Ever been HAPPY to be outbid...?

Zerogee

Zerogee

Clencher's Bogleman
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Have you ever had the experience of putting a speculative bid on something just for the hell of it, then watching as the end time draws near and no-one else has bid, and thinking "Oh God, I really didn't want that after all..."?

Just almost happened to me, thankfully someone else outbid me in the last five minutes, and saved me from having to buy something that I really neither needed nor should have bid on in the first place! :D

Jon.
 
I think i did have one occasion where I put a wee bid on and THEN read the description in detail! Same as you.... didn't get outbid until the last moment.

Must admit mostly I'm just playing the "speculative opening bid" gambit these days and don't expect to win. Got to save for a 1:1 scale car:rolf:
 
I have done this too. It is even more of a relief when you have a look for the item elsewhere and see it cheaper than the bid you have placed. I now do my homework first, and never bid or pay more than 2/3 of the new price. I also now ask myself whether I really need that particular item and if I can justify it to swmbo, as well as giving myself time to get over that 'god, I haven't seen one of them before', or ' I've been looking for that for a long time' feelings.
 
I never bid until close to the end of an auction - can't see any point in bidding earlier as it just helps to up the price. I always decide up front how much I am prepared to pay at the very most and never go above that amount. This way I am usually outbid before I am ready to bid.
 
yes
but i bid what i am willing to spend
i have bid on sometimes 8-9 items at once-hedging that ill probably be outbid on all-
but also willing obviously to buy all if i am successful

and nowadays that is usually 'low'
seesm ebay brings out a very competitive aspect in people-beyond the mere aspect of purchase-its also victory or defeat

and of course -once i bid on two items -only one of which i needed or wanted-and won both

and other times one gets excited and bids before reading the fine print or taking a long look at pics-this can be a real problem
 
Chris M said:
I never bid until close to the end of an auction - can't see any point in bidding earlier as it just helps to up the price. I always decide up front how much I am prepared to pay at the very most and never go above that amount. This way I am usually outbid before I am ready to bid.
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Yes, something like that is USUALLY my tactic as well, Chris, unless it is something that I really, really need (read: really really WANT...). Place bid at the max that I'm prepared to pay for it, then don't look at it again till it's over.
In this case, however, it was something that had already done one cycle round ebay and been relisted, no takers, and with a day or so to go I though "what the heck" and shoved on a bid a few quid above the start price..... If I'd got it it would have been a great bargain - but like Monty Python's Piston Engine, if you don't really need it then it isn't really a bargain whatever the price, so in the end I was quite relieved when someone pipped me to it!

Jon.
 
I find that is can be a form of gambling, If you win you get something you sort of want, and if you lose yu just get nothing and it doesnt cost you anything.

and I have found that persistance pays off, if you keep putting on silly bids or bidding 2/3 of the price you do tend to win.
 
I bid on a set of points and some track recently and was out-bid an hour or so later. As I'd put my max on I didn't look at it again 'til I got a message that the out-bidder had withdrawn his bid (there were still several days to go). I won the item as nobody else bothered. Strange, and the price was right!
 
oh yes, i bid on a generator, I was taken in by the remote start feature..... Fortunatley I was outbid by $5 the thing weighed 42kG, I could never have carried it despite its suitcase like appearance
 
38thfoot said:
I once bid on a Dakar Rallye bike when a little tipsey.
Not sure how I was going to get it bacj from france if I had won.........

Luckily I didn't.

38
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Alcohol and eBay seldom mix well.... :rolf:

Jon.
 
Zerogee said:
Alcohol and eBay seldom mix well.... :rolf:

Jon.
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True, though it nearly worked to my advantage a few years ago, I was negotiating with a German dealer over some Märklin items by email and he admitted to having one or two beers too many, so I put in a low offer and he said he was considering it....

Sadly he sobered up quite quickly in the morning before we concluded our business!
 
Yes, but I usually had only bid less than I might be prepared to go to, but have had a narrow escape or two. Main problem is not starting anyway. I'm at present sitting on my hands over a 99p HO loco coming to the end of its sale time. It's wrongly described which is probably why nobody is going for it and it's a rubbish model anyway; but......................99p for a conversion to 0n30??? Stop me, someone.
 
the best way for bidding i have found out is set your limit and dont go over.
dont forget at sometime there will always be another one.
 
I found myself hoping to be outibd recently,

I put a speculative opening bid 0f £60.00 for this:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aristocraft-SD45-Seeboard-Livery-G-scale-/120711844958

As it got closer I began to think, oh no can I really be bothered to drive 110 miles to Preston.

When I got the emial saying I'd won it, rather than thinking oh I got a bargin, I thought Darn thats a long way to drive.
It worked out for me though as I did the drive in work time so got paid to go collect it, and it is in super condition looks like new .
 
Chris M said:
I always decide up front how much I am prepared to pay at the very most and never go above that amount. This way I am usually outbid before I am ready to bid.
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Frequently - but at least we're not stupid :rolf::rolf::rolf:
 
Yep, recently saw someone pay over £7 for a packet of Aristo track screws on auction, new price from Jeremy (BEFORE forum discount) is £4.70....... :rolleyes:
 
Hi

Bid for something, I forgot I already had; just after I pressed the buton!
Fortune smiled and I was outbid by 50p at the last moment.

That'll teach me

Regards to one and all
 
Glad you got that one, I was going to drive to Newcastle via ' but got the train instead,
Dave Hub said:
I found myself hoping to be outibd recently,

I put a speculative opening bid 0f £60.00 for this:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aristocraft-SD45-Seeboard-Livery-G-scale-/120711844958

As it got closer I began to think, oh no can I really be bothered to drive 110 miles to Preston.

When I got the emial saying I'd won it, rather than thinking oh I got a bargin, I thought Darn thats a long way to drive.
It worked out for me though as I did the drive in work time so got paid to go collect it, and it is in super condition looks like new .
Click to expand...

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