eBay hurts my caveman brain

[prog]

Just took everything but the Wii game down from eBay. In the early part of the decade I was quite comfortable with eBay but I clearly don't understand this system any more; after four days my PS2 games each had zero bids but several "watchers". I am not sure what that means - I assume they were using an internal bookmarking service? - but whatever these "watchers" were doing they couldn't be bothered to make a $1 opening bid on any of the games, and that's just odious. No game for you. (Present company excluded, of course.)

The Wii game has nine watchers but three bids so that's OK. Seriously, though, is it just sniping? Has it advanced to such an art in the last few years that nobody bids like normal anymore?

This system would be less broken if any bid extended an auction's cutoff by an hour. I have been saying this for years. Bah.

Comments

[toastifer.livejournal.com]

Why extend the auction? That just forces you to be at the auction at the end. So instead of getting rid of snipers, it makes EVERYONE a sniper. It eliminates the possibility of sniping software, and ties up your money and bid for longer...preventing you from bidding on another auction that may also be ending soon. I wouldn't want to accidentally win 2 items...or none at all.

Its not the last bid that wins, it is the highest, no matter when it is placed. Having someone else bid does not increase an item's value. My budget doesn't increase because someone else placed a bid. eBay's proxy system allows anyone to place a bid...and only the amount needed to stay in the lead is used. If you only bid the minimum needed to take the lead, you will lose to someone who bids later than you EVERY SINGLE TIME.

So, why bid at the last minute? It prevents your bid from being nibbled up by indecisive bidders...or artificially (and illegally) boosted by a dishonest seller, or his friends, on a secondary account.

I bid once. At the maximum I'm willing to pay. At the last moment possible. I win, more often than not. I never pay 'too much'. And if I lose, I remember there's always two of any 'one of a kind item'.