Do get caught up in bidding, research!!!!

[Carrera1963]

Yep, I snipe bid (manually) as @kronin323 suggests, so it's not possible to get caught up in a bidding war (on eBay at least, in auctions where a bid extends the duration, it can still happen).

No room for remorse either, you put your max in and you either won or you didn't.

It was a case of "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" as I was losing all my early attempts at buying to last minute snipes, so had to adapt my tactics. The one drawback is it does leave you exposed to sellers who are willing to end early so you don't get that chance to snipe. That seems more prevalent now than it was.

 

[SiRacer420]

The one drawback is it does leave you exposed to sellers who are willing to end early so you don't get that chance to snipe. That seems more prevalent now than it was.

True story. I've lost out on several sweet deals this way.

 

[oz-olskool]

Yes we do get caught up but
Just need to be smart about it.
I hate when you throw a bid on something early. Forget about it and then get the email you have won.
Doh I didn't think I'd get that for the price.
But time to pay.

 

[kronin323]

I was losing all my early attempts at buying to last minute snipes

That was me haha...

 

[MJLSr]

I've found myself getting caught up in bidding when I was not clear on the valuation of the item. If I start by determining the value of the item, calculating the most I am willing to pay, including any shipping and/or consideration for eBay premiums - before I bid, then I seem to have a lot more control and rarely get caught up in bidding, with no buyer's remorse.

The key for me is once I reach that valuation I make a note of it. I write it down or type it into a notepad/textedit.

The point is when I draw the line, literally, with no negotiation, it most always turns out better for me. If someone else wants an item more and is willing to pay more good for them - they can have it.

I also don't mind placing an early bid on an item as a reminder if it is something I am very interested in. I do this in moderation with mixed results. I don't think the success rate for this approach is much different than when I snipe-bid only.

 

[joecool862]

Upon getting back into xmetals I made the rookie mistake of overpaying for a pair of used gen 1 plasma Juliets with fire iridium lenses. Paid $275!!!! And they needed a tune up and new lenses! Found this forum shortly thereafter and learned my lesson! Have definitely bought more metals from eBay but always factor in the cost of a tune up and new lenses (at this point I always assume a tune up and new lenses are needed, regardless of what the listing says- rarely I've been pleasantly surprised). Prefer to stick with the forum. Can usually trust the description and items that need work are typically priced as such. Love this place!