Chicken bald back

[Ziggy]

It seems from some posts that some people here use and understand ebay, so I thought I'd ask if anyone can explain things for me, as it seems I don't get it.

I've rarely bid on anything on ebay, but have often used it for 'buy it now' items that I can't find anywhere else. I am trying to build up my photography equipment 'collection', and it seems all my birthday and xmas presents consist of equipment, but in an attempt to lighten to pressure on DH's wallet, I thought I'd look for some used equipment too, especially as back up or spares... Now I've found a couple of items that I like, and while I'm not desperate for them, I'd bid on them, but there are a couple of things I don't understand in the bidding business :

- first of all, why do people start bidding so early on? I see items where the bidding escalates quite significantly days before the listing ends... call me thick, but wouldn't it make sense for EVERYONE to wait and start bidding close the end of the listing, so the price stays down? I wait and see what happens to the items I'd like, and inevitably they reach huge sums days before the bidding ends... they're not very hard items to find, not collectables or anything, just common equipment I'm trying to save a few pounds on. Why do people escalate the bidding, and the final cost of the item, so quickly?

- second, and to my bidding-inexperienced mind, most puzzling, is the fact that this early bidding 'frenzy' often makes the price of a used item go above the 'new' price for this item at many retailers... why pay more for a used item, than you would for the same item in a shop????

Something tells me I'm missing something... Can anyone enlighten me?

Many thanks.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I've thought exactly the same about both things. I too have no answer .

[Olly]

I always leave it as late as possible to bid, for those very reasons.

 

I think people get caught up in the excitement of 'winning' and bid a little more, and a little more - or maybe they don't research the price of a brand new item? never understood it myself.

[Ziggy]

So it's not me completely missing the point after all... thanks

[soapdragon]

I always leave it until the last possible moment to bid but sometimes, when things finish at a hour that is inconvenient for me, I put in a bid earlier.

 

I do feel that, when an over bid has been left (ie; the starting price is 99p and the first bidder leaves a bid for, say, £5.00) people do keep on bidding just to see how high the first bid is - if you see what I mean - and this then pushes the price up. Mind you, sometime the red mist just descends!

[Cinnamon]

I never, never ever BID any more, I SNIPE

This is where you set up a program like Auction Sniper to bid for you at the very last second, therefore meaning almost no one can outbid you. I works beautifully.

 

as to why people bid, well there are several reasons.

Some get caught up in a bidding war.

Some may be going away & think they will miss then end of the auction, or are at work or something.

Some think that is what you are supposed to do, & some just like to bid!

 

As for the fact that items sometimes go for more than their retail value, well people just don't bother finding out the retail value.

Or they have money in their Paypal account that they want to use & an online site that sells the item doesn't take Paypal payments, or they are unwilling or unable to get out & buy it from the street, but don't trust online retailers.

 

But to be honest there really is no logic to eBay,so its a wasted effort trying to understand it

[bluekarin]

I don't understand why people pay over the odds, but Cinnamons suggestions seem quite valid. As for the first, I have bid on things early as I know I won't be there for the end of the auction and want to have a chance. I usually remember I wanted to bid on something the day after its ended

[The Dogmother]

The Boy does a fair amount of buying and selling on ebay and he's also come to the conclusion that there's little rhyme or reason to it sometimes.

[soapdragon]

I had an item that stuck around for a few listings - I was determined not to lower the price as I knew its worth and, sue enough, on the 5th time I relisted it I had a 'can I buy it now for some silly money' offer within 4 hours!