Author Topic: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it  (Read 178662 times)

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Offline fohat.digs

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Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« on: Sun, 24 November 2013, 18:02:04 »
My first real experience with ebay was about 10 years ago when I needed money and sold off much of my vinyl record collection, mostly jazz and rock from the 1960s and 70s, much of it original and rare. I had a general idea of what things were worth, but ran everything as an auction. I sold about 50-75 LPs per week for about 3 months and made some pretty good money ($14K gross @ $10K net). It was a monumental amount of work and practically a full–time job.

At first I sold lots (“5 John Coltrane LPs on Impulse”) but quickly realized that lots are never worth as much as individual pieces. Taking ebay’s advice and starting at $0.99 was sometimes OK, but after getting burned a few times I realized that you are an idiot unless you start your bid at the lowest amount that you would be satisfied with accepting. A person buying a $50 record does not care whether the starting bid was $1 or $20.

“Buy It Now” is something that I seldom used, in the early days, after getting burned when I did not realize that BIN evaporates when any valid bid comes in (including at 1 second before closing). It only makes sense if BIN is close to starting price, which defeats the purpose, and ebay charges you for that service, also. “Reserve” is just plain stupid, for everyone, and I almost never bid when I see a reserve on something. I quickly learned not to use it myself, because ebay charges you to use that service, too, of course.

I also learned how profoundly prejudiced ebay is in favor of buyers and against sellers. They understand that supply will always be there to fulfill demand, so all effort must be used to entice demanders. Before you challenge that concept, consider, that if there was a demand for 1,000 IBM SSKs at $1,000 each, the supply would materialize quickly.

Demand is not people “wanting” something, demand is people “wanting to pay” for something. Big difference.

After selling almost 1,000 vintage records, I gained a very good understanding of what they might be worth. With that knowledge, today, if I could do it all over again, I would have sold 90% of them at fixed prices. But to sell at fixed price, successfully, you have to really know what your items are worth.

Ebay encourages sellers to sell everything by auction, lowest possible starting bid, shortest possible duration. For that, their fees are the lowest. Why? Because that is where a buyer has the best chance of getting a bargain.

Ebay does not want sellers to make money, ebay wants buyers to get bargains so they come back.

Never forget that fact. Ebay is a reluctant partner with sellers, but an enthusiastic champion for buyers.

Frankly, I “think as” a seller even when I am buying. My best chance of getting a deal as a buyer is by clever maneuvering. My best chance of making money as a seller is by preventing clever maneuvering.

These days, I know the value (quite well) of 95% of what I sell, and use that to my advantage. That is why I use the “reverse auction” procedure of starting at a very high fixed price and dropping incrementally until it sells. For this, ebay taps me for its highest possible fee structure, but I can accept that.

However, I believe that it is worth paying ebay any fee, because it is my window to the world. If they can connect me the person, somewhere, who will pay top dollar, then I consider their 10%-15% tribute well worth it, even if I still complain sometimes.

When I do put something up for auction, I start it on Thursday and run for 10 days, across 2 weekends, to ensure a good audience. A standard auction is 7 days, and ebay encourages (and by “encourage” I mean charges the lowest fees) shorter auctions of 1-3-5 days which is completely silly.

My advice to buyers is generally pretty simple:

The more hurry you are in, the more you will pay. The less hurry you are in, the less you pay.
The more demanding (“new in box”, "clean", “complete”, “tested”, “working”) you are, the more you pay.

Do not begrudge a seller his shipping costs. Shipping is becoming more expensive by the day. Ferrying a keyboard from the US across an ocean costs $78, and domestic shipping costs $12-$17 no matter what. This is the buyer’s responsibility, not the seller’s. A really frugal buyer might look into container shipping, etc, but most will not.

If there is something that you really want, decide how much it is worth to you now, tonight. Fix that number in your mind, and adjust it later if necessary. Do not let go of it. If you can buy the item at that price, be happy. If you can buy the item at a lower price, be happier. If the item sells at a price above yours, ignore it.

The definition of a good business deal is: when both parties are satisfied with the outcome. If something is worth $50 to you and a seller is willing to sell it for $50, everybody wins.

However – and I want to emphasize this strongly – shipping is not part of the price.
It is part of the cost to the buyer.


If your budget is $50 and shipping is $20, then do not complain if you do not buy an item at $32 + shipping.

Buyer and seller alike are only concerned with the money that is left in their pocket "after the dust settles” and the seller is the one who pays all the fees and intangibles, and does all the work.

HE  PAYS  ebay 10%  and  HE  PAYS  Paypal  3%  and  he spends 10+ minutes carefully packaging the item,  another 10+ minutes driving to the Post Office (each way) and  HE  PAYS  the Post Office "many" dollars in postage, all while the buyer sits lamely on his doorstep waiting for somebody to place the item into his sweaty hands.

If you see something at a “Buy It Now” price that seems fair and within your budget, just  BUY IT NOW !

If you are mildly interested in something, but only at a bargain price, here is the best way to pursue it:

Put the item on your ebay watch list. Consider odd listings, wrong categories, and goofy mis–spellings.

Use Auction Sniper or some other similar service. They cost pennies (and even then only when successful) and can easily save you tens of dollars, or more.

When you see something that is within your realm of possibility, put in a snipe at your maximum comfortable number (factoring in shipping and handling) and then just forget about it. I have gotten some of my best deals while in bed asleep with the computer turned off.

Put in a “low–ball” snipe every time and one day you may get lucky.
« Last Edit: Mon, 23 February 2015, 20:57:48 by fohat.digs »
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Offline metalliqaz

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #1 on: Sun, 24 November 2013, 18:19:09 »
This is good stuff.

Offline cruk

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #2 on: Sun, 24 November 2013, 19:50:59 »
Dont forget tools like the goofbay offers history (best offers accepted/rejected by seller) and also check up on completed listings to see what price has items been previously sold for

Offline Findecanor

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #3 on: Sun, 24 November 2013, 19:52:21 »
I often make sure I have different digits in the amount I bid, ever since the day that I won with a bid that was only a few cents above the second-highest bidder... :D  Weird, but it happened.

One thing to know when buying keyboards on eBay is that some words such as "clicky" and "IBM" can mean anything and nothing, and eBay continues to allow such keyword spamming. Ebay has ruled the word "clicky" as a subjective term and "IBM" does not necessarily mean "Made by IBM", but "IBM-compatible" which includes any keyboard ever made for the PC.

Offline strafe

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #4 on: Sun, 24 November 2013, 22:45:29 »
Thanks for the write up.  I can't count how many times I've watched an item, forgot to place a bid, and it ends without a single bid on it..

Notable items I've forgot to bid on lately:

Goldtouch Keypad, $2 plus $9 freight - No Bids
Wyse Keyboard $35 plus $22.85 freight - No Bids
IBM Model F 122 Key Keyboard, $0.99 plus $35 freight - 2 Bids (Kayliss?)
FILCO Majestouch Bluetooth Keyboard, $17.50 plus $11.65 freight - 14 Bids

So remember to place a bid on the item, even if it's only $10.
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Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #5 on: Mon, 25 November 2013, 08:09:34 »
So remember to place a bid on the item, even if it's only $10.

Don't bid, snipe. And do it immediately when you see the item, then put it out of your mind.
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Offline jalaj

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #6 on: Mon, 25 November 2013, 09:03:18 »
Very good write up by conveying the perspective of all three parties: buyer, seller, and platform provider (ok maybe PP is fourth). Both new and veteran ebayers can find some wise advice here. Your interpretation of eBay's business model/strategy also appears to be a dead-on assessment.
Never forget that fact. Ebay is a reluctant partner with sellers but an enthusiastic champion for buyers.
this deserves reddit gold

Offline berserkfan

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #7 on: Mon, 25 November 2013, 09:26:49 »
Thanks for sharing, fohat.

This is downright one of the most important posts ever seen on Geekhack. It ought to be made a sticky after everyone has commented, and the best comments (best advice and useful experiences) selected for that sticky!

OK as a sometime seller, here are a few additional suggestions:
1)   Delivery confirmation is your friend. Send everything above $20 tracked
2)   Make sure you have signature confirmation on paypal sales above $250
3)   Bubble wrap anything that is capable of breaking! If you think bubble wrap is expensive, then save it from other purchases and recycle the bubble wrap when you sell! If selling clothes or books, use a plastic bag to bag the stuff just in case package is caught in the rain, gets dropped on a puddle, etc.
4)   Murphy’s Law states that anything bad that can happen, will happen during shipping. Remember the video of a FedEx guy tossing packages over the front gate? Go check on youtube; it’s probably the tip of the iceberg. I have also seen postal workers playing toss and catch with packages behind the post office. I doubt if they would do for heavy keyboards, but be forewarned that your keycaps aren’t perfectly safe in the hands of thuggish ex-con minimum-wage temp postal workers! Remember, to go postal is to go crazy, so we're not talking about gentle and careful nurses handling your Kmac like a Baby after you've spent 10 hours soldering and stickering everything!
5)   Any feedback below 98% is in the danger zone already.

As a buyer most of the time, I would suggest the following:
1)   Blurred photos and stock photos = red flags. We live in the modern world, where everybody has a mobile phone and everybody can delete his blurry mobile phone photos and take photos again.
2)   Everybody is a better sniper than me. Sad but true.
3)   When somebody says he tested it with a Hagstrom or Soarer converter, but doesn’t have a photo of it, it is wise to assume he didn’t test it at all. On more than one occasion I pretended to be dumb and asked, what is this thing called a Soarer, can you show me a photo or link - and the seller never replied after that.
4)   ‘It’s just a scratch’ usually is more than just a scratch.

Most of the modding can be done on your own once you break through the psychological barriers.

Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #8 on: Mon, 25 November 2013, 19:53:16 »
ok maybe PP is fourth

Paypal is not 4th.

Paypal is a thinly-veiled appendage of ebay and another way that ebay makes money. However, Paypal's fees are less onerous than ebay's (at least for now).

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Offline PhineasRex

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #9 on: Tue, 26 November 2013, 20:14:47 »
you are an idiot unless you start your bid at the lowest amount that you would be satisfied with accepting.
This is bad advice. People go to eBay to find deals and more people will bid on an item that is a greater deal. The trick here is that people are not rational. Once they have placed a bid on your auction they are emotionally invested in it and will usually bid up higher than they would have initially paid for it. This is why you often see people make another bid once they have been outbid. This is the reason why people bid snipe, to avoid the irrationality of other bidders and keep the price down.

If you list your item for the minimum amount you are willing to take, then you will get that amount and likely not much more.

Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #10 on: Tue, 26 November 2013, 21:26:41 »

This is bad advice.

If you list your item for the minimum amount you are willing to take, then you will get that amount and likely not much more.

I absolutely disagree with you and stand by precisely what I said.  In my opinion, you are repeating ebay propaganda.

I resent your characterization of my giving away my successful techniques as "bad advice"

I base my opinions on my experiences in hundreds of transactions as both buyer and seller, in many types of transactions, on 3 different ebay accounts (all with 100% positive feedback) for well over a decade.

I firmly believe that there is little or no correlation between starting price and selling price, and that the risk of letting a $20 item go for $3 far outweighs any conceivable benefit that might accrue on the back end of a bidding war.

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Offline dragonxx21

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #11 on: Tue, 26 November 2013, 21:39:31 »
The knowledge! So when using a sniper service, you only get charged when you actually win the item?
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Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #12 on: Wed, 27 November 2013, 08:14:13 »
The knowledge! So when using a sniper service, you only get charged when you actually win the item?

Yes, and it is pennies.

You have to start an account with about $5 (I think that get about the first 3 free) and get dinged when you win. It is literally something like  a dime for an average purchase, and you probably saved many dollars.

Auction Sniper is one of the great bargains in online buying, along with cheap Chinese electronics.

PS - I think I get a free snipe when I recommend someone. If it asks "who recommended you?" say "topvendor1" if you want to help me out.
« Last Edit: Wed, 27 November 2013, 08:17:30 by fohat.digs »
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Offline 127001

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #13 on: Wed, 27 November 2013, 10:59:55 »
What's the difference between a sniping service and eBay automatic bid feature?

Offline Tym

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #14 on: Wed, 27 November 2013, 11:05:35 »
I used to use Goofbay sniper, isn't that still free?
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Offline jdcarpe

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #15 on: Wed, 27 November 2013, 11:06:42 »
What's the difference between a sniping service and eBay automatic bid feature?

Because no one knows your sniping service bid. If you use eBay automatic bid service, when someone places a bid lower than your max bid, it increases your bid past theirs, if yours was higher. So they can keep bidding it up to your max amount or past it. With a sniping service, when someone else places a bid lower than your max sniping bid, it leaves the bid price at what they bid.

So if you don't want to pay the MAX that you are willing to pay every time, you use a sniping service EVERY TIME, and sometimes get a bargain.
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Offline 127001

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #16 on: Wed, 27 November 2013, 11:16:57 »
Oooooooooooooooooh. Gotcha  ;D

Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #17 on: Wed, 27 November 2013, 13:32:03 »
So if you don't want to pay the MAX that you are willing to pay every time, you use a sniping service EVERY TIME, and sometimes get a bargain.

Hey, didn't I say that?

My hair is getting worn off by switching my "buyer" and "seller" hats so often.

Good for one = bad for the other.

Learn the differences so that you can exploit the ignorance or carelessness of an unsophisticated seller.

Buyers - avoid starting or participating in bidding wars.

Sellers - do everything you can to encourage and facilitate bidding wars.
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Offline PhineasRex

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #18 on: Wed, 27 November 2013, 17:38:49 »

This is bad advice.

If you list your item for the minimum amount you are willing to take, then you will get that amount and likely not much more.

I absolutely disagree with you and stand by precisely what I said.  In my opinion, you are repeating ebay propaganda.

I resent your characterization of my giving away my successful techniques as "bad advice"

I base my opinions on my experiences in hundreds of transactions as both buyer and seller, in many types of transactions, on 3 different ebay accounts (all with 100% positive feedback) for well over a decade.

I firmly believe that there is little or no correlation between starting price and selling price, and that the risk of letting a $20 item go for $3 far outweighs any conceivable benefit that might accrue on the back end of a bidding war.
I bought and sold on eBay for a long time as well. I usually bought to resell and the biggest deals I got were on items that started out highly priced. The majority of those items had one bidder: me.

Offline 127001

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #19 on: Wed, 27 November 2013, 19:27:33 »
How well does auction sniper work when another party has put in an automatic bidding maximum? Does the lead time need to be increased?

Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #20 on: Thu, 28 November 2013, 09:04:23 »
Does the lead time need to be increased?

Lead time decreased. There will always be a "lag time" which is impossible to predict due to internet connections. It might be several seconds or several microseconds.

And "real" ebay bids always go in last, after all proxy bids are finished.
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Offline JPG

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #21 on: Tue, 03 December 2013, 11:02:20 »
Does the lead time need to be increased?

Lead time decreased. There will always be a "lag time" which is impossible to predict due to internet connections. It might be several seconds or several microseconds.

And "real" ebay bids always go in last, after all proxy bids are finished.


Is this auctionsniper.com thing 100% safe? Anyone had a bad experience with it? Just want to make sure since it need my ebay password to work...
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Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #22 on: Tue, 03 December 2013, 18:07:32 »
Does the lead time need to be increased?

Lead time decreased. There will always be a "lag time" which is impossible to predict due to internet connections. It might be several seconds or several microseconds.

And "real" ebay bids always go in last, after all proxy bids are finished.


Is this auctionsniper.com thing 100% safe? Anyone had a bad experience with it? Just want to make sure since it need my ebay password to work...

I have used it hundreds of times over the course of many years. It is absolutely great and reliable and dirt cheap.
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Offline Voixdelion

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #23 on: Fri, 27 December 2013, 16:57:09 »
Sniping is the only way to go - much less stressful than bidding.  I will, however, sometimes place a bid just above the current one as soon as I decide to place a snipe bid.  I will use an outside site for the snipe, and just place the initial bid on ebay as a sort of "foot in the door" strategy in case someone else has a matching snipe bid, that way it goes to the first one who placed a bid in event of a tie. 

Best deals I get though, I rarely am waiting around for the end of auctions past a day.  I like to know what the action is on an item at the time I intend to buy it, so I rarely look to bid on things that aren't ending within 24 hours anyway.  That being said, there are some days that are better for the purchasing and selling of items, and it behooves you to know when the competition will be stiffest if you are looking to sell, and when it is not so busy if you are  a buyer.  It is a good idea to mind your end times if you are a seller, and worth the extra cash to set one where you want it if you like to list things that would end at unfortunate times by the default run time for the auctions. 

Be prepared for everything shady - whether you a re a seller or a buyer returning something take pictures of stuff when you pack it up, before packing and of the packaged item ready for mailing, noting any defects that are or are not present at that time.   If you are a buyer, take a picture of the package before opening it up and of the items condition upon opening.  This effort has ensured my refund from Paypal in record time more than once.   

Check the feedback negatives and neutrals for specific complaints that keep recurring, as this will tell you what to be on the lookout for, whether they are slow shippers or whether they tend to ship items that don't match descriptions or if they tend to lie about conditions. 

I rarely buy on ebay nowadays, though.  I always suspect everyone of being a scammer, since there are so many shady dealings there. If I do need to use ebay for an item I can't get somewhere else,  I try and minimize my risk by thoroughly vetting the sellers reputation and history.   those feedback can tell you quite a bit if you know what to look for.  Often it helps to search the feedback for the item you seek if they are a bulk or big seller, as sometimes problems are linked to a specific type of product and not others. 

That is my two cents on the matter, and I have been known to get some scandalous deals due to being a night owl by nature.  Once I got a PS2 with a bunch of accessories and a carrying case for all of forty bucks when the rest of the crowd was paying 150, mostly because it ended at 2 or 3 in the morning when I was up.  There is a lot to be said for those ending times whether you sell or buy. 

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Offline 127001

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #24 on: Sat, 28 December 2013, 19:28:40 »
I'm going to throw this out there:

I have found a great deal of success in buying items from international Ebay listings (listings that don't ship to your country). Most of the time if you contact the seller they are willing to ship to you if you are willing to pay the cost. This really only work for higher ticket items, but sometimes you can get a really good deal on something that isn't popular in another country.

Offline Elrick

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #25 on: Sat, 28 December 2013, 22:17:13 »
I absolutely disagree with you and stand by precisely what I said.  In my opinion, you are repeating ebay propaganda.

I resent your characterization of my giving away my successful techniques as "bad advice"

I base my opinions on my experiences in hundreds of transactions as both buyer and seller, in many types of transactions, on 3 different ebay accounts (all with 100% positive feedback) for well over a decade.

I firmly believe that there is little or no correlation between starting price and selling price, and that the risk of letting a $20 item go for $3 far outweighs any conceivable benefit that might accrue on the back end of a bidding war.

Thank you fohat.digs for these brilliant pointers/advice.  I appreciate it greatly as I live on Ebay shopping and some things you've mentioned rings quite clear.

I will put it into practice when my next item of interest rears it's ugly head on Ebay  :thumb: .

Offline Pacifist

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #26 on: Sat, 28 December 2013, 23:18:06 »
What sniping program do you use? I tried to use Jbidwatcher once and it didn't work :mad:

Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #27 on: Sun, 29 December 2013, 07:54:28 »
I appreciate it greatly as I live on Ebay shopping and some things you've mentioned rings quite clear.

I will put it into practice when my next item of interest rears it's ugly head on Ebay.

I am not able to "think as" a buyer any more, since I have spent all my time and energy attempting to understand how to squeeze every possible dollar out of my transactions as the seller.

Obviously, everything is precisely the opposite for buyers, so when I am in that position, I look for low starting prices, no reserve, too-low shipping fees, and anything else that benefits me.

I will say it yet again: put lowball snipes on everything and be patient.


What sniping program do you use? I tried to use Jbidwatcher once and it didn't work :mad:


Auction Sniper has worked flawlessly for me for many years. Tell them "topvendor1" sent you.
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Offline Pacifist

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #28 on: Sun, 29 December 2013, 16:25:06 »
I appreciate it greatly as I live on Ebay shopping and some things you've mentioned rings quite clear.

I will put it into practice when my next item of interest rears it's ugly head on Ebay.

I am not able to "think as" a buyer any more, since I have spent all my time and energy attempting to understand how to squeeze every possible dollar out of my transactions as the seller.

Obviously, everything is precisely the opposite for buyers, so when I am in that position, I look for low starting prices, no reserve, too-low shipping fees, and anything else that benefits me.

I will say it yet again: put lowball snipes on everything and be patient.


What sniping program do you use? I tried to use Jbidwatcher once and it didn't work :mad:


Auction Sniper has worked flawlessly for me for many years. Tell them "topvendor1" sent you.

I used auction sniper. Signed up before seeing this, so no 3 free snipes  :-[ sorry

Offline False_Dmitry_II

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #29 on: Mon, 10 February 2014, 01:13:06 »
I have used Jbidwatcher plenty in the past. I just set it on more than one computer with slightly different prices, most of the time at the end I see as many as I set to bid, others just one.

I've also gotten the bidding war thing to work for me in the past, but I think one strategy vs. another depends largely on what it is and how large the audience is. For example, I bought the original wii on launch for no other reason than to list it on ebay, I listed it under MSRP and made $100+. I knew it would have sold out and there would be a rush on them. I actually sold it too quickly, because ones sold only days before Christmas that year went for at least $100 more.

Also the bit about auction length didn't apply in that example, because there were enough of them that it would not be seen until at most only 30 mins were left. But there are exceptions to every rule.
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." - Ben Franklin (11 Nov. 1755)

Offline JWK

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #30 on: Fri, 21 February 2014, 12:37:33 »
I have used Jbidwatcher plenty in the past. I just set it on more than one computer with slightly different prices, most of the time at the end I see as many as I set to bid, others just one.<snip>

Jbidwatcher works very well -- and it's open source.  A good practice is to run it on a dedicated machine, so you're not in the middle of some 3D FPS game when the bid tries to fire.  For example, you might take your old PC out of the closet and install Linux on it.   Also make sure you have a stable, predictable internet connection.  Cellular connections seem unreliable.  A stable internet connection allows you to set the bid to fire closer to the ending time of the auction.   

Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #31 on: Fri, 21 February 2014, 16:09:29 »

A good practice is to run it on a dedicated machine, so you're not in the middle of some 3D FPS game when the bid tries to fire.  For example, you might take your old PC out of the closet and install Linux on it.   Also make sure you have a stable, predictable internet connection.  Cellular connections seem unreliable.  A stable internet connection allows you to set the bid to fire closer to the ending time of the auction.   


What is all this?

The whole idea of sniping is to do it and forget it. You may win while in bed asleep with the computer turned off.
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Offline Pacifist

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #32 on: Fri, 21 February 2014, 17:28:56 »
I have used Jbidwatcher plenty in the past. I just set it on more than one computer with slightly different prices, most of the time at the end I see as many as I set to bid, others just one.

I've also gotten the bidding war thing to work for me in the past, but I think one strategy vs. another depends largely on what it is and how large the audience is. For example, I bought the original wii on launch for no other reason than to list it on ebay, I listed it under MSRP and made $100+. I knew it would have sold out and there would be a rush on them. I actually sold it too quickly, because ones sold only days before Christmas that year went for at least $100 more.

Also the bit about auction length didn't apply in that example, because there were enough of them that it would not be seen until at most only 30 mins were left. But there are exceptions to every rule.

jdbitwatcher didn't work for me for some reason and I ended up losing the auction :'( for a XT for $15

I like auctionsniper, I still have 1 free snipe

Offline JWK

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #33 on: Fri, 21 February 2014, 23:26:15 »

A good practice is to run it on a dedicated machine, so you're not in the middle of some 3D FPS game when the bid tries to fire.  For example, you might take your old PC out of the closet and install Linux on it.   Also make sure you have a stable, predictable internet connection.  Cellular connections seem unreliable.  A stable internet connection allows you to set the bid to fire closer to the ending time of the auction.   


What is all this?

The whole idea of sniping is to do it and forget it. You may win while in bed asleep with the computer turned off.


Jbidwatcher runs locally -- on your own computer.  It is not a remote service. 

Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #34 on: Sat, 22 February 2014, 09:04:33 »
Jbidwatcher runs locally -- on your own computer.  It is not a remote service. 

That is insane, I could never use it. My internet connection is neither quick nor reliable, and all the options are getting worse.

To me, the best thing about Auction Sniper is that "does it's own thing" far better than I could do it on my own, on any level.
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Offline False_Dmitry_II

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #35 on: Tue, 25 February 2014, 02:25:49 »
I like it *because* it runs locally. That's why I described how I set it up. I've also had it run on the fileserver before. But really if you have enough cores and such I'd be surprised if I couldn't let it run while gaming.
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." - Ben Franklin (11 Nov. 1755)

Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #36 on: Tue, 25 February 2014, 07:52:44 »
How can there possibly be an advantage to running something locally?

Do you imagine that your internet connection to ebay is faster and more consistent than the sniping company's?

And is your computer up and running and connected at the highest rate, all the time?
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Offline berserkfan

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #37 on: Tue, 25 February 2014, 09:01:31 »
How can there possibly be an advantage to running something locally?

Do you imagine that your internet connection to ebay is faster and more consistent than the sniping company's?

And is your computer up and running and connected at the highest rate, all the time?

If the False Dimitry is somebody who works for Goldman Sachs as a techie, he will have the fastest and most reliable possible connection on this planet outside military labs. His computer will be synched to the US atomic clock, and it will be faster than ebay's own stuff.

(I really knew an Eastern European who did work as a techie for one of the big investment banks in NY. Apparently these guys have out of the world connection speeds, approaching theoretical max in nanoseconds and whatever have you.)
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Offline Techno Trousers

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #38 on: Tue, 25 February 2014, 15:56:11 »
Real Dmitri has that kind of Internet connection. False Dmitri has lowest tier DSL. False Dmitri II has two cans and some kite string.

BTW, thanks fohat.digs for this thread. I'm always glad to learn from the experience of others, especially when it comes to my wallet!

Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #39 on: Tue, 25 February 2014, 16:57:11 »

I'm always glad to learn from the experience of others,


Remember that I am always "wearing the hat" of a seller.

Whenever I say "don't do this" and "don't do that" it is because you might not maximize the selling price of your item.

Whenever you (as buyer) see a seller doing something that I recommend against, you may have an opportunity to nab a bargain.

Or you may just get a chuckle at something silly.
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Offline JWK

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #40 on: Wed, 26 February 2014, 20:09:29 »
I like it *because* it runs locally. That's why I described how I set it up. I've also had it run on the fileserver before. But really if you have enough cores and such I'd be surprised if I couldn't let it run while gaming.

Yes, absolutely.  But it was easier to make my old Athlon box into a dedicated machine.  I also configured my router to give it preferential treatment -- DD-WRT running on a Linksys 54G I got for $5.

Offline JWK

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #41 on: Wed, 26 February 2014, 20:25:15 »
How can there possibly be an advantage to running something locally?
I don't pay for it.  I don't wonder whether someone is using my information for other purposes.  And I enjoy tinkering with such things.


Do you imagine that your internet connection to ebay is faster and more consistent than the sniping company's?
It doesn't have to be faster, it just needs to be consistent.     jBidwatcher measures the latency and accounts for it. 

Also note that the purpose of a bid sniper is to place a bid close enough to the finish that someone can't manually enter another bid.  If another buyer has already configured his snipe at a higher price than me, then it does not matter when the bid is placed, as long as it arrives before the expiration of the auction.    But what you're trying to avoid is the emotional irrational reaction of someone thinking, "Gosh, I could have that for only another $2." 

And is your computer up and running and connected at the highest rate, all the time?
Yes.

Offline fohat.digs

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #42 on: Wed, 26 February 2014, 21:06:27 »

to place a bid close enough to the finish that someone can't manually enter another bid.


My lame AT&T (I hate AT&T, service has gone to hell since they re-acquired Bellsouth (which was great) a few years ago) DSL connection is balky and inconsistent.

The cycle time to look at something, make a decision, type it in, enter, wait, refresh the screen, see the new number, etc, is several seconds at best. I would never waste my time and emotional energy on something like that if I actually cared about winning.

Auction Sniper has been fantastic and a winning snipe costs perhaps a dime, but nothing if unsuccessful.

And neither I nor my computer needs to be awake at the time it is happening.
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Offline Voixdelion

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #43 on: Mon, 03 March 2014, 22:42:38 »
oop
« Last Edit: Thu, 29 May 2014, 19:08:03 by Voixdelion »
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Offline maxtortheone

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #44 on: Fri, 16 May 2014, 00:31:39 »
Maybe just venting a bit since my day at work wasn't great but I bought a vintage keyboard on eBay DE with the afferent expensive shipping and it's been 3 days past dispatch time or, if it doesn't get shipped today but Monday, almost a week.
I want the item to arrive without pissing off the seller so for now I'm waiting for it but after that I am sending some messages to clear things out before leaving feedback or even requesting a partial refund on shipping costs(my wasted time on waiting in my opinion). Does that make sense? I've been on eBay for 5 years and gone through lots of stuff so wanna know what someone else thinks. Oh and won the item on the 8th, took till Monday to get shipping costs sorted. After that paid in full in 1h tops.
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Offline maxtortheone

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #45 on: Sat, 17 May 2014, 05:44:02 »
And of course what's better than getting screwed once in a week but twice? Got a advantageous bid cancelled on a G84 Programmable Numpad. And then the auction got closed by the seller.
Keyboards: IBM Model M 122 Key Terminal Board;  Logitech G710+; Focus FK-2001 w/ Complicated ALPS

Offline jwaz

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #46 on: Thu, 22 May 2014, 10:51:41 »
eBay's customer database has been compromised, change your password ASAP

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/may/21/ebay-hack-pasword-change-q-and-a

Offline False_Dmitry_II

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #47 on: Fri, 23 May 2014, 01:48:49 »
I'm amazed ebay isn't showing that in our inboxes.
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." - Ben Franklin (11 Nov. 1755)

Offline Pacifist

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #48 on: Fri, 23 May 2014, 01:55:15 »
it was on the frontpage

Offline Elrick

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Re: Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it
« Reply #49 on: Fri, 23 May 2014, 04:14:37 »
eBay's customer database has been compromised, change your password ASAP

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/may/21/ebay-hack-pasword-change-q-and-a

Yeah just change your passwords as soon as possible before you get bills sent to you for instant payments for anything.  Then have all your paid for items sent to an offshore location  ;D .