serleran

DougP · Post by **DougP** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 1:33 am

Did you just buy this on ebay?

"4 Creature Crucible supplements"

I was going to snipe it but didn't want to take it away from somebody who hangs out in some of the same places online.

--DougP

serleran · Post by **serleran** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 1:50 am

Yes, I just won that auction - the shipping price is ridiculous, though, so I fully expect to leave the seller a negative feedback. Had you sniped me, it would have been the fifth auction I lost tonight - 4 of them to the same bidder, and, at the last second (and, if you don't know me, then I'll just say I absolutely loathe eBay snipers - I prefer to do things the manual way and bid for myself and wait it out, not let some automated script-monkey do everything for me, but that's me.)

I also try to not bid on something I know someone else (from one of the forums I visit) wants - but, I don't many eBay "handles" so it happens. Also, some things are just too good to not try to win.

Tadhg · Post by **Tadhg** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 1:59 am

I loathe anyone who doesn't snipe. It's a legitimate bidding method. What's your eBay handle serleran ~ same as here??

I'm gunnin' for you . . .
[My thinking on sniping . . . it seems somewhat counterproductive for buyers to bid days in advance on products only to generate more notice of a product and thus more interest and bidding. That only helps the seller sometimes get more than the product is worth.

So I tend to wait until last minute, much like a real auction. I've only occasionally done last second bidding, more for the fun of it and the fact that many buyers are giant buyers and throw bids everywhere]

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serleran · Post by **serleran** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 2:05 am

Go for it. I already have some eBay stalkers. But, if you must know- my eBay name is very simple: serleran!

Oh, and I rarely bid days in advance - typically within the last hour or half hour (since I tend to only search for items ending within the hour) or BIN items. When I do, it is to let someone know I want it, and if they want it, they can expect the price to go higher, because I'm not done bidding.

guslandt · Post by **guslandt** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 2:15 am

I'm a sniper myself (and a long-time lurker, first-time poster). I do, however, do all my sniping by hand. Near the time the auction will end, I open it up in 2 browser windows. In the second window, I enter my bid but don't confirm it. In the first window, I just keep refreshing the auction page until it says there are less than 10 seconds left, then I flip to the second window and confirm my bid.

IMHO, people who hate snipers should just enter their max bid and forget about it.

Without sniping and/or just bidding your max and forgetting about it, people have a tendency to get emotional about the auction and end up overbidding, driving the price of the item beyond what it "should" be (what it should be is defined here as how much the item would sell for in a non-frenzy bidding war).

Before I figured out sniping, I was very guilty of this. I would see an item I figured I'd pay $30 for, and I'd bid $20. The next day I'd get outbid, so I'd bid $25. In the final 30 minutes of the auction I'd get outbid again and I'd bid $30. Continue this process frequently in the last 15 minutes of the auction and at the end I'd have won the item for $50.
Sniping keeps prices lower by removing the emotional factor. It doesn't destroy prices, since if everyone who wants it is sniping, the item will still go for a decent amount of money (you just need 2 snipers). In the above case, if I would have sniped at $30, and someone else at $29, then I would have won it for a more reasonable $30, instead of feeling like I way overpaid.

And yes, I understand it is 100% my fault for 'overpaying', but it's very common for people to get worked up in an auction bidding war. That's one of the reasons things sell at auctions instead of storefronts.

Harry Joy · Post by **Harry Joy** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 2:42 am

Man... And people think I'm nuts for not using Ebay. I prefer stores. If I like the price I buy it, if not I don't. And I have something tangible to come after if someone tries to screw me over. That, and I do not for one second trust folks grading their own product on Ebay. Here or on the trading forums at a major board like ENWorld? You betcha, and I've often successfully traded on Enworld and a couple of others. There's true accountability there [unless you are dealing with a certain relatively well-known RPG writer who flings his reputation around like a hammer].

DougP · Post by **DougP** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:06 am

I didn't realize I was starting a debate on the ethics & merits of sniping. No fighting on my account gents.
I'm still looking for a bunch of the old Known World, Mystara, Thunder Rift, etc. stuff to convert to C&C for my sons. If any of you guys have extras let me know.

DougP

Julian Grimm · Post by **Julian Grimm** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:13 am

I see sniping as cheating, unfair and dirty pool.
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gideon_thorne · Post by **gideon_thorne** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 4:22 am

Julian Grimm wrote:
I see sniping as cheating, unfair and dirty pool.

*chuckles* What about hunting snipe?
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Julian Grimm · Post by **Julian Grimm** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 4:26 am

Now snipe hunting is a different story. BTW you coming to White Hart this year. I know of a good place for snipe near my house. You could help me get a few.
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DangerDwarf · Post by **DangerDwarf** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 4:27 am

gideon_thorne wrote:
*chuckles* What about hunting snipe?

Its 7 years bad luck and a $1,000 fine.

gideon_thorne · Post by **gideon_thorne** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 4:28 am

Julian Grimm wrote:
Now snipe hunting is a different story. BTW you coming to White Hart this year. I know of a good place for snipe near my house. You could help me get a few.

I am.. just not sure what weekend. Its going to be a crazy couple of months for me.
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Julian Grimm · Post by **Julian Grimm** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 4:30 am

gideon_thorne wrote:
I am.. just not sure what weekend. Its going to be a crazy couple of months for me.

I haven't even heard what weekend they are having it. The website hasn't been updated for awhile and it will depend on haw things are going for us if I get to go or not.
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gideon_thorne · Post by **gideon_thorne** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 5:47 am

Julian Grimm wrote:
I haven't even heard what weekend they are having it. The website hasn't been updated for awhile and it will depend on haw things are going for us if I get to go or not.

It's three weekends actually. I believe starting next weekend.
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Julian Grimm · Post by **Julian Grimm** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 6:12 am

Hmm...It's going to depend on what the doctors say and how I am doing after that.
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shadoes · Post by **shadoes** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 10:51 am

I don't snipe. If I find something I like I set a watch on it and then near the end I will typically enter my max bid and if I get outbid I will reexamine to make sure it is really my max bid. Most of the time I only bid once though and come what may. I will not however pay more than I get something for retail that is just silly and it makes me laugh when people go into a frenzy and that sort of thing happens.

serleran · Post by **serleran** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 12:44 pm

Exactly, sort of. I will enter a bid, and hope to get it there, but it is not always my "max bid," as I may be willing to pay more, especially for something rare/obscure - however, I don't really care about losing: that is money I don't have to spend. It is annoying to lose to the same people, in the final seconds, time after time, but I guess that just means those same people want the same things I do... but, I consider automated sniping lazy, and boring. To me, half the fun of using eBay is counting down the final minutes after placing a bid in the last half hour or whatever; it is not going to some third party website and having a program do it for you. But, I did not mean to start a(nother) debate about sniping vs. real auctions...

So, if that's how you roll, good for you. I do not have to like it, and you do not have to agree with me. Just stay out of my bids.

Heheh.

Oh, and DougP... I bid on that auction for only two of the books - I don't want the other two. When I get them, maybe we can work something out.

DougP · Post by **DougP** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 2:24 pm

serleran wrote:
Oh, and DougP... I bid on that auction for only two of the books - I don't want the other two. When I get them, maybe we can work something out.

Thanks! I was only looking for three of them anyway. Sounds like 1 or 2 of yours will fit my bookshelf just fine. I'll be waiting.

Deogolf · Post by **Deogolf** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 2:46 pm

Bah! I detest eBay snipers!
I don't see it as anything similar to regular bidding at auctions. Never liked it, never have done it, and never will. It's just plain bad in my book. But, I know there's a bunch of guys who think differently. Oh, well, such is life. Doesn't make it right though.
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angelius · Post by **angelius** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:44 pm

I'm a confessed sniper. With well over a hundred successful "snipes" to my name.

For the sole reason that it is almost always cheaper to snipe than to bid.
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angelius · Post by **angelius** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:46 pm

Oh and the second reason... its because it prevents you from over-bidding. When you snipe you have one chance and if you dont win that's it. So it keeps my impulsive nature in check. :p
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Julian Grimm · Post by **Julian Grimm** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 5:39 pm

To me sniping ruins the fun of ebaying and auctioning in general. I love bidding wars and sniping just doesn't feel like I have legitimately won the item.
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Treebore · Post by **Treebore** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 5:47 pm

I hate sniping because until the last 30 seconds I thought I had won.
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Julian Grimm · Post by **Julian Grimm** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 5:53 pm

Exactly. Or some jerk does it to drive the price up when they know they're not going to win. I really wish Ebay could ban sniping all out or have a 'sniper tax' added on to the final price to shut the act down.
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angelius · Post by **angelius** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 6:12 pm

If you practice enough you can get it down to an art form with 4 seconds left. :p

Ebay is certainly not helping nowadays - they just put in a "1-click bid" button which makes it easier imho.
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sieg · Post by **sieg** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 6:21 pm

I'm with Harry Joy, I just say "No" to Ebay. I like auctions on accasion, but only in person. Auctions online just leave me cold.

So, I hang out at Noble Knight for my OOP gaming needs.
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serleran · Post by **serleran** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 7:09 pm

Well, that was neat - I just got a 2nd offer for something I was sniped on. That's good. I really wanted the damn thing, but didn't want to pay a lot for it.

shadoes · Post by **shadoes** » Tue Jun 17, 2008 8:46 pm

Be careful with those second offers Seralan. I got burned pretty hard on one not to long ago. Got a 2nd offer on a piece of software but what I got was not what was represented in the auction. On books I would imagine it would be okay but just be warned

Wulfgarn · Post by **Wulfgarn** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 4:47 am

Dont leave NEGATIVE FEEDBACK because of the Shipping good god man!!

Did he misrepresent or something?

Did he lie to you?

Good god Ill never sell to you on ebay

Julian Grimm · Post by **Julian Grimm** » Wed Jun 18, 2008 4:53 am

I can understand why he would. A lot of shipping costs are rather inflated IMNSHO. In fact I won't even look at sellers with a history of overly high shipping. Sorry but it doesn't cost more than 7 bucks to ship most books but some asswipes will damn near double that price to be d!cks.
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