[Boatanchors] Sniping et al

[Singley, Rodger]

Much of this is just another version of the oldest story in economics and marketing:  The price paid is always too low from the seller's point-of-view and too high from the bidders.  Certainly I would be willing to pay in the 4 figure range for a few pieces of gear but I would not turn down the opportunity to only pay $300 instead.

Ebay certainly encourages early high bids since this increases their take and it also is to the benefit of the seller.  But auctions are like any exchange process and, depending upon the view of the participants, somebody is "gonna get took" and it many cases it will be the bidder who wasn't the last to enter a last second bid.  I have been "sniped" on items I wanted but it was only old iron and not a transplantable organ so it isn't a big deal.  

I haven't bothered to look into e snipe but I have entered bids with a few seconds remaining and generally it is well above the current bid amount if it is an item that I really want to own.  But I would no more put in a huge bid days (or even hours) in advance than I would walk into a auto dealership and write out a check for sticker price.  But to prove that I do have at least some decent human characteristics several years ago I won an SPR-4 that went for a very low price because it was not working.  When I received it I found the reason was the muting plug was missing and I further discovered it had the optional NB and calibrator installed.  The receiver was sold by a school raising money and I sent them an additional check more in keeping with the true value; but I admit I would not have done this for a regular seller unless I knew it was an estate sale.

During some of the recent ebay changes the comments on the ebay boards were interesting to put it mildly and to many of the sellers buyers, in general, are the scum of the earth.  I guess an ebay civil war wouldn't be too difficult to start.

Rodger WQ9E