Sniper bidding

[LtlBtl]

SCPC,
You can't be sure that you are losing by a dollar. That is just the next increment in bidding, it is no way a gauge to how much moxie is in someones proxy(or snipe).
I completely agree with Mike(AntiqueMeds)- if you want to be a Serious collector, you gotta use them. And I don't either.
To me it really doesn't matter. I bid what I am going to bid depending in duration of listing. I may pop an early bid below my max just to make sure listing isn't pulled by either "no interest" or someone offering to do a BIN. I'll then drop my 2nd w/a few hours to go at my max. If I win, great. If I don't someone with deeper pockets(not tough to have) or more interest(again not tough to have) gets it.
That's is why i am not a serious collector. I don't get in bidding wars, there is no Holy Grail, and I'll get another chance. Everything eventually comes up for sale again and you just gotta outlive some people to do it. Based on what i see at hobby shows, that won't be too hard.
From a sellers pov, sniping takes some of the drama out of it. We all love seeing our items get multiple bids from different buyers early. All that really matters, though is who is highest regardless of when they got there.

 

[LtlBtl]

SCPC,
i should have written you can't be sure that was the other bidder's high bid. You could have gone up 10.00 and still lost by a dollar. until you see an odd number that isn't a logical bid increment, there is/was still juice in the other person's tank.

 

[LtlBtl]

And, I should add, that you can be a serious collector without using it. you just have to have a little deeper pockets to put in early bids and still win with people picking at it. and still fight off those who come in at end who now may know that there is more competition.

 

[SC pontil collector]

Your right, I could be losing by $5.00, $20.00, $100.00. Its whatever the sniper bidder have put into the system.
Most sniper bidders that I have talked with put in a range they're willing to bid. Most just put in a dollar over the highest bid with about 1 to 2 seconds left, so they have a very good chance of winning.
Yeah, I don't want to spend anymore money than I bid on the item. I don't want get into bidding wars and refuse to. I don't need to win everything under the sun. They are just bottles or trade cards or fabric or fishing equipment. Yes, they;ll come up again and again.
It just bothers me that when I see the auction was won for one dollar more than what I bid.
Its the reality of today's world. Some of it is good and some of it sucks.
SCPC

 

[ktbi]

I always put in a bid equal to the opening amount just to get things going, and as LtlBtl mentioned - to keep it from being pulled or BIN. I then set my max price and throw that bid in the mix sometime within the last hour. My max bid is always a mix of what I'm comfortable paying and what I'm comfortable losing by a dollar. I win a few and lose a few. Sometimes, I don't even throw in that last bid as my max is nothing more than a feeble yelp from the corner. I'm patient though. Another one will show up sooner or later. Meantime, there's other bottles.....Ron

 

[SC pontil collector]

I have to say that I agree with the philosophies expressed by everyone that has posted on this thread.
I remember attending bottle shows and missing a bottle by the length of someone's arm reaching the bottle first.
You know, it was called sniper reaching.
To everyone that has posted, thanks.
SCPC
p.s. still hate losing by a dollar

 

[AntiqueMeds]

bottle shows and missing a bottle by the length of someone's arm reaching the bottle first

I love when you pick up a bottle to buy it and set it down to take money out of your pocket and someone grabs it[]
You need the kung fu grip once you find a keeper.

 

[glass man]

At a flea market once I was just turning into a stall where the seller was taking items out of a box to sell and right at that moment he pulled out a mint label under glass Moxie syrup bottle!

Only one buyer was there and bought it for 8 bucks as I watched in horror...well I talked to the buyer and found out he didn't even collect bottles.I guess I should have offered him 20 bucks or something,but I told him he had just bought a great item and though I didn't know the exact worth if he took it to the up coming Atlanta bottle show he could ask around and find out.I also gave him my phone number....he called was real thankful and excited,because he was told it was worth a good deal of money...did I do right/wrong?

It made me feel good that he was happy,but if I had been there just a minute or so earlier I would not have got sniped!OH WELL!JAMIE

 

[SC pontil collector]

Hey,
How about when a dealer shows up a little late and there is a crowd milling about. I've seen it look like a feeding frenzy around the dealers table.
The dealer can't get the bottles out fast enough and answer the one question that everyone is asking, "how much?"
Yeah, that kung fu grip comes in handy sometimes. You learn not to even put a bottle down when your reaching for the money to pay for it.
I guess the term "sniper" has many meaning depending on the situation.
SCPC

 

[SC pontil collector]

Hey Glassman,
That is very classy to have done that. You have some heart and morals, wish more of us would do the right thing.
ScPC