Ebay question-sniping?

[txgirl]

Is that even the right word? I feel like a criminal asking this question but how does one go about "sniping". There is a costume on ebay that I desperately want for my daughter and there are only two being sold right now. It is the child's size Evil Queen from Snow White. My youngest daughter (with black hair and fair skin)fell in love with Snow White at Disney last month (along with her brother ) because everytime she saw her Snow White would say, "oh my you look just like me!" This was something we have been telling her since she was a little girl but I'm just thrilled they are willing to go the Disney route one more year for Halloween

Sooooo my oldest said she wants to go as the Evil Stepmother/Queen which will be so cool and her sister doesn't know it yet.

I bid once bit then let the other person go ahead and I am waiting it out. There is one day and 8 hours left until it closes. Any advice?

Oh yeah the second costume is bigger (but okay) and it has more days for bidding left than the first.

 

[1MegMeg]

Are you going to be home when the auction ends? If so, bid during the last 10-15 seconds (maybe a little longer if you are on dial-up/slow connection). Just decide the maximum amount you are willing to pay and put that price in. Don't bid anymore until the very very end, all you are doing is driving the price up.

I always bid/snipe at the very end and it works out great!

The costumes sound so cute!!

 

[welovedis]

If you can't be at your computer right when it ends, then try using an auction sniping software like Auction Sniper, EZ Sniper, Powersnipe or Bidnapper.

I sometimes bid my max up front, other times I wait until the auction ends and will bid within the last 12 seconds or so--yeah for DSL!

GL!

 

[fireman17]

Well, yes it is called sniping it can also be called hawked. Here is my secret, just watch the auction in the last ten minutes. Keep hitting your refresh icon to see if the bidding increases. You also have to ask yourself how much would you really want to spend on it. Now, when it gets to under 30 seconds or less place your highest bid you would pay for the item.
I know it sounds mean to do but, people have to remember it's an auction and whoever has the highest bid wins.
Good luck an happy bidding..

 

[Rowena]

Instead of hitting refresh, use ctrl f5 that way it goes back to the server and gets updated info from there.. (try it out even here first to check for time issues)

 

[tlbwriter]

I'm seldom willing/able to sit at my computer waiting for an auction to end, so I use Esnipe. It works fabulously. And since you put in your maximum bid when you set it up, it prevents you from bidding more than that in the heat of the moment.

 

[HayGan]

I've used www.auctionsniper.com in the past for a few auctions. It not only puts in your bid when you want it to (so you don't have to sit around and watch the auction) it also helps to keep you from going over your ceiling price (if you have one.) Oh, and the first 3 winning snipes are free so it won't cost you a thing

Good luck!

 

[kjh]

I love the excitement of sniping. While those site would help with those that close while I am away or forgetting about them I wouldn't want to use them for others that I can easily remember to watch. Nothing like a little eBay sniping to get my adrenaline rushing! Although I admit that I have increased my max bid amount a time or two.

I would try to refresh (or that ctrl f5? thing someone else posted) prior to trying to snipe. Go to an auction that lists the minutes and seconds til closing and refresh (don't forget to look at the current "seconds" and then the refreshed "seconds"). Based on how long your computer takes to refresh add a few seconds and put your bid in during that time. Another thing that helps is having more than one window open. Put your max bid amount and make like your going to put it through. Hit place bid once and then it take your to that review bid screen. Keep that window open (but don't submit your bid yet) and open another window with the auction on it. Track the auction using that window and when your time is right, then submit your bid on the previous open window. Might sound confusing but it works

 

[PrincessKitty]

I also use esnipe, have been using it for years, and love it!
http://www.esnipe.com

 

[Alice's Mom]

I have also found its helpful to put in an odd price at the end, most people will put their highest bid at say $30.00, if there is a first bidder with the same amount they will win, instead bid $30.56.

 

[heathriel]

I also use esnipe, have been since they started. They're great. One thing they're great with is that you can set up a bid group, so if there are more than one of the same item up for auction but you only want one, you can tell it to bid on them in order till it wins, then stop.

 

[seashoreCM]

If someone else is going to snipe (which you won[t find out about until it is too late) then sniping won't save you money and also won't better you chances of winning.

The only advantage to sniping is not havintg your name show up in the biddr=er's list making the item seem like nobody is interested.

Either you snipe with your best offer, in which case you have just as much chance of losing as you would with an ordinary bid, or you snipe higher than your best offer and possibly end up winning the item at a price more than you wanted to pay.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[tlbwriter]

Either you snipe with your best offer, in which case you have just as much chance of losing as you would with an ordinary bid, or you snipe higher than your best offer and possibly end up winning the item at a price more than you wanted to pay.

I disagree. I've sniped items when other bidders were willing to pay more, but they just weren't there to bid. If I had bid when it was convenient for me, they would have had time to counter. And I know they were willing to pay more because they e-mailed me and asked me if I would sell the item to them!

 

[welovedis]

I used to use esnipe, but my DH found some nasty bugs on my computer, wiped things clean, used esnipe & found them again. I've stopped using it and we are bug free around here, lol!

You just need to be careful of "atomic bids" with sniping software, as some people don't bother to bid their actual max bid, but put in a really high number, like $501.00. If another sniper does the same, you have a super-inflated end of auction price. Just another thing to watch out for.

 

[philaround]

I always use the max bid option. Let's say I see an item I am willing to pay $25.00 for but current bid is $10.00, I will bid enough to start with to put me on top and then enter my max bid at $25.00. If someone goes over my current bid my bid will be automatically bumped to put me on top again until I hit my max of $25.00 at which point I would drop out of the bidding. This way I never pay more then I determine I am willing to pay at the beginning and may in fact get it for less then my max.

 

[txgirl]

UPDATE

I lost the bid but there is one more costume left and that auction ends today so I'll try again. There is still only one bid on this one ($8.99). What qualifies as the "last second" cause I think I did the last one too soon?

Also on a very weird side note I checked out this bidders history and previous purchases and they are apparently quite interested in things from the "darker" side and has ordered from a website that sells resource books for WITCHES and how to cast spells for everything from good health to a great love life!!! Wooooooo that sort of freaks me out, ya know!

Wish me luck and thanks for all the great advice

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I've used BidRobot with great success.

If you go in through this link and use the code COOL you can get a free trial.

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