General Forum

Hey all! I just wanted to share this awesome lot on eBay I managed to snipe!  I won 39 cards from 1959 Topps Football for a little over $1 each after tax + shipping!  Some of the highlights include 3 HOFer rookie cards and a 3rd-Year Bart Starr for my PC!  After looking through a bunch of eBay sales and my Beckett magazine, I believe that the lot could POSSIBLY be worth up to $232 (not saying it is, saying it could be)!  Here's a link to the listing https://www.ebay.com/itm/304030302058

Nice!!! I think you probably got your money's worth on the Bart Starr card alone, the rest of the lot is a bonus. Excellent find!

Thanks!  I'd definitely say that this is one of my top-5 eBay snipes.

Is a 'snipe' when someone uses software to bid up something in the last 5 seconds of a listing? If so, good for anyone getting a good deal, but the tactic is obnoxious. If not, good deal nonetheless.

I classify sniping something as manually placing a bid with 2 seconds left and praying the other bidder(s) don't use bots  😅

Ahh, gotcha. The bots are the ones that drive me crazy. I'd rather be beat out by a live human than someone automating it all, even if it's pretty much the same difference of losing the auction.

Congrats on the pick up.

On the "sniping" note, does anyone know if there is a specific reason eBay auctions do not "auto-extend" if there is a bid in the last few seconds?

I have only just started using eBay and the image of dozens of people sitting waiting until the final seconds to make a bid and praying it is the highest amuses me greatly.

I remember some people used to talk about "auto-extending" on the old eBay chat boards. Never went anywhere. For one thing it would drive the snipers away. I know I would not participate in open-ended auctions. And I'm sure eBay is well aware of this.

The first time I got sniped my initial reaction was "hey, that's not fair." After thinking about it, I changed my mind and figured it's probably the best bidding strategy. Bid once, bid late and let the chips fall where they may. Most of the time I'll use a sniping service to place my bid so I don't even have to be awake when the auction concludes.

I actually avoid auctions unless it's something that I really want. I much prefer "Buy It Now" to the hassle of auctions even if it means that I sometimes pay a little more.

Sorry, what is the down side of auto-extending? I would think it gets more for the seller and hence more for eBay?

That's the only time I bid on ebay  I figure why place a low bid early.  I know what I'm willing to pay for the card so I put that as my maximum bid in the last seconds of the auction.  A majority of the time I win the auction this way, sometimes someone else was willing to pay more.  Simple as that for me.