Ebay Experience---"Brooks" Memorabilia

[Spirit of '55]

Friends:

Hopefully, this won't offend anybody here who sells/buys on Ebay.

Lately, I have been trolling the great ocean of Ebay for Brooklyn Dodger memorabilia, and have gotten a few good deals.

However, I find the Ebay universe rather disturbing for a number of reasons, chief among them the crummy habit of waiting until the last minute to post bids.

FOR OVER A WEEK, I was the only, then highest bidder on a 1953 World Series ticket stub---not an entire ticket, mind you, just a half that read, "gers." I had my bid around $60.00, a bargain, but I had no competition.

In the last two hours of the auction, I was joined by someone who pushed the price of the thing over the $200 mark. I dropped out at the $150 range with about 45 minutes left, so that means ANOTHER person came on board and drove the price up even further right in the final minutes.

Arguably, the ticket stub was worth the price, but the practice of leaving the auctions "open" 'til the last minute means you can be cheated of something with seven seconds left by someone who bids one cent higher than you and enters a maximum bid of $10,000.00.

Anyone else have a similar experience?

[sean138]

Hello, Yes, on many items. I bid on an old camera. It is worth about $15 and that is what I bid. I was out bid at the last minute. That didn't bother me until I bid on another one of the same model and was again out bid at the last minute by the same person. I caught on to the game with the 2nd camera since it was also the same seller. I like ebay but I do dislike some of the people who sell there.
Sean

[Captain Cold Nose]

It's called sniping. It's legit but maddening as heck. It's happened to me a few times. The only thing you can really do for something you really want is to bid as high as you are willing to pay for it right off the bat. For items such as sports memorbilia, eBay will sometimes have a page on your intro that highlights items ending soon. I figure the sniper does a search based on items that are ending that quickly and pounces.

There was one time I lost out to one and was able to get the item for much cheaper a day or so later through buy-it-now. That was very satisfying.

[Spirit of '55]

Hello, Yes, on many items. I bid on an old camera. It is worth about $15 and that is what I bid. I was out bid at the last minute. That didn't bother me until I bid on another one of the same model and was again out bid at the last minute by the same person. I caught on to the game with the 2nd camera since it was also the same seller. I like ebay but I do dislike some of the people who sell there.
Sean

Sean (& Friends):

What's to stop the seller or the seller's girlfriend from artificially inflating the price by bidding up under another name, as seems to be the case here?

Another story:

I bought an Ebbets Field replica for $1.00. Yeah, I know it was a cheap price, but the Danbury Mint plaque was missing, seriously reducing its value as a collectible. Since "collectability" wasn't my motive, I bid on it (no one else did) and won it. When it arrived it was in very good shape except for the missing plaque and two corner lampposts missing, a flaw I didn't realize until I saw the holes for them in the base.

OK, so that's why it was 99c and not the $49.95 new purchase price. Still a great deal. In my "Feedback" I (quite innocently) noted that the seller did not disclose all the damage, but that other things were grand. Well, I got the nastiest email back from the seller. Seems, "I'm lucky" that he didn't ruin my feedback standings in retaliation. Seems he "didn't know" about the missing parts, even though the holes are obvious.

Sure guy, that's why it was a buck and that's why nobody else bid. Fine. I didn't care about those things, I just wanted the piece, but hell, the seller should have listed all the shortcomings if he was selling it for a dollar anyhow. And I did NOT like that email from him. Bad karma that.

Any thoughts?

[six4three]

Sean (& Friends):
What's to stop the seller or the seller's girlfriend from artificially inflating the price by bidding up under another name, as seems to be the case here?

Nothing at all, except eBay rules. But I don't know how eBay can stop it.

Based on what you wrote, I don't agree that it "seems to be the case here." Sniping doesn't imply that the bids aren't legitimate, only that some bidders waited until the last minute to chime in.

I understand how frustrating it is, but I can also understand why people do it. I collect some very obscure items, and I recognize the usernames of others on eBay who share my interest. I often search for their usernames to see what they're bidding on, and presume they do the same for me. There's an incentive to keep your bids quiet as long as possible.

[ipitch]

Arguably, the ticket stub was worth the price, but the practice of leaving the auctions "open" 'til the last minute means you can be cheated of something with seven seconds left by someone who bids one cent higher than you and enters a maximum bid of $10,000.00.

Cheated? How is it cheating when everyone knows the rules in advance and no one breaks any rules?

I don't think you quite know how ebay works. You can't bid $10,000 and be the high bidder by one cent unless someone else bids exactly $9,999.99.

[ipitch]

Hello, Yes, on many items. I bid on an old camera. It is worth about $15 and that is what I bid. I was out bid at the last minute. That didn't bother me until I bid on another one of the same model and was again out bid at the last minute by the same person. I caught on to the game with the 2nd camera since it was also the same seller. I like ebay but I do dislike some of the people who sell there.
Sean

What's wrong with someone buying two of the same camera? :noidea

[Captain Cold Nose]

What's wrong with someone buying two of the same camera? :noidea

There is the possibility the buyer and seller are in cahoots to drive up the price of the camera. It's been fairly well documented. Of course, that doesn't explain the last minute buyer, though. Maybe a gauge of interest?

[Spirit of '55]

Cheated? How is it cheating when everyone knows the rules in advance and no one breaks any rules?

I don't think you quite know how ebay works. You can't bid $10,000 and be the high bidder by one cent unless someone else bids exactly $9,999.99.

Dear ipitch:

My comment was illustrative, not literal. But the point is, you can post a bid and a maximum bid at the last moment that can deprive a prospective buyer. I personally don't like the LAST MINUTE nonsense, and that has driven me off Ebay several times in the past.

The cat pounce. Maybe it's not cheating, but it is rather unethical, and that's why many auction houses use "closed" auctions as well as open ones. If you aren't in the door by 4 PM, don't bother coming. Frankly, I think Ebay should adopt a "no new bidders in the last half-hour" policy, but they won't. The Spirit of '55 is as nothing to the power of the Great Oom when it comes to the Almighty Dollar.

Personally, so far I despise the 21st Century. And I wasn't too crazy about the Bloodstained Twentieth, either.

[penncentralpete]

Some thoughts on bidding at Ebay: If you are bidding on an item, and see that one of the bidders (bid history) has a large number in () after his name, forget it. These are DEALERS, and their computers are PRE-SET to win that item (many times). You will NOT beat them, no matter what you bid. I don't know exactly how they do it, but believe me, you AIN'T winning that item! "Sniping" (bidding at the last possible second) is both legal and normal at Ebay. Do friends "help out" sellers to jack up the price of items....absolutely! If you are selling an authentic Duke Snider uniform jersey, and time is running out (and the highest bid is $2), you call your buddy, and tell him to bid $250. That way you don't "lose" the shirt for dirt-cheap, and you live to list it in the future. No way to really combat this. I've gotten MANY Brooklyn Dodger items on Ebay for very good bargains. The key to Ebay is PATIENCE. The item you crave will re-appear in a week or a month hence. Oh, and one more thing (from personal experience)....do NOT drink while perusing the items! Laugh if you want, but I've paid WAY over-price while buzzed!

[penncentralpete]

Oh, and I almost forgot. Do not buy Brooklyn Dodger books on Ebay. Look at amazon.com for your Dodger books. They are sometimes listed for 1 cent (yes, 1 penny) USED.

[ipitch]

But the point is, you can post a bid and a maximum bid at the last moment that can deprive a prospective buyer. I personally don't like the LAST MINUTE nonsense, and that has driven me off Ebay several times in the past.

But, all that is really happening is that another bidder is willing to spend more than you. It sounds like you keep getting your hopes up. When I bid on something on ebay, I plan to lose, but hope I win.

By the way, did you know that there are sniping services that will bid for you at the last second, even if you are away from your computer?

[ipitch]

Some thoughts on bidding at Ebay: If you are bidding on an item, and see that one of the bidders (bid history) has a large number in () after his name, forget it. These are DEALERS, and their computers are PRE-SET to win that item (many times). You will NOT beat them, no matter what you bid.

Sorry, but there's no such thing. People can "program" their computer to bid, but they cannot program it to win.

I don't know exactly how they do it, but believe me, you AIN'T winning that item!

It's no secret - they're just bidding more than everyone else. Some people have money to burn.

[penncentralpete]

Sorry, but there's no such thing. People can "program" their computer to bid, but they cannot program it to win.



It's no secret - they're just bidding more than everyone else. Some people have money to burn.

OK, OK, then they subscribe to "sniping services"......you get the point.....sometimes you just AIN'T winnin'!

[dodger dynamo]

deep discount .com has a lot of great prices although a limited number of dodgers books and video. I picked up "ebbets field, the greatest ball park ever" at a pretty reasonable price with free shipping. try Ioffer.com, I've found a lot of films there, out of print, lots of good stuff. Of course for original stuff, ebay is probably best. what I don't understand is the "no reserve" if your unwilling to let it go for less, then why put "no reserve" on it? I mean I know a lot of people jump in when it's cheap. Then as soon as it gets high they drop out. A reasonable reserve would solve a lot of problems, unless you really are willing to let it go cheap. It wouldn't stop the sniping, but the dealers (many unscrupulous) would at least have a price on it their willing to let it go for. That way you know ahead of time the minimum you have to come up with. I buy a lot of "buy it now" items. battlin bake the dodger dynamo.