19 Dec
2000
19 Dec
'00
3:26 p.m.
On Tue, 19 Dec 2000, Dave McGuire wrote:
- Bid odd amounts...not $150.00, but $156.56.
Shift to the high side
of ones or cents. Often people will bid even amounts like
$150.00 or slightly higher like $150.01.
Just bid $1 million. You'll be guaranteed to get it everytime.
- Know the "deep pockets" bidders.
People like "at90210",
"dimethyl", and "shirotori"...these folks have more money than
all of us put together, and have no qualms with spending it
to keep you from getting what you want if you piss them off.
Don't snipe the big spenders, or you'll never win an auction
again. It's as simple as that.
Wow, eBay mafioso.
- Know who your friends are. If you find yourself
constantly
coming up against the same person on stuff, send him or her
some email. Get to know the other person. Try to form some
sort of working relationship that facilitates communication
on a per-auction basis. Decide amongst yourselves who wants
or needs the item more. Concede once in a while. It's better
to have friends than enemies...and sometimes those friends
spot things that you may have missed.
Not that I plan to turn you in (as long as you send me $100 within the
next 2 weeks, e-mail me for my address :) but this practice is actually
illegal.
Is sniping morally wrong? I dunno, ask a priest.
Is it rude?
Definitely. But there are SO many people who do it, screw it. If you
snipe someone and can't live with yourself afterwards, then don't
snipe anymore. But if you're sick of BEING sniped, or of simply not
winning the auctions that you want to win, then go for it. It's a
cold, cruel world out there.
Unfortunately, eBay's retarded auction mechanism promotes the use of
sniping. As I've argued before, it encourages over-bidding.
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
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International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org