Ebay Sniped at the Last Minute

RyanMW · 05-06-2019, 09:24 PM

A few times now I've been winning a bid until the very last minute when out of nowhere someone who has not bid on the card at all yet comes along and outbids me by $1, winning the auction. I often don't even know I've lost it until I've gone back and looked.

Interestingly, looking at some of these guys' bidding histories, it'll say something like 850 bids on 851 items. Meaning they've bid only once on these auctions and have won them. Are these bots? Is there a way to deal with this?

It's also interesting because two of the auctions I lost today were for a Knox Prizm Silver PSA10 and a Markelle Fultz Prizm Silver PSA 10 -- both for outstanding prices. The Knox was $40 and the Fultz was $48. Looking back now, I can't find anything even remotely close for either card. Is it possible that the sellers are employing some kind of last minute fail safe to purchase their own card if it doesn't meet a certain price?

ninjabum87 · 05-06-2019, 09:26 PM

Gixen.com

salthill · 05-06-2019, 09:30 PM

esnipe.com

Also possible they’re just bidding at the last second. In addition, the mobile app seems to give bidders (who have just had their bid beaten) a few seconds extra to get bids in.

3124508 on COMC · 05-06-2019, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by salthill

esnipe.com

Also possible they’re just bidding at the last second. In addition, the mobile app seems to give bidders (who have just had their bid beaten) a few seconds extra to get bids in.

Auctions end two seconds earlier in the mobile app.

RyanMW · 05-06-2019, 09:40 PM

Damn so there are services out there like that. Pretty lame. I've lost so many auctions falling asleep w/ the high bid and a higher reserve only to wake up having lost by $1 at the last moment. Ugh.

ninjabum87 · 05-06-2019, 09:42 PM

Just use one yourself. I started and I just throw up what I am willing to spend and forget about it. If I win I win if I don't I don't. You don't have to worry about people bidding you up in small increments.

dgbarnes · 05-06-2019, 09:47 PM

To be honest, that’s generally my strategy. I don’t see much value in bidding outside of the last 3 seconds of any auction.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

ninjabum87 · 05-06-2019, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dgbarnes

To be honest, that’s generally my strategy. I don’t see much value in bidding outside of the last 3 seconds of any auction.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah no point. Show your hand early and give people a chance to say "eh not too bad" and contest. Vs your hidden best vs. someone else's.

I dunno why anyone bids early at all.

cp312 · 05-06-2019, 10:01 PM

They aren't likely outbidding you by just $1, I mean technically you lost by $1 but doesn't speak to their max bid

Personally I never bid until under 10 secs, at earliest, unless I think I may forget about the auction so I put in a low bid hours early to ensure the app notifies me that the auction is ending multiple times

pejc300 · 05-06-2019, 10:02 PM

I don't know if this is a troll thread or not. If not, you absolutely need to sign up (for free) at gixen.com

You will never have to wait at a computer or phone again to place a bid, and you can do it in your sleep. You literally just enter the auction number, the highest bid you're willing to go, and then the computer program enters your bid for you with a few seconds left. If you lose by $1.00 all it means is that they were willing to bid more.

johnyensmith123 · 05-07-2019, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RyanMW

Damn so there are services out there like that. Pretty lame. I've lost so many auctions falling asleep w/ the high bid and a higher reserve only to wake up having lost by $1 at the last moment. Ugh.

To be fair, just because the final ending price was $1 higher than your bid doesn't really mean you would have won if you bid $2 higher or something. The other bidder's highest bid could have been $20 or $50 higher than your bid, but the final price just didn't end that high because nobody else bid that high.

RyanMW · 05-07-2019, 04:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnyensmith123

To be fair, just because the final ending price was $1 higher than your bid doesn't really mean you would have won if you bid $2 higher or something. The other bidder's highest bid could have been $20 or $50 higher than your bid, but the final price just didn't end that high because nobody else bid that high.

ahhh okay, I get it. Thanks for the replies guys. Not a troll thread at all, I'm just legitimately ignorant on the topic. Or was, at least

byronscott4ever · 05-07-2019, 07:10 AM

Some people are bothered by snipes but a bid is a bid...great way to bid and not be tied to a computer or phone

theleica · 05-07-2019, 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by byronscott4ever

Some people are bothered by snipes but a bid is a bid...great way to bid and not be tied to a computer or phone

Exactly. If I really want a card I use Gixen. Life gets busy, I can't be attached to my phone 24/7, auctions sometimes end at weird hours and I enjoy my sleep. My family is happier when I use my free time with them instead of Blowout and eBay.

TheRoundMound · 05-07-2019, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RyanMW

ahhh okay, I get it. Thanks for the replies guys. Not a troll thread at all, I'm just legitimately ignorant on the topic. Or was, at least

To be honest, I was similar than you few monthes back. As a German buyer I often had to set my alarm at nights, send out my bid approx. 6sec left and also often loose to other person.

I also use Gixen now and its so convenient. Give it a try.

snakehunter14 · 05-10-2019, 12:27 AM

When I was collecting hard from 1998-2006, I always waited until 2-3 seconds before end to bid. This type of sniping is not unusual, and you can defeat it by making YOUR bid higher than you think might be necessary. Then if there is no sniper, you still get the card at the lower price.

smalltown · 05-10-2019, 06:28 AM

Just be aware that the sniper services go down from time to time. Not often but it happens. I lost out on a card I really wanted during an outage. If it’s a really important card to you I wouldn’t rely on a third party to snipe. Do it manually yourself.

Wiseysez · 05-10-2019, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3124508 on COMC

Auctions end two seconds earlier in the mobile app.

Is this true? I’ve had a couple of occasions where I would wait until 1 second left to bid on the app, it had time to say I was high bidder, and then I’d lose. Always wondered how 2 people had time to outbid me at that point.

shrevecity · 05-10-2019, 07:03 AM

Even if you don't use a sniping service its best to not bid on an item until very late in the game and only bid one time regardless of when you choose to bid.

Only time I will change that is if there is an item with a BIN that I think someone would hit it, but its on the high side I there is a chance the item could be won for less. Then I may throw a minimum bid on it just to kill the BIN.

smalltown · 05-10-2019, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shrevecity

Then I may throw a minimum bid on it just to kill the BIN.

Always kill the BIN.

ninjabum87 · 05-10-2019, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shrevecity

Even if you don't use a sniping service its best to not bid on an item until very late in the game and only bid one time regardless of when you choose to bid.

Only time I will change that is if there is an item with a BIN that I think someone would hit it, but its on the high side I there is a chance the item could be won for less. Then I may throw a minimum bid on it just to kill the BIN.

That's what I did on a card recently. Sent an offer, seller didn't respond right away so I torpedoed the BIN with a .99 bid just in case haha.

byronscott4ever · 05-10-2019, 09:27 AM

I do a combination of bids and snipes (manual and auto). Ever tried to snipe manually and not have it go through in time? Grrr

05-06-2019, 09:24 PM	#1
RyanMW Member Join Date: Feb 2019 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 386 RyanMW412	Ebay Sniped at the Last Minute A few times now I've been winning a bid until the very last minute when out of nowhere someone who has not bid on the card at all yet comes along and outbids me by $1, winning the auction. I often don't even know I've lost it until I've gone back and looked. Interestingly, looking at some of these guys' bidding histories, it'll say something like 850 bids on 851 items. Meaning they've bid only once on these auctions and have won them. Are these bots? Is there a way to deal with this? It's also interesting because two of the auctions I lost today were for a Knox Prizm Silver PSA10 and a Markelle Fultz Prizm Silver PSA 10 -- both for outstanding prices. The Knox was $40 and the Fultz was $48. Looking back now, I can't find anything even remotely close for either card. Is it possible that the sellers are employing some kind of last minute fail safe to purchase their own card if it doesn't meet a certain price?

05-06-2019, 10:01 PM	#9
cp312 Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 3,038 cp312	They aren't likely outbidding you by just $1, I mean technically you lost by $1 but doesn't speak to their max bid Personally I never bid until under 10 secs, at earliest, unless I think I may forget about the auction so I put in a low bid hours early to ensure the app notifies me that the auction is ending multiple times __________________ Acuna Matata Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Collector

05-10-2019, 06:28 AM	#17
smalltown Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Canada Posts: 17,243 ifeature	Just be aware that the sniper services go down from time to time. Not often but it happens. I lost out on a card I really wanted during an outage. If it’s a really important card to you I wouldn’t rely on a third party to snipe. Do it manually yourself. __________________ Collecting: Raptors, Canadian Basketball Players, Vintage & More. PC: https://www.instagram.com/smalltown.cards/

05-06-2019, 09:26 PM	#2
ninjabum87 Member Join Date: Nov 2018 Posts: 2,275	Gixen.com

05-06-2019, 09:30 PM	#3
salthill Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Posts: 8,527 salthill	esnipe.com Also possible they’re just bidding at the last second. In addition, the mobile app seems to give bidders (who have just had their bid beaten) a few seconds extra to get bids in.

05-06-2019, 09:40 PM	#5
RyanMW Member Join Date: Feb 2019 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 386 RyanMW412	Damn so there are services out there like that. Pretty lame. I've lost so many auctions falling asleep w/ the high bid and a higher reserve only to wake up having lost by $1 at the last moment. Ugh.

05-06-2019, 09:42 PM	#6
ninjabum87 Member Join Date: Nov 2018 Posts: 2,275	Just use one yourself. I started and I just throw up what I am willing to spend and forget about it. If I win I win if I don't I don't. You don't have to worry about people bidding you up in small increments.

05-06-2019, 09:47 PM	#7
dgbarnes Member Join Date: Oct 2017 Posts: 657	To be honest, that’s generally my strategy. I don’t see much value in bidding outside of the last 3 seconds of any auction. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

05-06-2019, 10:02 PM	#10
pejc300 Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 10,771	I don't know if this is a troll thread or not. If not, you absolutely need to sign up (for free) at gixen.com You will never have to wait at a computer or phone again to place a bid, and you can do it in your sleep. You literally just enter the auction number, the highest bid you're willing to go, and then the computer program enters your bid for you with a few seconds left. If you lose by $1.00 all it means is that they were willing to bid more.

05-07-2019, 07:10 AM	#13
byronscott4ever Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 11,409	Some people are bothered by snipes but a bid is a bid...great way to bid and not be tied to a computer or phone

05-10-2019, 12:27 AM	#16
snakehunter14 Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: ft worth, tx Posts: 275 snakehunter14	When I was collecting hard from 1998-2006, I always waited until 2-3 seconds before end to bid. This type of sniping is not unusual, and you can defeat it by making YOUR bid higher than you think might be necessary. Then if there is no sniper, you still get the card at the lower price.

05-10-2019, 07:03 AM	#19
shrevecity Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 28,059	Even if you don't use a sniping service its best to not bid on an item until very late in the game and only bid one time regardless of when you choose to bid. Only time I will change that is if there is an item with a BIN that I think someone would hit it, but its on the high side I there is a chance the item could be won for less. Then I may throw a minimum bid on it just to kill the BIN.

05-10-2019, 09:27 AM	#22
byronscott4ever Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 11,409	I do a combination of bids and snipes (manual and auto). Ever tried to snipe manually and not have it go through in time? Grrr