatever the other bidder might have been willing to pay. Not fool proof but that's how I do it. Good advice I'll add If on braodband you can leave it later by having two windows open logged into ebay for both - in one you place your bid all the way till the final confirmation and leave it sitting like that On the other window keep watching and refreshing and in the last 15 secs swap to the other window and submit the previously entered and prepared bid... Agree totally put in the maximum you are prepared to pay at the last possible moment - if you are out bid someone was prepared to pay more - if you put your maximum bid in earlier all that will happen is you will be "bid up"
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Shortcut
Posted a lot
I won't be there when you cross the road, so always use the Green Cross Code.
Posts: 3,037
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Jul 27, 2006 12:46:50 GMT
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so this sniping thing is pretty much the same as setting an automatic bid, it just bangs it in at the last moment. But if I have a max of say £400 then if I set that and bosh my bid in with say 20 seconds to go, then ebay should take care of the rest.
Does this mean that the only real advantage of sniping is that you don't have to be at the computer?
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This space available to rent. Reach literally dozens of people. Cheap rates!
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bstardchild
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,949
Club RR Member Number: 71
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buying that car on ebaybstardchild
@bstardchild
Club Retro Rides Member 71
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Jul 27, 2006 12:48:27 GMT
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so this sniping thing is pretty much the same as setting an automatic bid, it just bangs it in at the last moment. But if I have a max of say £400 then if I set that and bosh my bid in with say 20 seconds to go, then ebay should take care of the rest. Does this mean that the only real advantage of sniping is that you don't have to be at the computer? Yes and the fact that you can't forget to bid
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Jul 27, 2006 12:51:12 GMT
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Great tip BC. My probs remembering to be there at last minute. my alarm let me down on a bargain set of Compo MO's gutted!
Not sure how i feel about this autosniping but if i wanted something unique enough i guess i'd use it!
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it doesn't matter if it's a Morris Marina or a Toyota Celica - it's what you do with it that counts
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Jul 27, 2006 12:53:09 GMT
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The psychology of this last-minute bidding is a bit perplexing to me. Ultimately you should only bid up to what you feel the car is worth, unless you are desperate to own it at all costs which is why you’d stick a last-ditch bid in to outbid someone else (but then why not just put in a bid of £10,000 or something stupid?).
Can it not be argued that seeing a bid on a car might actually deter others from bidding? I certainly don’t bid on much if there’s already someone there, whereas I’m happier to chuck in a few low bids on stuff where no-one else has bid and if some stick then great.
If you get outbid by zero-raters then don’t compete – chances are the seller will gradually go back down the chain until he finds your good bid, which is why you don’t go for more than you want to pay. If someone genuinely wants to pay more then let them, but are they genuine?
eBay thrives on competitiveness, don’t get drawn in!
Remember that your bid will always go to an amount which beats the previous bid, it doesn't automatically go up to your highest amount unless someone else bids.
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Jul 27, 2006 13:04:33 GMT
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Spottel laurel, thats sort of true, but if some decides they want to WIN they will out bid your generous max one off bid. I like to bid up occasionally, specially if i'm not too fussed if i win. i have won loads of stuff this way! LOL A high price can put people off those Oz wheels i was watching went upto £150 in one day, got me thinking, put me off a bit, they only sold for £160, funny business ebay
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it doesn't matter if it's a Morris Marina or a Toyota Celica - it's what you do with it that counts
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buying that car on ebayBenzBoy
@benzboy
Club Retro Rides Member 7
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Jul 27, 2006 13:09:33 GMT
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I'm of the "last seconds bid" persuasion. However, it's all too easy to get caught up in a bidding war and end up paying over the odds / more than you were willing to spend, so a cool head is needed and the ability to walk away should it all get a bit silly.
Good tip about the two windows thing BC!
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Jul 27, 2006 13:10:23 GMT
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The only advantage to last-minute bidding is that you can defeat those indecisive folk who think ‘ill just try one more bid’ and bid up in £10 increments or something. Or those stupid folk who bid the minimum necessary to make them the high bidder at any given point.
At the end of the day the person who bid the most is going to win, whenever they put their bid in.
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1972 Fiat 130 1985 Talbot Alpine 1974 Lancia Beta Saloon 1975 + 1986 Mazda 929 Koop + Wagon 1982 Fiat Argenta 2.0 iniezione elettronica 1977 Toyota Carina TA14 BEST CAR EVER!!!!!!!! 1979 Datsun B310 Sunny 4-dr 1984 Audi 200 Quattro Turbo 1983 Honda Accord 1.6 DX GONE1989 Alfa 75 2.0 TS Mr T says: TREAT YO MOTHER RIGHT!
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Jul 27, 2006 13:10:45 GMT
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Last minute bidding works, decide the honest maximum you want to pay and bosh a bid in with 10 seconds left.
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bstardchild
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,949
Club RR Member Number: 71
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buying that car on ebaybstardchild
@bstardchild
Club Retro Rides Member 71
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Jul 27, 2006 13:10:54 GMT
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The psychology of this last-minute bidding is a bit perplexing to me. Ultimately you should only bid up to what you feel the car is worth, unless you are desperate to own it at all costs which is why you’d stick a last-ditch bid in to outbid someone else (but then why not just put in a bid of £10,000 or something stupid?). I can see your point but Ebay has ended up as a 3/5/7/10 day internet advert with a 30 sec bidding frenzy at the end..... Only people who are new to ebay bid early and then bask in the glow of winning the item till the last few seconds when they are outbid by 5p and winge for a month about it!!! Can it not be argued that seeing a bid on a car might actually deter others from bidding? I certainly don’t bid on much if there’s already someone there, whereas I’m happier to chuck in a few low bids on stuff where no-one else has bid and if some stick then great. With odd stuff listed at cheap prices I often poke a bid in - mainly to get it out of my watch list which is always full and into my bidding list which isn't always full If you get outbid by zero-raters then don’t compete – chances are the seller will gradually go back down the chain until he finds your good bid, which is why you don’t go for more than you want to pay. If someone genuinely wants to pay more then let them, but are they genuine? Agreed eBay thrives on competitiveness, don’t get drawn in! Absolutely - bid at the last possible min - no room for competition Remember that your bid will always go to an amount which beats the previous bid, it doesn't automatically go up to your highest amount unless someone else bids. Something often not understood
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Jul 27, 2006 13:12:08 GMT
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Last minute bidding works, decide the honest maximum you want to pay and bosh a bid in with 10 seconds left. I'm mentally preparing myself to do this very thing,... but secretly hoping it'll go over what I'm willing to pay
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buying that car on ebayBenzBoy
@benzboy
Club Retro Rides Member 7
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Jul 27, 2006 13:18:26 GMT
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The cars I've "won" on the Bay in the past have been ones that I just stuck a bid on, days before it ended, without any serious thoughts to actually being successful. Then watched in terror as the auction drew to a close and I realised I'd got another car.
Other stuff that I'm serious about I tend to snipe
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Jul 27, 2006 13:21:52 GMT
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The best bet is to place your bid at 21 seconds to go. Then if you are outbid by a tenner, you have just enough time to bosh a cheeky one in on top, if that is your want. There can also be a psychological advantage to bidding early as well. Bosh a good bid in early and sometimes you'll get something much cheaper than you though - other bidders have a 'dabble' but can't get past you so know they won't be getting something for nothing and move on.
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Shortcut
Posted a lot
I won't be there when you cross the road, so always use the Green Cross Code.
Posts: 3,037
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Jul 27, 2006 13:45:19 GMT
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heh. it's like one great big mind game isn't it!!
HW, that is SO true!
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This space available to rent. Reach literally dozens of people. Cheap rates!
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bstardchild
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,949
Club RR Member Number: 71
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buying that car on ebaybstardchild
@bstardchild
Club Retro Rides Member 71
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Jul 27, 2006 13:50:41 GMT
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There can also be a psychological advantage to bidding early as well. Bosh a good bid in early and sometimes you'll get something much cheaper than you though - other bidders have a 'dabble' but can't get past you so know they won't be getting something for nothing and move on. Ahhhh - now I have done that once or twice in the past and been very surprised not to have been bid up by more than a few quid I understand the psychology of that now!!!
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Jul 27, 2006 14:06:07 GMT
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Yeah, the thing which annoys me is bidding say £400 for something which is sitting at like £20, then the auction ends and it went for £400.25
This is a problem when you're bidding on stuff in a different time zone like the USA or Aus where auctions tend to end at like 4 am. So I stick my bid in at 11pm before I got bed and wake up in the morning haveing been outbid.
Anything ending at asensiblle time I bid at the last minute.
I'mnot sure I trust those sniper programmes 'cos I don;t want to give anyone else my eBaypassword with all these fraudsters out there these days.
Also I if you want something at £400 - bid £401... then if someone sneaks in at £400 same time as you do your bid wins.
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1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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