ebay snipping

[BobT]

Howdy Von,

Man o man, $100K in EBay sales---that's a BUNCH! I just sell odds and ends I no longer need. To me EBay is one of the best things invented by the Net. Quick, easy sales.

Is there any software or books you could recommend if I wanted to try and riase my volume, kind of graduate to a serious hobby?

All the best,

BobT.
A Indiana Boy

 

[gws]

Bid with a proxy. If your not willing to pay more money or somthing and someone else is then you loose.


Gary.

 

[Gatorboy]

Proxy is GOOD for SELLERS and BAD for BUYERS. If you are a buyer, and like to throw away your hard earned money -- go PROXY, if not, take up SNIPING. See my example above.

Dave "Gatorboy" Hoffmann

 

[Devildog]

I also like sniping. Win a few loose a few/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
_______________________________________
Take care all, Jim

2001 B7500 HST 302 Fel R4 Tires.
Semper Fidelis

 

[Harv]

Dave -

I have no doubt that sniping will save you some bucks if you're the fastest gun at the showdown and if you're not going up against other proxy bidders.

I guess it comes down to what your goals are for a particular auction. I've only purchased a handful of items, and each time it was something I had an immediate need for and I either couldn't find it elsewhere or I couldn't find a decent price. After my first few unsuccessful attempts with manual bidding, including sniping at the very end, I not only failed to acquire the item, but got myself somewhat stressed by the experience (sometimes it doesn't take much /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif). A couple of times I even forgot or was unable to be logged in during the closing moments.

My strategy since then has been to first find the very best price I can through various discount houses, classifieds, etc. If I can't find the deal I want, I then use the information I found that way to determine my own "fair" price for the item. For example, if the best discount I can find is, say, 20%, I'll probably knock off another 10 or 15 percent and enter that as my proxy bid on eBay, provided eBay has a new or like-new unit of what I'm looking for.

In other words, I'm not focused so much on paying the least amount possible (don't tell my wife), but rather paying a "fair" price that I can feel good about. Proxy bidding has done the trick for me about 3 out of 4 times with no sweat, anxiety or stress. Don't have to remember or even be logged on, either -- I get notified by email soon enough. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

It may not sound like it, Dave, but I'm actually agreeing with you, mostly. I just think proxy bidding has some good points, too. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Von]

Bob,
I know that there are books out on ebay, but I haven't read any. I sell mostly high end antiques so its easy to do big $ with the stuff I sell. Sold a train set for $26K last year and had some other big hits that add up quickly. I try not to list anything that will sell for less than $100.00, you have to do the same amount of work for the cheap items as you do for the high end stuff. Those cheaper items I can sell out of my antique shop and not have to pay ebay anything. Its wild what will sell on there, I have found stuff along the road that people were throwing out, sold it on ebay for $1600.00. You just have to hunt for the good stuff if you want to make money. You have to remember this is what I do for a living, and it takes alot of time and knowledge to make any money at it.

 

[BobT]

Von,

Thanks for your insights. They really do help.

I found an old Royal No. 10 manual typewriter on EBay---and bought it for $19.50. I used the exact same machine 30 years ago to write a couple of books. So, I bought it for the "memories" -- just to keep around on a table.

However, in researching this item on the web, I found that antique typewriter dealers sell that exact machine for $450. I wish I had a couple of dozen of them!

BobT.
A Indiana Boy

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I don't lkie snipers, as either a buyer or a seller. I use proxy when I'm buying, and I flat quit selling on Epay because of snipers, and all of EPay's candy assed regulations on what you can sell.
If I go back to selling on Epay, I'll do it with a notation that I will end auctions at my whim after 4 or 5 days to screw snipers.
I've also found that I can get better deals on tools by contacting the seller after the auction, many are really small dealers, and making them an offer if I've been sniped. I've done that many times, and gotten the same price I had bid with proxy because the seller won't have to pay Epay their fee.

 

[Gatorboy]

<font color=blue>If I go back to selling on Epay, I'll do it with a notation that I will end auctions at my whim after 4 or 5 days to screw snipers</font color=blue>

And you'll screw yourself of course, because alot of bidding is done at the end. As a seller, aren't you trying to get the highest price for your item? That statement was clearly illogical.

It sounds like people are thinking that "sniping" is wrong or illegal. Why? An auction is setup for X-days and ends at X:XX time -- why is it that if you bid earlier it is ok, but someone who bids later is "bad?" I think it is more <font color=purple>sour grapes</font color=purple>.

Dave "Gatorboy" Hoffmann

 

[Devildog]

I agree with you Dave due to the fact that the seller can set a minimum price they will take for there Item, and if it doesnt reach the minimum then they dont have to sell it.
___________________________________________________
Take care all, Jim

2001 B7500 HST 302 Fel R4 Tires.
Semper Fidelis