Re: [photo-3d] possible reasoning for eBay sniping

["Hershel Saylor" <saylor@xxxxxxx>]

I can offer my explanation regarding not bidding until the last minute.

If you bid early you have indicated that the item is desirable to have.
This causes other to want the item, since it must be a good thing to
have otherwise there wouldn't be any bids. Right?

By waiting to the last few minutes to bid you may very well get
the item for a lot less than the maximum you are willing to pay.
When you bid your maximum amount days before the auction
ends you give others extra time to raise their maximum bid amount.
Perhaps they need to get spouse approval or maybe call a friend to 
borrow more money until payday.  With late bidding they
don't have that option so the price may be lower for you.

Having attended live auctions for the past many years I have seen
this type of behavior.  Perhaps a spouse or partner has been 
in the restroom, at the snack bar, or maybe just wandering around.
When they return to find that an item they wanted has just been
sold, the harsh words begin, "Why didn't you bid higher?"  The
retort is, "Well, I certainly would have if I had known it was OK
to spend THAT much!"  

I have one friend who will only bid by sniping.  He waits just
for the thrill.  He get a kick sort of like gambling!  He waits until
the last 12 seconds to bid.

                                       Hershel

> This logic behind this type of bidding puzzles me.  If you have a
> maximum price you're willing to pay for an item, you should bid that
> price when you see the item.  If someone bids a higher amount, they'll
> get it because you weren't willing to pay more than your maximum bid. 
> If you go back and increase your bid, then the original maximum you
> placed wasn't really your maximum.