Post #79208 by Swanky on Thu, Mar 4, 2004 12:06 PM

It used to be the case that there were 3-4 high bidders out there and if a new mug came up, those guys bought very high and then the price got reasonable as new ones emerged. Now the names of big bidders are new people. The market just keeps going up.

As for sniping: In an auction, if you have a lot of bidders, it's good for the seller. If you have a few bidders, it's good for the buyer. By it's nature, Ebay always has a lot fo bidders. The only thing the buyer has to their advantage is the time limit. If you bid as late as possible, you keep the prices low. Otherwise, the auctions always favor the seller and high bids.

As a seller, I want bids all week long. As a buyer, I want no bids at all, or, in the last 3 minutes. It also keeps you from going past your set limit.

I don't know anything about software for that. I just try to wait to the last minute and bid.

It also becomes important as a seller, when you post your item. A lot of people only go online at work. And a lot of people bid at the end. So, if you post your item at 5AM EST on Saturday, very few people in the US will be around when it closes to bid. If you post it at 5PM on Tuesday, the East and West coast will be at work when it ends. It's all perfectly logical...