Ebay

Aabidano · Post by **Aabidano** » May 25, 2006, 10:23 am

So I'm trying to get item_x on ebay, what's a decent strategy?

Usually I just put in an auto-bid in for the max I'm willing to pay in the last minute of the auction. If it goes higher I wait until the next one shows up. Doesn't seem to be working that well.

Anyone have a better method\idea?

Funkmasterr · Post by **Funkmasterr** » May 25, 2006, 10:32 am

Look at the item you want, find out exactly when it ends, and look at it again 20-30 minutes before its over.. Generally 99.9% of the bidding happens in the last 15 minutes or so, which is a royal pain in the ass, but thats just what I have taken from my personal experience.

cadalano · Post by **cadalano** » May 25, 2006, 10:44 am

http://esnipe.com/

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » May 25, 2006, 10:58 am

yeah everyone uses sniper software to buy anything decent on ebay now. ebay doesnt give a fuck as long as they get paid. the whole site is a joke now. I can't wait until somone else gets their shit together and comes out with a decent competing site.

ebay is largely a giant garage sale full of the same worthless crap that just gets tossed around from one feedback farming asstard to another.

Canelek · Post by **Canelek** » May 25, 2006, 11:12 am

I got the same impression last time I looked for something there. It has been taken over by online retail and all those asshats Kyou mentioned.

Aabidano · Post by **Aabidano** » May 25, 2006, 11:27 am

Thanks folks, don't like it but...

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » May 25, 2006, 12:22 pm

I've never purchased anything on eBay and I hope to "god" I never have to.

The only things I ever hear people selling on eBay are defective items like LCD monitors with dead pixels etc. Fuck that. I don't buy returned items at stores for the exact reason I wouldn't buy anything sight unseen from some eBayer...they probably fucked it up, stole a cable, scratched it, will package it poorly, lie about its condition...the list goes on...and then you have to deal with that little person instead of a reputable store to exchange/return etc.

It's not worth the hassle unless you're completely desparate for a rare part or something and even then, you have to roll the dice.

Deward · Post by **Deward** » May 25, 2006, 2:05 pm

I Ebay quite a bit and I have gotten screwed and gotten good deals. You have to be careful and read the descriptions carefully. If you are going to get screwed, it is usually in the shipping/handling area. I have only really gotten screwed once while buying a motorcycle. GUy selling it said it was in beter shape than it actually was. I was out about $500 on that one but I am still hoping to get something usable out of it.

Here are rules I live by.
1. Don't buy from someone with low feedback. Any seller with less than 10 feedback usually won't interest me unless it is a very cheap item. I would never buy anything that cost a lot of money from a low feedback person.
2. Read the negative feedbacks. I always check the negative feedbacks. Sometimes they are legitimate concerns. Sometimes they are no feedback scammers looking to ruin a reputation.
3. Always figure out total cost of shipping and handling before bidding. Ebay has the ability for the seller to add extra handling costs to an item. I have sold junk comics for a $.01 but include a few extra dollars in the handling section to make sure I am making something. It isn't anything hidden but you do need to be aware of it.
4. Paypal only. I personally will not buy from someone who will not accept Paypal or any other reputable online credit card acceptor. First sending checks and money orders are a pain in the ass and you can get screwed with little chance for recompense.
5. Check who you are bidding against. I will NEVER get into a bidding war with someone with less than 10 feedback. Having a buddy raise the bids for you on the side is way too easy. I refuse to get into that sort fo thing.

My experiences have generally been very good on Ebay. I don't use sniping software. I pick the highest I want to go and stick to it. If I get outbid then who cares. Chances are another item will come along. I mostly use Ebay to buy motorcycle parts for my old Hondas. It can be nearly impossible to find some parts anywhere else. I also buy a lot of used books. As long as they are readable then I don't care about the condition for an old paperback. I have also bought a few comics here and there.

Ebay is also good for seeing what things are going for in the real world. Price mags for collectibles are junk. Ebay is what people are really paying for an item.

If you have any questions then let me know in PM and I can help you out.

Aabidano · Post by **Aabidano** » May 25, 2006, 3:03 pm

I'm chasing VW parts generally, a lot of folks seem willing to pay much more than I am

Part of what I think I'm running in to is like the goobers at the junkyards in town who snag parts they can't use, "To put it on my Honda\Neon". Even when told it will not work by the guys at the yard, they fork up the cash and try anyway.

icknay · Post by **icknay** » May 27, 2006, 9:57 am

Aabidano wrote:I'm chasing VW parts generally, a lot of folks seem willing to pay much more than I am

Raise your bid prices and this problem should be solved.

I own a small collectibles store and we ebay 100-200 auctions per week, usually. Our feedback is 9000+ and is 100% positive. We accept Vsia/MC through the store but no paypal under any circumstances...sorry but I don't like being a victim of theft. If I ever decide to let people steal from me, I'll sign up for paypal again.

Ebay is like anything else in life...it's what you make of it. If you blindly bid on stuff you'll get screwed often but if you do your research it can be a fun and rewarding place. Sometimes I've even bought things that were in the wrong category, had bad photos or description, then relisted them properly and sold them at a profit. But if you're going to buy on ebay you've got to know your seller. Make sure they have a return policy. READ their feedback, don't just look at the number.

As far as bidding, don't trust the snipe software...you don't need the extra expense. Just bid as much as you're willing to pay. If you get outbid you won't be remorseful, and often you'll end up buying the item for less than your maximum bid. With that said however, if you try to buy things for less than they're worth you'll almost never be successful. Feel free to email or PM me if I can ever be of service.

Nick

Nilaman · Post by **Nilaman** » May 27, 2006, 11:51 pm

I never use ebay, but recently I was looking to pick up a few new and used collectable knives. The more I bid there, the more frustrated I get. Even if I'm winning an item for 90% of the time, someone almost always snags the bid during the last 10 minutes when I'm taking a crap or something.

Good luck with the bidding!

Aabidano · Post by **Aabidano** » May 28, 2006, 12:33 am

icknay wrote:Raise your bid prices and this problem should be solved.

Watching the auctions I can get what I'm looking for eventually at 1/4 of the ebay price or less locally. I'm fairly patient, I'll get what I'm looking for at a price I'm willing to pay at some point.

Thinking of starting to gather misc crap and sell it there, looks like there's profit to be made.