Any EBay bidders out there?

[Mercy]

I'm new to EBay, but there is a piece of art that I'm interested in. Right now I am the highest bidder, and I have put in the amount that I would bid to. How can I better my chances of winning. Any tips out there?

 

[wdwmom2]

I'm new to EBay, but there is a piece of art that I'm interested in. Right now I am the highest bidder, and I have put in the amount that I would bid to. How can I better my chances of winning. Any tips out there?

There is a place to enter your highest bid. Ebay will keep bidding automatically for you if someone outbids you. It will stop once it gets to your highest bid that you entered.

ETA: I think it ups your bid in $1.00 increments, but not sure.

 

[Mercy]

There is a place to enter your highest bid. Ebay will keep bidding automatically for you if someone outbids you. It will stop once it gets to your highest bid that you entered.

ETA: I think it ups your bid in $1.00 increments, but not sure.

I did put in my highest bid, but I wasn't even real sure how much to put in. Can I up the bid more if it goes past my highest bid?

 

[wdwmom2]

I did put in my highest bid, but I wasn't even real sure how much to put in. Can I up the bid more if it goes past my highest bid?

I'm not sure, as I have never used this feature. But I would think that just because it goes above your highest bid, you should still be able to bid.

 

[lynxstch]

Ebay can be very addicting....don't put in a bid any higher than you are willing to part with...a lot of people don't bid till the last few minutes, sometimes even seconds..so if you are really interested in the item..watch towards the end...but don't get into a bidding war unless you really want to win...you WILL have to pay or be penalized if you don't...even if you lose this auction..there will always be others that you are interested in...also...before you bid..do a little research..make sure the item is priced fairly..look up other similar auctions on ebay using the search feature..also check out the shipping costs..some are exhorbitant..also check out the seller's feedback..make sure they appear to be an honest seller who ships items out promptly..under the feedback..also check to see if they follow through when THEY themselves are a buyer..you can tell a lot about a seller that way
Ebay can be lots of fun...but can also be a big money drainer if you aren't careful..have fun...and GOOD LUCK!

Oh..forgot to add...you can increase your bid anytime up till the auction's end..but people get into bidding wars and end up spending more than they realized..so use caution!

 

[Toby'sFriend]

When does the auction end?

First - you need to decide what you are willing to pay. Auctions can really play on your emotions and if you get caught up in a bidding war, you'll find yourself wanting to win much more than you will find yourself wanting to get a deal. Don't get caught in that trap.

Second - I very rarely bid on an item before the auction ends. I wait until the last minute or so and put my price in. Bidding early attracts attention to the auctions - it is a "hey if somebody else wants that I guess I do to!" mentality.

Bidding in the last seconds is called sniping. I used to use this website to snipe for me, but they have really increased their prices since I originally joined so I don't use them anymore. But they do offer a free 3 week trial.
Use the activation code COOL. You put in the auction number, your max price, and it bids in the last seconds for you and then notifies you if you won. There is no need to sit at your computer and watch.

http://www.bidrobot.com/code.htm

 

[minniecarousel]

Yeah - you should get E-mails letting you know when you've been outbid. I always check just before the auction ends also. I wish I knew a trick to getting in the last bid!

 

[damo]

When the bidding gets down to one minute, I enter my maximum bid and sit back and watch. This way, you haven't pushed the price up prematurely and it only gives other bidders less than a minute to outbid you.

 

[wdwmom2]

Bidding in the last seconds is called sniping.

OMG, I never realized that I was an eBay sniper . I didn't even know that there was a word for it!!!!

 

[N.Bailey]

I bid on some items that I can take or leave early on. Sometimes I win, sometimes not, but it's no big deal either way.

When I really, really want something though, I NEVER place a bid until the last 5 to 10 seconds before the auction ends. I'm guilty, I'm the sniper that everyone hates (except the seller of course). What I do is, I open two browsers to the bidding page. I enter my bid amount in the 1st browser (the highest I'm willing to go)...and let me tell you, you need to decide what that amount is well before the auction ends. Do not allow other bidders to influence what you are willing to pay. You can search completed auctions to find out what other items have ended at if it's something that's readily available. So, you've got 2 browser pages open. I then go ahead and enter my amount in the one screen. I click bid on item, which I think brings you up to a spot to enter password and such. I get all the way to the last page where it says confirm bid and then I go back to the 1st browser page and keep hitting refresh. Once I get to like 30 seconds left or so (I have cable, so it refreshes faster, but I did it for years on dial-up too) I bring up the page to submit my bid and then I just count down from 30. When I hit like 8 seconds left or so, I hit the submit bid. Keep in mind, you'll not get a 2nd chance to bid, so make sure it's the absolute most you'd have bid. If you bid say $20.00 and the next lowest bid was $12.00, you'll win the bid at $13.00, not $20.00. If someone else wins though, you'll know you weren't willing to spend that much.

IMO, this is the ONLY way to really win on eBay because so many users do it. On other auction sites that I've seen, if you place a bid, the clock automatically adjusts to extend the auction by half an hour or so (time is just a guess because I can't remember exactly how much time it's extended). This keeps bidders from sniping.

 

[Texan Mouseketeer]

I'm a sniper, too! I always put what I want on my watch list and then wait until the very last minute. I also enter in my highest bid I am willing to pay. Luckily, my internet speed is really fast so I can wait until about 3 seconds left.

 

[N.Bailey]

I'm a sniper, too! I always put what I want on my watch list and then wait until the very last minute. I also enter in my highest bid I am willing to pay. Luckily, my internet speed is really fast so I can wait until about 3 seconds left.

I had a 1 second snipe once. I tried for a while to get it though!!! I was quite proud of myself, but I'm sure someone, somewhere was cursing my username!

 

[Chicago526]

I just put in the max I'm willing to pay at the time I decide I want the item. If I get it, fine. If not, it wasn't ment to be. But then I don't bid on collectables or hard-to-find items, either!

 

[Mercy]

Thanks for all the tips. Toby'sFriend... I checked out that site you posted also. I would like to win this auction, but I don't want to go crazy either with bidding more than I can afford!

 

[MidNite]

I know this is evil but I must confess I enjoy bidding auctions up on items that I sorta want. I rarely get bitten. I have once or twice. I'm so bad.

"Fine! You take it! But you're going to pay more for it!"