It's sellers who trigger that. They can send a deal to people watching an item.

 

Yes, I believe so. Although she's not the calculating type (as far as I know?) We've been together since 1978. it's conceivable that she figured I spent way less on these 7 computers - less than $900 total, and got almost all of it back - than she spends on a single pair of Chanel or Balmain boots. "Let the big galoot have his fun, as long as he doesn't pay attention to what I'm buying..." Good strategy if that is indeed what she was doing. It worked!

 

My ex was fairly tolerant of my hobbies- I used to work the cost of a token gift into the cost on things I bought for me that were “an expense” but one that came from my fun money savings. I would buy an amplifier, she woud get a handbag ( I had the list in my head of the ones on her want list- there were so many- and as a guy who carries a “man bag” murse, I totally get the allure of many bags).
When I bought my BMW M5, she got her Rolex- I literally worked that into the price of the car when moving my money around. We both walked always happy from that one.
As long as the eBay OCD doesn’t cause financial hardship (having to juggle bills because you couldn’t miss out on that incredible deal) and you can pull yourself away from the screen long enough to enjoy dinner and not being distracted the whole time thinking about ending auctions, or worse checking your phone at the dinner table- then you’ll probably be fine.

 

The chances are, as you said someone has offered a price they were happy with, probably outside of Ebay.

I believe if there is 12 hours or less then the auction needs to run?? Not sure why but I think I read that previously when I had the same thing happen.

There is a possibility there was an error with the listing? Although you would expect to see the same item appear back under another listing...

 

Oh, you got me started on old computers. We used to have several electronics junkyards around town and I frequented them all. One day I won an auction for a Compaq II Portable; one of those suitcase sized computers that were portable, but just barely. I brought it home, ready to hear some flames and when my wife saw it, she lit up and said "I used to haul one of those all over the United States. Does it work? Let's turn it on and see!"

One of my kids had to come over and put my jaw back in place, just like in the cartoon.

 

I've noticed this a lot lately. I will be watching something with an idea of what I'm willing to bid up to when it will suddenly disappear and I'm pretty sure it's gone for less then I would have paid.

I've taken to offering the low end of what I think the item is worth if it's something I'm interested in whether they have make an offer or not. I'm not trying to con anyone here I'm just trying to avoid losing to an early ending. If they say no I haven't lost anything but at least I know it's not likely to disappear for less than I would have been willing to pay and sometimes you get it for lower than your offer anyway in the end.

Sometimes I will watch an item that is overpriced in the hope they will come to their senses and lower the price or accept an offer I make that is more realistic. I had an odd exchange over the last couple of days with something like this.

Watch was up with a starting bid of £199.
Way overpriced for the condition but I asked a question as I wanted to check something out.
The reply came back with an an answer and saying how wonderful the watch was and worth at least £150.
Odd, I thought, for a starting price of £199 but let it go.
The auction finishes without a sale and I get an email from the seller saying if I'm interested I can have it for £80.
This is more in the right area but probably more than I'd want to pay and I'd just made a couple of other purchases so was only really interested if it was a bargain. I let him know I'd think about it.
He emailed straight back. 'Have a think but now it's £100 and nothing less'!

He must have thought I was haggling for a better deal but I don't know how people like this think it's going to help them sell. I'm certainly never going to buy that watch or probably any other from him.

 

I had a similar exchange a few days ago and shared it with @WYO_Watch as he and I commiserate over this kind of crap:

Was watching a Wyler 660 HD (have become interested in their watches lately) which was priced on the high side but seemed clean with factory BOR.


but there was this strange dark blog on the bottom of the dial by the 6.


I looked closely and it appears that the 1 lume plot (which is large) has fallen off and fell to the bottom of the dial fully intact.

Not a big deal to have reapplied by my guy. I reached out to the seller to ask if the blob was indeed the lume plot so I could know what I was looking at. His response:

“No blob, lume is perfect.”

So I took a blown up screen shot of the blob and sent it to him saying

“Not trying to be nasty, I’m interested in the watch, just trying to get an idea of what I’m looking at”

His response:

“All lume is intact no missing lume, watch has been fully serviced by a professional”.

Next I see, he has jacked up the BIN price from $595 to $950! I was tempted to fire off a nasty-gram but I just I took it off my watch list to make my point. I hate people sometimes.

@WYO_Watch then responded with this screen shot



This is why I love you guys!

 

Some people have delusions I think.

I was watching a pocket watch that I didn't really want to spend a lot on but I was interested in as an example of something I was researching.

It had gone through eBay twice with a starting price of $90 and no takers. So I thought I'd offer $50 with a bit of room to move up. Was rejected and failed to sell and was relisted. I offered $50 again, not even a reply this time.

Failed to sell again and he relists it with a BIN of $450!

 

It’s as if they don’t want to sell it! The Wyler has been up there for a while since it obviously has a few issues and was priced high at $600 (by twice what it should have been BTW), anyway. It’s clear that the minute someone expresses interest, they think they can hold out for more.
If you look at the sales history for most of these guys, it’s garbage- they are weekend flea market pickers (profiteers) who think they are the next Rockefeller. If you look at the watch sellers who move volume (not talking the $$$$ watches, but ordinary stuff), they pretty much give it away- priced to move and reasonable offers considered- that’s the way to sell! I have several of these sellers saved as they consistently put up gems among the dreck and price to get it gone.

 

Had a reserve, maybe?

 

I agree. The first guy was odd from the start. I had asked for a picture if the inside case back to get the serial and date it. He came back with 'oh trying to see if there is a broad arrow or other military markings are you?' and the spiel about it being worth £150. I said no I want to see the serial number like I said.

The pocket watch was worth the $90 to be honest but I didn't 'need' it and it was only that I was interested because of the research and I thought if I can get an example for a good price then that would be good. It was coming from Russia and with postage was a bit of a gamble. How he thinks he's going to sell it for $450 when he couldn't get a bid for $90 I don't know.

 

My approach with ebay lately has been to list something with a BIN price that is around 25% higher than what I would sell if for and accept offers so that people can feel like they’re getting a decent deal. If I don’t get any bites after a few weeks, I’ll use the “send offer to buyers.” feature that @wsfarrell mentioned. It has been working out reasonably well, and avoids any disappointing auction results.

Now for a pet peeve - trigger happy snipers! I get fairly annoyed when I’m watching the last few minutes of an auction and people start dropping bids in the last 1 - 2 minutes. You’ve sat on this auction for a few days at least, and you can’t wait another short moment to bid in the last 10 seconds like any decent bidder would?

Surely I’m just annoyed because it’s driving up the price on an item I was hoping to catch for a deal, but I’m usually muttering to myself, “What are doing?!?!” when I see those last minute bids popping up. Wait until the last 10 seconds and roll the dice with the rest of us! Jeez...

 

Your approach sounds wiser and less frustrating than my sniping efforts, and I have no problem with people dropping bids in the final hours of an auction. It’s the last minute bids that seem like over-eager snipers to me, but that could be my imagination. Maybe I just need to chill out a tad

 

I use a sniping service as well for certain things (other times I’ll just drop a bid of what I want to pay and walk- if I get it- awesome). The sniping service bids in the last 6 seconds and will escalate until it hits my max- so if someone else is using the same type of service, you’ll see rapid fire bidding within the last 10 seconds....and I assume some dude sitting at his keyboard trying to keep up, lol!

I will add, sniping services cost money, so I only use mine if I really want it. If you’re going to put a bid of $500 on a Speedy then your’e wasting your money. But if you know something has a typical value of $5.5k, and you are willing to go to $6k, and you put your max snipe at $6.1k, you may get it for $5k or lost it to someone who was willing to go to $6,125 and wanted it more than you...who knows. But I have won more than I have lost with sniping but am realistic about what something is worth to me.

 

I wouldn't mind if someone did a write-up (or pointed me to a good one) on the pros & cons of a couple different sniping services. That they exist is news to me.