eBay question
 

I think it's fair to say that most people here are fairly savvy when it
comes to eBay buying/selling, so let me throw out this question: What is
the value of keeping a reserve price secret?

When there's a radio I'm interested in that has a reserve, I always ask the
seller what that reserve is. That way I know whether or not I'd be wasting
my time watching it, and it may make a difference in how much I bid. So if,
for example, you see a $400-450 radio but the guy says his reserve is $800,
you don't waste your time. And likewise if he says his reserve is $425, you
might bid the $425 even if $375 would make you the high bidder, so that you
actually get the item instead of "Reserve not met" being the result. If
you know the reserve you can make the decision.

However, many sellers reply that they don't reveal their reserve. What's
the point? Isn't the reserve just another way of saying "This item is up
for auction to the highest bidder, but here is the least I'll take for it"?
What am I missing?

Jeff

eBay question
 

"Unrevealed Source" wrote in message
...
However, many sellers reply that they don't reveal their reserve. What's
the point? Isn't the reserve just another way of saying "This item is up
for auction to the highest bidder, but here is the least I'll take for
it"? What am I missing?

Yeah, that's pretty much it. I don't understand the point of the "secret
reserve" either.

Frankly, 99% of stuff I buy on eBay - and I buy a *lot* of stuff on eBay - I
use Buy It Now. Only truly rare and/or collectable stuff is worth bidding
on. For everyday stuff - batteries, DVDs, RAM, hard drives, books, stereo
equipment - BIN is the only way to go.

Mike

eBay question
 

Well according to E-Bay to be quoted below -- it gets some people in the
bidding that would normally be put off by a high starting price. And
protects the seller from having to sell at too low a price if they start
with an attractive opening bid

Sez E-Bay
--------------------------------------------------
Reserve Price

Don't want to sell your item below a certain price? Set a reserve price!
A reserve price is a tool sellers can use to stimulate bidding on their
auction-style item while reserving the right not to sell below a price they
have in mind.

Many sellers have found that too high a starting price discourages interest
in their item, while an attractively low starting price makes them
vulnerable to selling at an unsatisfactorily low price. A reserve price
helps with this.

How does it work?

A reserve price is the lowest price at which you are willing to sell your
item. If a bidder does not meet that price, you're not obligated to sell
your item. You set your reserve price, as well as a starting price, when you
list your item.

The reserve price is not disclosed to bidders, but they will be told that
your auction has a reserve price and whether or not the reserve has been
met.

All Reserve Price Auctions are subject to a Reserve Price Auction Fee that
is refunded when you successfully complete your auction on eBay. If your
item does not sell, this fee is not refunded.

Leave the reserve price field blank if you don't want to use a reserve
price.

You may lower your reserve price after you receive bids on the item.

Restrictions: Reserve Price Auctions are not available for Multiple Item
Auctions (Dutch Auctions).

---------------------------------------------------------------------

I think its a dumb idea -- but maybe I don't understand all I know about
auctions (:-).I never use it when selling. And as a buyer, I'm put off when
I see a reserve.

-------------------------------

CL

"Unrevealed Source" wrote in message
...
I think it's fair to say that most people here are fairly savvy when it
comes to eBay buying/selling, so let me throw out this question: What is
the value of keeping a reserve price secret?

When there's a radio I'm interested in that has a reserve, I always ask
the seller what that reserve is. That way I know whether or not I'd be
wasting my time watching it, and it may make a difference in how much I
bid. So if, for example, you see a $400-450 radio but the guy says his
reserve is $800, you don't waste your time. And likewise if he says his
reserve is $425, you might bid the $425 even if $375 would make you the
high bidder, so that you actually get the item instead of "Reserve not
met" being the result. If you know the reserve you can make the
decision.

However, many sellers reply that they don't reveal their reserve. What's
the point? Isn't the reserve just another way of saying "This item is up
for auction to the highest bidder, but here is the least I'll take for
it"? What am I missing?

Jeff

eBay question
 

On Jan 31, 8:53 pm, "Mike" wrote:
Frankly, 99% of stuff I buy on eBay - and I buy a *lot* of stuff on eBay - I
use Buy It Now. Only truly rare and/or collectable stuff is worth bidding
on. For everyday stuff - batteries, DVDs, RAM, hard drives, books, stereo
equipment - BIN is the only way to go.

Mike

Bull****. There are tens of thousands of "everyday stuff" that can be,
and are, purchased for a fraction of the Buy It Now price. Is there
anything you aren't an AUTHORITY on asshole? Probably from TexAss.

eBay question
 

Everybody's got their own opinion of these reserve priced auctions, and
are entitled to it. Me? If there is an unrevealed reserve, I do not bid.
Why waste my time, if the proxi bids do not go up to the reserve you
don't get the item even if your max bid is above the reserve. Stupid
system in my opinion. Anyone else noticed that the people that use it
are usually the folks that are too lazy to produce a bid generating listing?

eBay question
 

"lsmyer" wrote in message
...
When I sell a radio on eBay, I start the bidding at 1 cent with no
reserve. My auctions always do extremely well. I've sold many radios for
more than I paid for them. The reason it works is that people are greedy.
They smell a bargain and want a piece of what I have. By setting the
bidding low, more people can afford to participate in my auctions. When
you place a bid, you become an owner of that item. And once you become an
owner, then you start becoming protective of your property. That's when
bidding frenzies happen, and that's where I the seller make a lot of
money.

I suspect this will work most of the time, but on occasion (for whatever
reason), folks are not bidding (income tax time?) and an item sells for so
low, that it is virtually given away.

I suspect that is the reason some sellers have an outrageous shipping cost.
Man is that a put off for me. Caveat Emptor sez I.

CL

eBay question
 

wrote in message
oups.com...
On Jan 31, 8:53 pm, "Mike" wrote:
Frankly, 99% of stuff I buy on eBay - and I buy a *lot* of stuff on
eBay - I
use Buy It Now. Only truly rare and/or collectable stuff is worth
bidding
on. For everyday stuff - batteries, DVDs, RAM, hard drives, books,
stereo
equipment - BIN is the only way to go.

Mike

Bull****. There are tens of thousands of "everyday stuff" that can be,
and are, purchased for a fraction of the Buy It Now price. Is there
anything you aren't an AUTHORITY on asshole? Probably from TexAss.

I am sorry if the only thing YOU are an authority on is big dicks up your
asswideopen.

Mike

eBay question
 

"lsmyer" wrote in message
...
When I sell a radio on eBay, I start the bidding at 1 cent with no
reserve. My auctions always do extremely well. I've sold many radios for
more than I paid for them. The reason it works is that people are greedy.
They smell a bargain and want a piece of what I have. By setting the
bidding low, more people can afford to participate in my auctions. When
you place a bid, you become an owner of that item. And once you become an
owner, then you start becoming protective of your property. That's when
bidding frenzies happen, and that's where I the seller make a lot of
money.

Caveat Lector wrote:

I suspect this will work most of the time, but on occasion (for whatever
reason), folks are not bidding (income tax time?) and an item sells for so
low, that it is virtually given away.

I suspect that is the reason some sellers have an outrageous shipping cost.
Man is that a put off for me. Caveat Emptor sez I.

Possibly, although I think it's -much- more likely that they would use a
reserve; a reserve protects the seller from getting taken to the
cleaners as in your example above AND does not scare off potential
buyers with an outrageous shipping cost.

I'm not sure why some people have such a hard-on against reserves. Let
me explain...

If you were selling something at a real, in-person swap fest, say you
were asking a 100 bucks for your item. Furthermore, you would probably
be willing to let them dicker you down to, oh, $95 or even $90.

However, in the back of your mind, -known only to you-, the *absolute
minimum* price you would take (to keep from having to haul your item
back home) is $85. This $85 price in the back of your mind is *exactly*
the same as an eBay reserve; nothing sinister about it, no plot, just a
"safety net" to protect you, the seller, from having to sell at a
give-away price.

As to why people keep the reserve a "secret" is obvious--why tip your
hand by telling the absolute, rock-bottom price you would accept? It is
an auction, after all.

eBay question
 

On Jan 31, 9:21 pm, "Unrevealed Source"
wrote:
I think it's fair to say that most people here are fairly savvy when it
comes to eBay buying/selling, so let me throw out this question: What is
the value of keeping a reserve price secret?

When there's a radio I'm interested in that has a reserve, I always ask the
seller what that reserve is. That way I know whether or not I'd be wasting
my time watching it, and it may make a difference in how much I bid. So if,
for example, you see a $400-450 radio but the guy says his reserve is $800,
you don't waste your time. And likewise if he says his reserve is $425, you
might bid the $425 even if $375 would make you the high bidder, so that you
actually get the item instead of "Reserve not met" being the result. If
you know the reserve you can make the decision.

However, many sellers reply that they don't reveal their reserve. What's
the point? Isn't the reserve just another way of saying "This item is up
for auction to the highest bidder, but here is the least I'll take for it"?
What am I missing?

Jeff


Who cares what the reserve is - it is irrelevant to what you should
bid. You should know the value of the radio and what you maximum
price is. If you are interested in the item just bid your maximum and
get on with life. The proxy bidding system will bid yours and
everyone elses bid up. And I guaranteee you that the the person who
wants the radio the most will win because they will be the high
bidder.

eBay question
 

"Roadie" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Jan 31, 9:21 pm, "Unrevealed Source"
wrote:
I think it's fair to say that most people here are fairly savvy when it
comes to eBay buying/selling, so let me throw out this question: What is
the value of keeping a reserve price secret?

When there's a radio I'm interested in that has a reserve, I always ask
the
seller what that reserve is. That way I know whether or not I'd be
wasting
my time watching it, and it may make a difference in how much I bid. So
if,
for example, you see a $400-450 radio but the guy says his reserve is
$800,
you don't waste your time. And likewise if he says his reserve is $425,
you
might bid the $425 even if $375 would make you the high bidder, so that
you
actually get the item instead of "Reserve not met" being the result. If
you know the reserve you can make the decision.

However, many sellers reply that they don't reveal their reserve.
What's
the point? Isn't the reserve just another way of saying "This item is up
for auction to the highest bidder, but here is the least I'll take for
it"?
What am I missing?

Jeff


Who cares what the reserve is - it is irrelevant to what you should
bid. You should know the value of the radio and what you maximum
price is. If you are interested in the item just bid your maximum and
get on with life. The proxy bidding system will bid yours and
everyone elses bid up. And I guaranteee you that the the person who
wants the radio the most will win because they will be the high
bidder.


Totally Agree with Roadie

CL

eBay question
 

You're mostly correct, but it's not quite that simple.

Say you've got a radio for sale and you set a reasonable reserve to protect
your investment. In other words, below a certain price you're willing to
keep it and try again another day. Let's say that reserve is $200, and
let's also say that it's worth that, maybe more (your reserve is
reasonable).

For whatever reason (time of year, other listings of the same radio running
concurrently, whatever) interest is lower than expected and no one has yet
met your reserve. I come along and snipe it, and as the high bidder at $190
I have "won" the radio. However, I haven't met your reserve so no
transaction takes place. Everyone's time is wasted.

BUT, if I email you and ask "What's your reserve" and you tell me, I would
probably bump my bid to $200 just to guarantee that if I am the high bidder
that I will actually get it. Why wouldn't you tell me your reserve? It's
kind of self-defeating to keep it a secret.



"Roadie" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Jan 31, 9:21 pm, "Unrevealed Source"
wrote:
I think it's fair to say that most people here are fairly savvy when it
comes to eBay buying/selling, so let me throw out this question: What is
the value of keeping a reserve price secret?

When there's a radio I'm interested in that has a reserve, I always ask
the
seller what that reserve is. That way I know whether or not I'd be
wasting
my time watching it, and it may make a difference in how much I bid. So
if,
for example, you see a $400-450 radio but the guy says his reserve is
$800,
you don't waste your time. And likewise if he says his reserve is $425,
you
might bid the $425 even if $375 would make you the high bidder, so that
you
actually get the item instead of "Reserve not met" being the result. If
you know the reserve you can make the decision.

However, many sellers reply that they don't reveal their reserve.
What's
the point? Isn't the reserve just another way of saying "This item is up
for auction to the highest bidder, but here is the least I'll take for
it"?
What am I missing?

Jeff


Who cares what the reserve is - it is irrelevant to what you should
bid. You should know the value of the radio and what you maximum
price is. If you are interested in the item just bid your maximum and
get on with life. The proxy bidding system will bid yours and
everyone elses bid up. And I guaranteee you that the the person who
wants the radio the most will win because they will be the high
bidder.

eBay question
 

BUT, if I email you and ask "What's your reserve" and you tell me, I would
probably bump my bid to $200 just to guarantee that if I am the high
bidder that I will actually get it. Why wouldn't you tell me your
reserve? It's kind of self-defeating to keep it a secret.

Exactly why I won't bid at all if someone won't tell me a reserve... F 'em
if they wanna do mind games.

Rich

eBay question
 

Unrevealed Source wrote:

BUT, if I email you and ask "What's your reserve" and you tell me, I
would probably bump my bid to $200 just to guarantee that if I am the
high bidder that I will actually get it. Why wouldn't you tell me
your reserve? It's kind of self-defeating to keep it a secret.

Let me re-iterate a portion of my previous (and please note the last
paragraph):

I'm not sure why some people have such a hard-on against reserves.
Let me explain...

If you were selling something at a real, in-person swap fest, say you
were asking a 100 bucks for your item. Furthermore, you would
probably be willing to let them dicker you down to, oh, $95 or even
$90.

However, in the back of your mind, -known only to you-, the *absolute
minimum* price you would take (to keep from having to haul your item
back home) is $85. This $85 price in the back of your mind is
*exactly* the same as an eBay reserve; nothing sinister about it, no
plot, just a "safety net" to protect you, the seller, from having to
sell at a give-away price.

As to why people keep the reserve a "secret" is obvious--why tip your
hand by telling the absolute, rock-bottom price you would accept? It
is an auction, after all.

In your example above, your $200 wouldn't necessarily "guarantee that
you will actually win". Bidding -could- continue higher, depending on
the day of the week, the phase of the moon or whatever.

Looks like this "reserve" debate is like the Iraq war debate: no matter
what side you support, you are right!

eBay question
 

I agree - I don't bother bidding either against a "secret" reserve. But my
original question was WHY people sometimes don't reveal it.

"Dorpmuller" wrote in message
. ..
BUT, if I email you and ask "What's your reserve" and you tell me, I
would probably bump my bid to $200 just to guarantee that if I am the
high bidder that I will actually get it. Why wouldn't you tell me your
reserve? It's kind of self-defeating to keep it a secret.

Exactly why I won't bid at all if someone won't tell me a reserve... F 'em
if they wanna do mind games.

Rich

eBay question
 

On Feb 1, 8:30 pm, "Unrevealed Source"
wrote:
You're mostly correct, but it's not quite that simple.

Say you've got a radio for sale and you set a reasonable reserve to protect
your investment. In other words, below a certain price you're willing to
keep it and try again another day. Let's say that reserve is $200, and
let's also say that it's worth that, maybe more (your reserve is
reasonable).

For whatever reason (time of year, other listings of the same radio running
concurrently, whatever) interest is lower than expected and no one has yet
met your reserve. I come along and snipe it, and as the high bidder at $190
I have "won" the radio.

You have not won the auction nor the radio. If you did not meet the
reserve price you won nothing other than a gold star for your effort.

However, I haven't met your reserve so no
transaction takes place. Everyone's time is wasted.

You did not have sufficient interest in the radio to put in a winning
bid. If you wanted the radio you should have bid the maximum you
would pay and let the proxy system take care of incremental bids for
you. If you feel that placing bids is a waste of your time then you
should find some other form of entertainment.

Maybe the simplicity of proxy bidding makes it difficult to
understand. Lets say you see a Sony CRF320 with an undisclosed
reserve and you would pay no more than $200.00 Simply enter $200.00.
If you are the first bidder and your bid exceeds the reserve your bid
will be taken to the reserve and will not be increased until someone
else comes along with a higher bid. If the reserve is higher than
your bid then your bid will be no more than the minimum amount or your
maximmum bid depending on whhat other bidders do. Proxy bidding is
nothing more than an efficient way to make incremental bids.

For proxy bidding to work the buyer has to know what an item is worth
and what he is willing to pay for it.



BUT, if I email you and ask "What's your reserve" and you tell me, I would
probably bump my bid to $200 just to guarantee that if I am the high bidder
that I will actually get it. Why wouldn't you tell me your reserve? It's
kind of self-defeating to keep it a secret.

There is nothing self defeating about a seller placing a reserve. The
seller is simply protecting his interests under the Ebay rules. And he
knows if he starts out with a low opening bid and a reserve it will
atttract a lot more bidding attention and possibly entice someone to
spend more than they would otherwise because they catch auction
fever. Proxy bidding allows the bidder to place one bid and not get
caught up in key pounding rounds of last minute sniping that will
likely result in someone paying more than they should.

If you as a potential buyer don't like bidding on reserve auctions
then I suggest that you look for ones where there is no reserve.


"Roadie" wrote in message

oups.com...



On Jan 31, 9:21 pm, "Unrevealed Source"
wrote:
I think it's fair to say that most people here are fairly savvy when it
comes to eBay buying/selling, so let me throw out this question: What is
the value of keeping a reserve price secret?

When there's a radio I'm interested in that has a reserve, I always ask
the
seller what that reserve is. That way I know whether or not I'd be
wasting
my time watching it, and it may make a difference in how much I bid. So
if,
for example, you see a $400-450 radio but the guy says his reserve is
$800,
you don't waste your time. And likewise if he says his reserve is $425,
you
might bid the $425 even if $375 would make you the high bidder, so that
you
actually get the item instead of "Reserve not met" being the result. If
you know the reserve you can make the decision.

However, many sellers reply that they don't reveal their reserve.
What's
the point? Isn't the reserve just another way of saying "This item is up
for auction to the highest bidder, but here is the least I'll take for
it"?
What am I missing?

Jeff

Who cares what the reserve is - it is irrelevant to what you should
bid. You should know the value of the radio and what you maximum
price is. If you are interested in the item just bid your maximum and
get on with life. The proxy bidding system will bid yours and
everyone elses bid up. And I guaranteee you that the the person who
wants the radio the most will win because they will be the high
bidder.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

eBay question
 

Incorrect. In order to win some (not all) auctions and also keep the
winning bid to a minimum, you must snipe. The simple-minded "just place
your highest bid and forget about it" is for amateurs or people that don't
care if they win or not.


"Roadie" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Feb 1, 8:30 pm, "Unrevealed Source"
wrote:
You're mostly correct, but it's not quite that simple.

Say you've got a radio for sale and you set a reasonable reserve to
protect
your investment. In other words, below a certain price you're willing to
keep it and try again another day. Let's say that reserve is $200, and
let's also say that it's worth that, maybe more (your reserve is
reasonable).

For whatever reason (time of year, other listings of the same radio
running
concurrently, whatever) interest is lower than expected and no one has
yet
met your reserve. I come along and snipe it, and as the high bidder at
$190
I have "won" the radio.

You have not won the auction nor the radio. If you did not meet the
reserve price you won nothing other than a gold star for your effort.

However, I haven't met your reserve so no
transaction takes place. Everyone's time is wasted.

You did not have sufficient interest in the radio to put in a winning
bid. If you wanted the radio you should have bid the maximum you
would pay and let the proxy system take care of incremental bids for
you. If you feel that placing bids is a waste of your time then you
should find some other form of entertainment.

Maybe the simplicity of proxy bidding makes it difficult to
understand. Lets say you see a Sony CRF320 with an undisclosed
reserve and you would pay no more than $200.00 Simply enter $200.00.
If you are the first bidder and your bid exceeds the reserve your bid
will be taken to the reserve and will not be increased until someone
else comes along with a higher bid. If the reserve is higher than
your bid then your bid will be no more than the minimum amount or your
maximmum bid depending on whhat other bidders do. Proxy bidding is
nothing more than an efficient way to make incremental bids.

For proxy bidding to work the buyer has to know what an item is worth
and what he is willing to pay for it.



BUT, if I email you and ask "What's your reserve" and you tell me, I
would
probably bump my bid to $200 just to guarantee that if I am the high
bidder
that I will actually get it. Why wouldn't you tell me your reserve?
It's
kind of self-defeating to keep it a secret.

There is nothing self defeating about a seller placing a reserve. The
seller is simply protecting his interests under the Ebay rules. And he
knows if he starts out with a low opening bid and a reserve it will
atttract a lot more bidding attention and possibly entice someone to
spend more than they would otherwise because they catch auction
fever. Proxy bidding allows the bidder to place one bid and not get
caught up in key pounding rounds of last minute sniping that will
likely result in someone paying more than they should.

If you as a potential buyer don't like bidding on reserve auctions
then I suggest that you look for ones where there is no reserve.


"Roadie" wrote in message

oups.com...



On Jan 31, 9:21 pm, "Unrevealed Source"
wrote:
I think it's fair to say that most people here are fairly savvy when
it
comes to eBay buying/selling, so let me throw out this question: What
is
the value of keeping a reserve price secret?

When there's a radio I'm interested in that has a reserve, I always
ask
the
seller what that reserve is. That way I know whether or not I'd be
wasting
my time watching it, and it may make a difference in how much I bid.
So
if,
for example, you see a $400-450 radio but the guy says his reserve is
$800,
you don't waste your time. And likewise if he says his reserve is
$425,
you
might bid the $425 even if $375 would make you the high bidder, so
that
you
actually get the item instead of "Reserve not met" being the result.
If
you know the reserve you can make the decision.

However, many sellers reply that they don't reveal their reserve.
What's
the point? Isn't the reserve just another way of saying "This item is
up
for auction to the highest bidder, but here is the least I'll take for
it"?
What am I missing?

Jeff

Who cares what the reserve is - it is irrelevant to what you should
bid. You should know the value of the radio and what you maximum
price is. If you are interested in the item just bid your maximum and
get on with life. The proxy bidding system will bid yours and
everyone elses bid up. And I guaranteee you that the the person who
wants the radio the most will win because they will be the high
bidder.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

eBay question
 

You are giving the perfect description of someone who really doesn't
know or care to know what the value of an item is. That person wants
that radio and will snipe to get it. He is a seller dream cause he
will come in with a premptive bid 10 secods before the auction close.
Heart pounding, hands sweating he bangs the enter key at the last
possible second so that he and he alone willl get that radio and the
price is secondary.

On Feb 2, 6:24 pm, "Unrevealed Source"
wrote:
Incorrect. In order to win some (not all) auctions and also keep the
winning bid to a minimum, you must snipe. The simple-minded "just place
your highest bid and forget about it" is for amateurs or people that don't
care if they win or not.

"Roadie" wrote in message

ups.com...



On Feb 1, 8:30 pm, "Unrevealed Source"
wrote:
You're mostly correct, but it's not quite that simple.

Say you've got a radio for sale and you set a reasonable reserve to
protect
your investment. In other words, below a certain price you're willing to
keep it and try again another day. Let's say that reserve is $200, and
let's also say that it's worth that, maybe more (your reserve is
reasonable).

For whatever reason (time of year, other listings of the same radio
running
concurrently, whatever) interest is lower than expected and no one has
yet
met your reserve. I come along and snipe it, and as the high bidder at
$190
I have "won" the radio.

You have not won the auction nor the radio. If you did not meet the
reserve price you won nothing other than a gold star for your effort.

However, I haven't met your reserve so no
transaction takes place. Everyone's time is wasted.

You did not have sufficient interest in the radio to put in a winning
bid. If you wanted the radio you should have bid the maximum you
would pay and let the proxy system take care of incremental bids for
you. If you feel that placing bids is a waste of your time then you
should find some other form of entertainment.

Maybe the simplicity of proxy bidding makes it difficult to
understand. Lets say you see a Sony CRF320 with an undisclosed
reserve and you would pay no more than $200.00 Simply enter $200.00.
If you are the first bidder and your bid exceeds the reserve your bid
will be taken to the reserve and will not be increased until someone
else comes along with a higher bid. If the reserve is higher than
your bid then your bid will be no more than the minimum amount or your
maximmum bid depending on whhat other bidders do. Proxy bidding is
nothing more than an efficient way to make incremental bids.

For proxy bidding to work the buyer has to know what an item is worth
and what he is willing to pay for it.

BUT, if I email you and ask "What's your reserve" and you tell me, I
would
probably bump my bid to $200 just to guarantee that if I am the high
bidder
that I will actually get it. Why wouldn't you tell me your reserve?
It's
kind of self-defeating to keep it a secret.

There is nothing self defeating about a seller placing a reserve. The
seller is simply protecting his interests under the Ebay rules. And he
knows if he starts out with a low opening bid and a reserve it will
atttract a lot more bidding attention and possibly entice someone to
spend more than they would otherwise because they catch auction
fever. Proxy bidding allows the bidder to place one bid and not get
caught up in key pounding rounds of last minute sniping that will
likely result in someone paying more than they should.

If you as a potential buyer don't like bidding on reserve auctions
then I suggest that you look for ones where there is no reserve.

"Roadie" wrote in message

groups.com...

On Jan 31, 9:21 pm, "Unrevealed Source"
wrote:
I think it's fair to say that most people here are fairly savvy when
it
comes to eBay buying/selling, so let me throw out this question: What
is
the value of keeping a reserve price secret?

When there's a radio I'm interested in that has a reserve, I always
ask
the
seller what that reserve is. That way I know whether or not I'd be
wasting
my time watching it, and it may make a difference in how much I bid.
So
if,
for example, you see a $400-450 radio but the guy says his reserve is
$800,
you don't waste your time. And likewise if he says his reserve is
$425,
you
might bid the $425 even if $375 would make you the high bidder, so
that
you
actually get the item instead of "Reserve not met" being the result.
If
you know the reserve you can make the decision.

However, many sellers reply that they don't reveal their reserve.
What's
the point? Isn't the reserve just another way of saying "This item is
up
for auction to the highest bidder, but here is the least I'll take for
it"?
What am I missing?

Jeff

Who cares what the reserve is - it is irrelevant to what you should
bid. You should know the value of the radio and what you maximum
price is. If you are interested in the item just bid your maximum and
get on with life. The proxy bidding system will bid yours and
everyone elses bid up. And I guaranteee you that the the person who
wants the radio the most will win because they will be the high
bidder.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

eBay question
 

Roadie wrote:
You are giving the perfect description of someone who really doesn't
know or care to know what the value of an item is. That person wants
that radio and will snipe to get it. He is a seller dream cause he
will come in with a premptive bid 10 secods before the auction
close. Heart pounding, hands sweating he bangs the enter key at the
last possible second so that he and he alone willl get that radio and
the price is secondary.

You say that like it's a bad thing.

To quote you:

That person wants that radio and will snipe to get it.

So why not? He wants it, he likes having it delivered to his front door,
it's worth it to him. If YOU want it badly enough, feel free to snipe,
bid high, whatever.

eBay prices are like water. They seek their own level. Nobody puts a gun
to anyone's head to force them to bid...

P.S.
Furthermore you say:

so that he and he alone willl get that radio

He and he alone? You and you alone? I miss your point. There is only one
item so, yes, only -one- person will get it.

Again folks, this is an *AUCTION*, not Wal-Mart. *High* bidder wins.
What else would you expect of an auction?

eBay question
 

On Feb 2, 7:55 pm, "Brenda Ann" wrote:
"Roadie" wrote in message

oups.com...

You are giving the perfect description of someone who really doesn't
know or care to know what the value of an item is.

Value is subjective. It is based almost solely upon a persons desire to
have the item. For instance, a specific bit of origami is made from less
than a penny's worth of paper. However, if a person wants that bit of
origami very badly, they may wish to bid hundreds of dollars to get it. This
is that bit's value to that person, whereas to me it may not be worth as
much as the paper it was made from.

"True Market Value" is an artificial construct.

Well, sure you and I likely value items differently. But the point
remains that some of us know the value we assign to an item and others
do not. Those that snipe and otherwise get caught up in auction fever
bidding are more focused on getting the item than they are on what it
is worth.

eBay question
 

On Feb 2, 8:07 pm, Carter-k8vt wrote:
Roadie wrote:
You are giving the perfect description of someone who really doesn't
know or care to know what the value of an item is. That person wants
that radio and will snipe to get it. He is a seller dream cause he
will come in with a premptive bid 10 secods before the auction
close. Heart pounding, hands sweating he bangs the enter key at the
last possible second so that he and he alone willl get that radio and
the price is secondary.

You say that like it's a bad thing.

If snipers are concerned more about winning the auction than they are
about the price they paid, that's ok as long as they acknowlege it.
But for them to say they have found some secret strategy for
minimizing their costs and at the same time winning auctions by
sniping is largely self-delusional.



To quote you:

That person wants that radio and will snipe to get it.

So why not? He wants it, he likes having it delivered to his front door,
it's worth it to him. If YOU want it badly enough, feel free to snipe,
bid high, whatever.

And that's ok as long as the individual realizes that he is probably
spending a lot more money than he would have had he applied a little
self discipline by setting and sticking to an established price and
not getting caught up in auction fever.


eBay prices are like water. They seek their own level. Nobody puts a gun
to anyone's head to force them to bid...

P.S.
Furthermore you say:

so that he and he alone willl get that radio

He and he alone? You and you alone? I miss your point. There is only one
item so, yes, only -one- person will get it.

That is a point that some of us seem to forget. It really does not
matter when you enter your bid. It only matters that yours is the
highest entered before the auction closes. Period.


Again folks, this is an *AUCTION*, not Wal-Mart. *High* bidder wins.
What else would you expect of an auction?

eBay question
 

Roadie, you don't understand how eBay works. Sniping is a valid technique
that a lot of people use. If it didn't work, people wouldn't do it and
there wouldn't be third-party services that offer to do it for you.

Simply "bid your maximum and forget about it" is for beginners, amateurs, or
people that don't really care if they win an auction. If you truly want to
win an item at the lowest possible price, you must incorporate sniping into
your total strategy. Period.


"Roadie" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Feb 2, 8:07 pm, Carter-k8vt wrote:
Roadie wrote:
You are giving the perfect description of someone who really doesn't
know or care to know what the value of an item is. That person wants
that radio and will snipe to get it. He is a seller dream cause he
will come in with a premptive bid 10 secods before the auction
close. Heart pounding, hands sweating he bangs the enter key at the
last possible second so that he and he alone willl get that radio and
the price is secondary.

You say that like it's a bad thing.

If snipers are concerned more about winning the auction than they are
about the price they paid, that's ok as long as they acknowlege it.
But for them to say they have found some secret strategy for
minimizing their costs and at the same time winning auctions by
sniping is largely self-delusional.



To quote you:

That person wants that radio and will snipe to get it.

So why not? He wants it, he likes having it delivered to his front door,
it's worth it to him. If YOU want it badly enough, feel free to snipe,
bid high, whatever.

And that's ok as long as the individual realizes that he is probably
spending a lot more money than he would have had he applied a little
self discipline by setting and sticking to an established price and
not getting caught up in auction fever.


eBay prices are like water. They seek their own level. Nobody puts a gun
to anyone's head to force them to bid...

P.S.
Furthermore you say:

so that he and he alone willl get that radio

He and he alone? You and you alone? I miss your point. There is only one
item so, yes, only -one- person will get it.

That is a point that some of us seem to forget. It really does not
matter when you enter your bid. It only matters that yours is the
highest entered before the auction closes. Period.


Again folks, this is an *AUCTION*, not Wal-Mart. *High* bidder wins.
What else would you expect of an auction?

eBay question
 

On 3 Feb 2007 09:00:00 -0800, "Roadie" wrote:

On Feb 2, 7:55 pm, "Brenda Ann" wrote:
"Roadie" wrote in message

oups.com...

You are giving the perfect description of someone who really doesn't
know or care to know what the value of an item is.

Value is subjective. It is based almost solely upon a persons desire to
have the item. For instance, a specific bit of origami is made from less
than a penny's worth of paper. However, if a person wants that bit of
origami very badly, they may wish to bid hundreds of dollars to get it. This
is that bit's value to that person, whereas to me it may not be worth as
much as the paper it was made from.

"True Market Value" is an artificial construct.

Well, sure you and I likely value items differently. But the point
remains that some of us know the value we assign to an item and others
do not. Those that snipe and otherwise get caught up in auction fever
bidding are more focused on getting the item than they are on what it
is worth.

It is not a truism that sniping implies "getting caught up in auction
fever". I approach eBay, as I do antiquing, as "last chance shopping."
If there is a item for bid that I want, it is because I can't just run
down to the local mall and buy it. Manufacturers seem to be in love
with change for change sake, not necessarily for true improvement.

eBay presents occasional products that I know to be truly worthwhile.
Monitoring an auction without advertising my participation as a
bidding competitor allows me to make a last minute determination to
outbid what I think any snipers out there are likely to bid in the
final moments. If bidding exceeds my limit, so what, I'll wait for
another auction. (I'm successful about 80% of the time with a sale
price I'm truly happy with.)

eBay question
 

On Feb 3, 7:45 pm, Michelle wrote:
On 3 Feb 2007 09:00:00 -0800, "Roadie" wrote:





On Feb 2, 7:55 pm, "Brenda Ann" wrote:
"Roadie" wrote in message

groups.com...

You are giving the perfect description of someone who really doesn't
know or care to know what the value of an item is.

Value is subjective. It is based almost solely upon a persons desire to
have the item. For instance, a specific bit of origami is made from less
than a penny's worth of paper. However, if a person wants that bit of
origami very badly, they may wish to bid hundreds of dollars to get it. This
is that bit's value to that person, whereas to me it may not be worth as
much as the paper it was made from.

"True Market Value" is an artificial construct.

Well, sure you and I likely value items differently. But the point
remains that some of us know the value we assign to an item and others
do not. Those that snipe and otherwise get caught up in auction fever
bidding are more focused on getting the item than they are on what it
is worth.

It is not a truism that sniping implies "getting caught up in auction
fever". I approach eBay, as I do antiquing, as "last chance shopping."
If there is a item for bid that I want, it is because I can't just run
down to the local mall and buy it. Manufacturers seem to be in love
with change for change sake, not necessarily for true improvement.

eBay presents occasional products that I know to be truly worthwhile.
Monitoring an auction without advertising my participation as a
bidding competitor allows me to make a last minute determination to
outbid what I think any snipers out there are likely to bid in the
final moments. If bidding exceeds my limit, so what, I'll wait for
another auction.



The bidding may exceed your limit no matter when you enter your bid.
If you know that your are willing to pay no more than $100.00 for an
item you could enter your bid at the first day or at the last minute.
It makes no difference to the outcome. Ebay will always award the
item to the highest bidder. It's that simple.

(I'm successful about 80% of the time with a sale
price I'm truly happy with.)- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

eBay question
 

On Feb 3, 4:54 pm, "Unrevealed Source"
wrote:
Roadie, you don't understand how eBay works. Sniping is a valid technique
that a lot of people use. If it didn't work, people wouldn't do it and
there wouldn't be third-party services that offer to do it for you.

Yes, and scads of people believe and buy purportedly foolproof
programs to beat the stockmarket and invest in real estate too.
Unfortunately the person who makes the money is the guy selling the
service. As with sniping software.



Ebay works as follows:

1. Sellers offer items for sale and sometimes they have an
established reserve.

2. Buyers make offers to purchase.

3. Ebay concludes the auction at a given time and ALWAYS awards the
auction to the person with the highest bid.

The high bidder may enter his bid on the first minute of the first day
on on the last minute of the last day. It makes no difference to the
outcome. If your bid is the highest you will win. Holding a bid
until the end will have no effect on who wins because the winner is
always determined by price.



Simply "bid your maximum and forget about it" is for beginners, amateurs, or
people that don't really care if they win an auction. If you truly want to
win an item at the lowest possible price, you must incorporate sniping into
your total strategy. Period.

"Roadie" wrote in message

ups.com...



On Feb 2, 8:07 pm, Carter-k8vt wrote:
Roadie wrote:
You are giving the perfect description of someone who really doesn't
know or care to know what the value of an item is. That person wants
that radio and will snipe to get it. He is a seller dream cause he
will come in with a premptive bid 10 secods before the auction
close. Heart pounding, hands sweating he bangs the enter key at the
last possible second so that he and he alone willl get that radio and
the price is secondary.

You say that like it's a bad thing.

If snipers are concerned more about winning the auction than they are
about the price they paid, that's ok as long as they acknowlege it.
But for them to say they have found some secret strategy for
minimizing their costs and at the same time winning auctions by
sniping is largely self-delusional.

To quote you:

That person wants that radio and will snipe to get it.

So why not? He wants it, he likes having it delivered to his front door,
it's worth it to him. If YOU want it badly enough, feel free to snipe,
bid high, whatever.

And that's ok as long as the individual realizes that he is probably
spending a lot more money than he would have had he applied a little
self discipline by setting and sticking to an established price and
not getting caught up in auction fever.

eBay prices are like water. They seek their own level. Nobody puts a gun
to anyone's head to force them to bid...

P.S.
Furthermore you say:

so that he and he alone willl get that radio

He and he alone? You and you alone? I miss your point. There is only one
item so, yes, only -one- person will get it.

That is a point that some of us seem to forget. It really does not
matter when you enter your bid. It only matters that yours is the
highest entered before the auction closes. Period.

Again folks, this is an *AUCTION*, not Wal-Mart. *High* bidder wins.
What else would you expect of an auction?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -