[Boatanchors] auction time linked to what timeing source?

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

On Fri, Feb 12, 2010 at 11:30 AM, Robert Nickels <ranickel at comcast.net> wrote:

> So I just figure sniping is a part of the eBay experience, and either
> way "you can't win 'em all"...which is probably a good thing.

And therein lies the real fact about bidding, sniping, winning, or
losing. It's not when you bid, it's how much you bid. Folks who rail
against 'sniping' generally do so because they didn't bid enough and
lost. In reality, it doesn't matter if you bid 5 days before the end
of the auction if you bid more than anyone else is willing to pay.

> Yes there is nothing wrong with putting in a bid 30 seconds before the
end -- that is NOT sniping as other parties have time to respond if
they want.

3 seconds, 30 seconds....sniping by degrees. I suspect those guys who
bid three days earlier and got outbid by "one of those guys who sniped
in the last 30 seconds" wouldn't agree, Rob. (o: And since you say
bidding then leaves time for someone else to bid if they want, you
should be fine with getting outbid if you didn't bid enough, and
pleased when you win the bid. I've done more than my share of
sputtering over the years, but it ends up reminding me that the only
person who kept me from winning was me.

On a slightly different track, I only bid early if I'm on the road
with no access to the 'net for the auction close. And yes - I only bid
on things I have a fairly strong desire for, considering the cost and
issues of shipping and email. Never used the software approach until
this past weekend when I had a friend place a bid on my behalf for a
rare book, which he won for me. I always used the 2 browser approach
from back in the 90s. Still, of all the times I've bit late (usually
the last 3-6 seconds), I've won maybe 70% at most. Why? Because I got
outbid, it didn't matter that I bid late, it mattered how much I bid.

But compared to the times I bid early, the percentage skews
drastically. Of auctions I've won, I'd guess less than 5% were from
early bids, 95% + from bidding at the end. There's nothing noble about
auction bidding, and sometimes there are others out there who want
something more than me. I only win the ones where someone is actually
a cheaper SOB than I am. :D

Had plans to pick up a BC transmitter in NY this weekend, but the snow
gods had other plans. Looks like a good weekend for some radio time.

~ Todd,  KA1KAQ/4