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[Reply #30 on:]

@Jonathan,
Yes, you get some nerd points, but not nearly as many as you'd get from, say, getting chipped!

[Reply #31 on:]

Gah! Bidding on a couple of items on Ebay today, and I got sniped on both of them!

I don't mind sniping, I just wished Ebay would force it to be "in person"; that is, somebody would need to be sitting behind a keyboard to do it. At least then, only the dihards would do it (that, or hire out a sniping sweatshop).

One of the items I probably won't -ever- see again up for bid; and if I ever do, it is likely to be considered an antique and valuable (say in 20 years). Really, I should've made my bid higher, but I was the only bidder (over a period of 5 days), and I had already set my max bid to 5x the opening bid price.

Then, 30 seconds to the end of bidding, the automatic snipers come in and swoop it up; sometimes I wonder if they even know what they are bidding on? I personally wanted this item for future usage, but also as an item for one of my collections.

I now wonder about a few things; 1) should I be using a sniping system myself, 2) if everybody in the world is sniping, what is the point (except for the sellers, who may see increased profits), 3) am I being stupid for "playing by fair rules"?

The last one really gets me, because I tend to do this in my day-to-day life; I am not one to cheat or lie. If I do see an advantage in my direction, and it is legal to "take that option", I will do so. I suppose one could file "using a sniping system" as such, but part of me sees it also as going against the idea of a fair and balanced auction.

Oh well - just wanted to get that off my chest; it isn't the first time its happened, probably won't be the last - I just "mourn" the loss of an item that I am not likely to see again at any affordable price in my lifetime.

My only consolation is that I can build a similar item fairly cheaply; I just won't have a piece of the history the item I was bidding on represents in my collection.

 

[Reply #32 on:]

1) should I be using a sniping system myself

From what you've described, yes.

2) if everybody in the world is sniping, what is the point (except for the sellers, who may see increased profits)

The point of sniping is to get the item at the lowest possible price with a bit of emphasis on both.  Basically, it adds an element of chance that you'll be able to get the item at a price below what the maximum bidder is willing to pay.

Which brings up a good point.  The folks at Ebay are the ones being (very) stupid.  If new bids are coming in, the auction should continue past the deadline.  By closing bidding at a fixed point in time they're leaving money on the table.  Not a particularly clever thing to do!

3) am I being stupid for "playing by fair rules"?

I wouldn't say "stupid".  I think "foolish" is a better choice of words.  

[Reply #33 on:]

I dont bother with ebay unless its a buy it now deal, I have never once won a bid, and most of the time I almost instantly see whatever I was bidding for back on sale

so poo on it

[Reply #34 on:]

I dont bother with ebay unless its a buy it now deal, I have never once won a bid, and most of the time I almost instantly see whatever I was bidding for back on sale

I also typically use Ebay as "buy it now" source; most items on the site are "new stock" anyhow.

But when I see certain items, even if not "buy it now" - items I know I will likely never see again (rare or antique), and would go good in one of my collections - I try to make a bid for them. A couple of times on certain items, I lost the bid, but the seller contacted me later offering me the item for my bid, or sometimes the high bid - because the winner wouldn't pay for it (I don't understand this - why would you bid on an item, then not pay for it?). This has netted me some really good deals (though it is against Ebay's policy)

I can only hope that the same will happen here with this item, but I am not counting on it...

 

[Reply #35 on:]

what item is it, usually "rare" and "vintage" means you can get a crapton of them for pennies by hanging out at at a place with other enthusiast

ie a "rare" apple IIc may be trying to get over 200 bucks on ebay, but hanging around the apple // group on google shows you can get one for less than 20 bucks

[Reply #36 on:]

what item is it, usually "rare" and "vintage" means you can get a crapton of them for pennies by hanging out at at a place with other enthusiast

ie a "rare" apple IIc may be trying to get over 200 bucks on ebay, but hanging around the apple // group on google shows you can get one for less than 20 bucks

One item was a VPL DataGlove Model 2 - glove, cables, controller box, and manuals. The other item was a Virtual Research Eyegen 3 HMD (slightly damaged, but nothing that couldn't be fixed).

In other words, both were "pro/research level" virtual/augmented reality items from the 1990s; and both still very usable for VR/AR research.

I collect such gear, and sometimes I even have time to play with it. I was wanting the glove more than the HMD (although it would've been nice to have, too), mainly because I don't have any VPL products in my collection of VR equipment. I can easily build such a glove; I have plenty of parts and knowledge to do that - but having a VPL product would've been nice.

I doubt that I will ever see another DataGlove on Ebay again - and if I do, I think it will likely be fetching more dollars as a "rare item from early VR days"; I'm really surprised it wasn't being sold this way already. Both items went for way below their value as research tools (looking at the way the snipers stepped in at last minute, if I had doubled my max bid on each item, I probably would've gotten both for only a little above the max bid amounts I originally set on them).