E-Bay question on bid history

[Ellester]

My DH has listed some guitar thingies on E-Bay. Right now there are two bids, but they are both for $20, placed by different members 4 days apart. What's up with that? The one who placed the bid first is listed with the current highest bid. DH has sold one thing before and there were several bids listed in a row by the same person, looking like they were outbidding themselves. Is that normal? He also answered a few questions that were asked, but those are not showing up on the listing page. It is too confusing to me. I think I'll stick to consignment and yard sales! But, I told him I would ask the experts on the DIS, that someone here would know the scoop. Thanks!

~Ellen

 

[Colinsmom]

Sometimes people go in and place multiple bids, seemingly against themselves. But it doesn't increase the top price, it just increases how high they are willing to go (someone needs to bid against them for the price to go up) through proxy bidding. In your DH's case, someone put in an early bid and someone came along later and bid the exact same maximum. In that case, the first person to bid a max of $20 should be the high bidder.

And in order for answers to show up on the listing, you have to check the box to display them on the listing when you send the answers.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Actually the answer is quite simple.

The item had a minimum bid set for a certain amount, obviously lower than $20.00 (for the sake of arguement, let's say it was set at $5.00). Bidder #1 makes a bid and is willing to go as high as $20.00. What show to everyone, including the bidder, is that a bid for $5.00 has been placed. The bidder, of course, sees that the current bid is $.500 but his top bd will be $20.00.

eBay says the next bid must be at least $5.50. Bidder #2 sees this and decides she is willing to go as high as $20.00, so she places her bid. At this point one of eBay's automatic bidding elves raises the Bidder #1 bid to the lower of what it takes to beat bidder #2's bid or Bidder #1's maximum.

In this caseboth will show as $20.00, but since Bidder #1 made a $20.00 bid before Bidder #2, this makes Bidder #1 high.

I hope this has not muddied the waters too much.

 

[Ellester]

Thanks! Both answers make perfect sense! I knew I could count on you guys!