Re: [MOPO] AN INCENTIVE NOT TO SNIPE AT EBAY

[J R]

Yeah, except the system was NOT originally "set up" this way. Originally there was no such thing as computer-automated "sniping" at the last second. If you wanted to place a last second bid, you had to actually watch the auction close and wait just as long as you dared to click the SEND button to try and slip in that last over-trump bid in the few seconds before the auction closed. If you cut it too close, your bid didn't get in, so this left enough real-time for humans to do active last-minute bidding and counter-bidding. Now it happens all off-screen in cyberspace where the sniper computers duke it out in milliseconds. Since they are using the safe, logical maximums their users plugged in days ago, without any real emotion or excitement, the final price is often far lower than it would have been if those same people had been forced to bid in person, keyboard-to-keyboard in that last minute or two. That is how it was "set up" originally and it worked very well -- if you check the historical price databases, you will see that during this period the highest prices were being realized all across the board on eBay. Why? Because with that original set up people did place their opening bids earlier. Then someone trumped it. They got to thinking about it (in their minds perhaps they were already visualizing the poster on their wall...) and so they decided they were willing to "pay a little more" and entered a counter-bid. Real bidding contest would develop (just as they still do at live auctions) and prices were worked up, often above the sacred "I'm only going to bid so much and not a dime more" logical figure that people like to set early in an auction. The final last-second bids were often just the icing on the cake, adding even more to the price.   The automatic sniping programs have ruined all that -- and I appreciate any seller who tries to find a way to get back to some of that ol' time online auction excitement. But I'm afraid they won't have much luck. The others are right in saying that the sniping technique has now become so firmly embedded that most people feel this is the way it is supposed to be, and should be, and that it is wonderful and won't do it any other way. Too bad.   The idea of putting in a price of "I will only pay this much and no more" was always there, by the way. You simply put in your hidden maximum bid and the system incremented the price up to your maximum during the course of the auction as other bids came in -- but that approach allowed for the price to rise during the course of the auction and for people to "stake their claim" and it allowed time get that bidding-contest thought process going (i.e., "I'm not gonna let this bozo who's been bidding me up all week steal it at the end for one more measly dollar!").   I think the original set-up was better, more interesting and exciting --and I'm a buyer, not a seller. For sellers, I think the original set up was great. But of course I personally do use a sniping program myself on eBay these days -- you have no choice. You have to use one in self-defense if you want to stand any chance of getting the poster at all. Like I said: too bad -- it's nowhere near as much fun as it used to be. Could this be yet another reason why eBay sales are down? Because it's not much fun anymore?   By the way, no auction sniping programs have yet discovered www.MoviePosterBid.com, so the potential for that ol' time auction excitement is still there at MPB. We've had nice some bidding contests as a result. I hope the sniper programs never support MPB -- but then again, I guess there are a lot of people out there who wouldn't even consider placing a bid at MPB just *because* they can't use their beloved sniper program.   And that's too bad as well.   -- JR ----- Original Message ----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, September 25, 2004 11:07 Subject: Re: [MOPO] AN INCENTIVE NOT TO SNIPE AT EBAY No they would not bid higher.  I check new listings daily and place my highest bid immediately with my sniping program.  I could care less what goes on during the auction after that.  I bid the most I would pay and that is all. On the other hand, if I have not seen an item until the last day, if there is a lot of action and the high bid is close to what I would have sniped or over, I ignore the item and do not even bid at all.  I believe your suggestion would not encourage higher bids but would encourage no bids at all. I agree with Kirby all the way.  Play the system the way it is set up. Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content. Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content.