Playing chicken with bidding on ebay.

[Brad]

Larry,

I have learned that it is best not to get emotional in the bidding process. I have come across a few of the "will win it at any price" guys and what I have seen is that they come, then they disappear. I figure either they run out of money (not likely), or they just get bored and move on to something else (more likely).

I approach each auction the same way: I decide on either my high end price or "I'm taking it home". If I don't win, so be it. If after a while I am not winning something at my high price then chances are that I am bidding too low.

When absentee bidding, I don't let the prospect of not winning prevent me from leaving a bid. Though when leaving a bid, one probably is achieving what you describe: Running up the bid so the competition pays more.

It took me some time to get away from the emotional context, but I am better off for it.

Auctions are funny thing......

[larryh]

Brad,

Yes I agree, sometimes you can get too involved in who is buying what and what they paid. Maybe I have fallen into that trap. It just so happened that the category of record I was looking for seemed to be tied up often by this buyer with a seemingly endless budget. It won't do any good on my part to worry about it.
I know what you mean about people disappearing after a while. For a long time someone was bidding against me on nearly every Edison I wanted and usually they got it. But they have long since faded from the scene it seems. It is often surprising though when something a bit unusual comes along how many people seem to find it and quickly run the price up. I have found also that sometimes single listings can be what people seem to scan and miss the same records in lots at times. I purchased a surprisingly nice bunch of records, many of which on their own were going much higher at times, but on listings of six each people seemed to miss them? I know I was quite surprised to get some good opera things that on their own normally would have gone much higher, but in the list of sets they seemed overlooked for the most part.

[Paal1994]

Larry,

I have experienced this a lot of times. And it happens very often that I overpay records I really want. Once I almost payed $53 for Blue Amberol 1592, "I'm the guy" by Billy Murray. And I have seen #1521 "By the light of the Silvery Moon" for crazy prices. These records are not worth this kind of money. I have also seen a lot of 78s overpriced.
And another thing that anoyes me is the ones who put in a bid 5 seconds or so before it ends! Since I live in Norway, the timezones are different. So on many auctions I can't watch it before it ends. If I'm outbid I always look on the list where it stands how the bidding went. And very often I see that someone has bid only a few seconds before it ended, and somehow they always bid right over my maximum bid...

Paal.

[barnettrp21122]

Larry,

I have experienced this a lot of times. And it happens very often that I overpay records I really want. Once I almost payed $53 for Blue Amberol 1592, "I'm the guy" by Billy Murray. And I have seen #1521 "By the light of the Silvery Moon" for crazy prices. These records are not worth this kind of money. I have also seen a lot of 78s overpriced.
And another thing that anoyes me is the ones who put in a bid 5 seconds or so before it ends! Since I live in Norway, the timezones are different. So on many auctions I can't watch it before it ends. If I'm outbid I always look on the list where it stands how the bidding went. And very often I see that someone has bid only a few seconds before it ended, and somehow they always bid right over my maximum bid...

Paal.

I understand all this, since I regularly make last-second bids. I do it as much to keep myself from bidding further if I'm under the last final bid.
I use a free bid-sniping service when I can't be at the computer. Here's a link to it. You get three free bids a week, and can pay to have enhanced services. I like it a lot:

http://www.auctiontamer.com/bidtamer/btintro.php

Remember too, that any final bid will always be Ebay's incremental advance, depending on the underbidders maximum. So if your max is $20.00, you'd lose the bid by fifty cents, even though the high bidder's max might have been $50.00. You never know that though, unless you keep bidding!

Also, if you have radio-controlled wristwatch, such as the Casio "Wave-Ceptor" models (a lot are listed on Ebay) you'll have the same exact time Ebay uses for its auction site. This might not be helpful to those outside the USA, but it works well for me!
Bob

[Steve]

Larry

Please don't take this the wrong way (you know me better than that! ) but maybe you should take a break from it for a while like I am. Frankly I couldn't care less who's buying what as I'm not "looking" at the present time. Getting upset about losing auctions to someone you don't even know, is pointless exercise. Go out and enjoy the air a bit. Crikey, we're getting hot weather and sunshine over here at the moment. Phonos couldn't be much further from my mind. So why am I even here? Ah well, you can get too much of a good thing and the sun's over-rated anyway!

But I'd rather be sunburnt than potentially getting my fingers burned by "running up" over-eager buyers on Ebay.

Steve

[EdisonSquirrel]

I find that it is best to decide in advance what one is willing to pay for an item and bid accordingly. Bidding impulsively or out of revenge is not an appropriate way of engaging in a financial transaction. Be mindful also that one's income should play a role in determining what one pays for an item. For example, a $200 bid on a Billy Murray cylinder may be reasonable for a person earning $20 million a year, but foolish for a person earning $20 an hour.


Rocky

[gramophoneshane]

I think you either want something or you don't, or you don't care either way.
If I see a record I can't live without, I'll think nothing of placing a sniper bid of $200-300 to make sure I get it. The most I've paid for a 78 was about $122 I think. 10 years ago I would have spent that much on my booze at a night club & p***ed it against a wall the next day lol.
If it's something I don't care either way about, then I place a more sensible bid at the last minute. If I win it, well & good but if not another one will come along.
I buy things for my self enjoyment, not so I can think I've made a wise investment or got something on the cheap. If I end up paying twice what it's worth, I really don't care because to me happiness doesn't have a price, life's too short, and you can't take it with you when you're gone.

[Steve]

I buy things for my self enjoyment, not so I can think I've made a wise investment or got something on the cheap. If I end up paying twice what it's worth, I really don't care because to me happiness doesn't have a price, life's too short, and you can't take it with you when you're gone.

The sun's still shining.......(3 days in a row. Is that a "record"? )

I agree entirely with Shane on this very point. I've probably paid a lot more than some other collectors would have for most of my machines BUT whenever eyebrows have been raised about the price, I've always challenged the surprised person to find me another identical specimen in as good a condition for less money. In 18 years, I've never had an offer! Surprise, surprise. I know some collectors who have been "waiting to find" a particular machine for a specific price for over 20 years and as such have ignored more expensive examples that have come along. Personally, unless you want to remain without in perpetuity, I can't see the point. Life is indeed too short. What's the point of being an interested collector if you never actually get to collect anything?

[larryh]

Thankfully as I expected I will not be buying some pretty expensive records as I have the usual "outbid" notice this morning. I know some of you think I am just obsessing and perhaps I did, I am considering that. But I think if he is willing to pay no reason not to let him!

[Paal1994]

I understand all this, since I regularly make last-second bids. I do it as much to keep myself from bidding further if I'm under the last final bid.
I use a free bid-sniping service when I can't be at the computer. Here's a link to it. You get three free bids a week, and can pay to have enhanced services. I like it a lot:

http://www.auctiontamer.com/bidtamer/btintro.php

Remember too, that any final bid will always be Ebay's incremental advance, depending on the underbidders maximum. So if your max is $20.00, you'd lose the bid by fifty cents, even though the high bidder's max might have been $50.00. You never know that though, unless you keep bidding!

Also, if you have radio-controlled wristwatch, such as the Casio "Wave-Ceptor" models (a lot are listed on Ebay) you'll have the same exact time Ebay uses for its auction site. This might not be helpful to those outside the USA, but it works well for me!
Bob

Thank you for the link Bob.
I'll have to try next time there is a record I really want on eBay!

Paal.