I need to know...

brandk916 · **I need to know...**

How is the best way to bid? I just bought something for the second time last night on ebay. I thought you just go on and bid the most you would be willing to pay for an item. But a friend told me to wait until an item has only a minute left and then make my bid. Does it really make a difference? This stuff confuses me...

Missystuy · 10-03-2006, 10:39 AM

depends.... LOL

Its really a science, bidding, that is.

If its an item you really really want, and are willing to pay whatever it takes, then just go ahead and bid on it, put in your max bid and ebay will bid for you.

If its a 'hot' items and you don't want to drive up the price of something, then you wait till the end. its called sniping. I visit a website that will snipe an item for me in the last few seconds of the auction. You will find a lot of people doing this essp if its a HOT HTF item. The trick is to bid closest to the end so no one else will have time to outbid you.

brandk916 · 10-03-2006, 10:45 AM

So, it I put in the most I will pay too early, it drives up the price!? Who knew?! I don't know if I'll ever figure this stuff out. Thanks!

mommytosa · 10-03-2006, 02:55 PM

Yep!!! DH taught me how to snipe. It's really the only way we bid now. I get so frustrated when people get into a bidding war days before the auction is up and then it goes out of my price range. ALthough, Dh reminds me that I like that when I'm selling! LOL.

momma_bear · 10-03-2006, 03:20 PM

I like to bid at the end but sometimes I forget to bid and that is usually when it ends for less than I would have paid

I just tell myself I don't know the other persons reserve and maybe they would have outbid me anyway.

Cheesecake Lady · 10-03-2006, 03:22 PM

I have found that most people will bid using whole numbers ($20.00, $25.00 $30.00...) I generally put in a max bid where e-bay will keep putting in my bid using a penny above - that is how I have won all of my bids. ($20.01, $25.01...).

Missystuy · 10-03-2006, 03:29 PM

hehe yep! I do that too! I usually put in $20.56, LOL instead of whole #s. It really does work!

This is the site I use for snipe bidding. Http://www.auctionstealer.com

If you are comfortable with it, it is a secure site. You put in your ebay name and password, the auction # and how much you want to bid. That way, if you can't be there for the end of the auction, it will put in a snipe bid for you 10 seconds before the auction end.

emmakenzie · 10-03-2006, 03:42 PM

I find it better, personally, to go ahead and bid the most I'm willing to pay on an item right away. If I wait till the last minute, I sometimes get caught up in the "fight" for it and bid more than I would have! lol

Ev_Cal_n_Syds_Mommy · 10-03-2006, 05:36 PM

I don't see the point of bidding when the item has 6 days left. That's just me! If a person really wants it, then they are going to outbid you... Then you come back and bid! It just drives up the price.

I use auctionsniper.com and I have been very happy with it.

As far as what amount to bid, as a lot of others have said, bid .01 or .77, something along those lines!

I won Evan 3 huge lots, using 269.04 on one and then the other 2 were $101.78!

momma_bear · 10-03-2006, 05:43 PM

I do odd amounts too but never the same. I just randomly pick a number like 20.34 or 18.86. It does work sometimes