[GreenKeys] Bidding Mystery

[Jim Walls]

Larry Tighe wrote:
> Maybe, probably, my intellect is sorely below average but,  is there an 
> explanation for eBay bidders that bid against themselves?  I'm watching and 
> old "portable" tty machine.
>
> A handful of bidders keep bidding this thing up and it has much time to go 
> before the ending.  Obviously, if you put your bid in just at closing, for 
> the max. amount you will spend, you're not "challenging" another bidder to 
> go higher and thus raising the price you're going to pay! !
>   

I have seen the other replies, but here is another answer.  They way 
that ebay bidding works, it is very easy for it to appear that you have 
bid against yourself.  Let me give an example.  If an item currently has 
a $15.00 bid.  I enter a bid for $100.00.  What shows is NOT a $100.00 
bid, but rather the minimum bidding increment from a $15.00 bid (which 
if I recall would be $16.00).  Now someone comes along and bids $20.00.  
Because I have a max bid of $100.00 already entered, the $20.00 bid is 
instantly outbid by my bidding increment from $20.00 ($21.00 if I recall 
the increments).  So, if you were to be looking constantly, it would 
appear that I had a $16.00 bid and all of a sudden I have a $21.00 bid.  
You never even see the $20.00 bid, but it really was there.

BTW, it does not matter in the slightest how close to the closing time 
you enter your higher bid, if my max bid is higher than your max bid, I 
still win.  And no one gets to know what my max bid is.

-- 
73
-------------------------------------
Jim Walls - K6CCC
jim at k6ccc.org
Ofc:  818-548-4804
http://home.earthlink.net/~k6ccc
AMSAT Member 32537 - WSWSS Member 395