Klarinet Archive - Posting 000074.txt from 2002/05

From: Gary Van Cott <gary@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Bad behavior on eBay auctions
Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 23:29:30 -0400

In terms of eBay auction behavior I will agree with Ben.

However, there are many "real" auctions that work in a similar way to
eBay. This is very common in philatelic (stamp collecting) auctions. In
mail auctions, the winning bid would be set at one biding increment above
the second high bid. In floor auctions (all of which accept mail bids) the
bidding would open at one increment above the second high mail bid. The
high mail bidder will win the lot if no one on the floor places a higher
bid than the mail bid.

Gary
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ Gary Van Cott - Van Cott Information Services, Inc.
+ Clarinet, Saxophone, Flute, Double Reed Books and More
+ http://www.vcisinc.com/ --> VISA MasterCard Discover AmExp <--
+ P.O. Box 9569, Las Vegas, NV 89191, USA
+ Phone: 702-438-2102 Fax: 801-650-1719 Email: Gary@-----.com
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

At 10:39 AM 5/2/02, you wrote:
>Walter: First of all, I'd suggest that while your address is easy to find,
>not to post it in a forum that is publicly archived... (Just a suggestion to
>keep a shred of privacy in this not-so-private world).
>
>As for the practice called sniping... It is common on ebay. I've lost
>plenty of auctions to this behavior, but I've also participated in it as
>well. If there is something you want, you have two options. Bid now or Bid
>at the end. Ebay is not really a real auction so the "going, going, gone
>doesn't really apply." Anything is "fair" until the last second. If you
>have bid as high as you want to go and you loose, it just means that
>somebody wanted it more. If you don't put in a bid for as high as you want
>to go, you've done yourself a disservice as it will automatically bid for
>you up until that price (another way it is not a "real" auction). I find
>that sniping only occurs on products that are really cheap. If the auction
>ends at or above market value for the product people won't snipe as it isn't
>worth the $$.
>
>Just my $0.02...
>
>--Ben
>
>Benjamin Maas
>Fifth Circle Audio
>Los Angeles, CA
>benmaas@-----.com
>http://www.fifthcircle.com

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