Having worked both ends of auctions (selling and bidding) there is one rule. Figure out, BEFORE your first bid, how much you are willing to spend on the item. Then NEVER go above it by even a nickel. It;s called 'self control'.
Creeps.
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There's a couple of new-to-GB buyers lately, way over paying for Rugers. Annoying, but it's their right.
total difference and action ,of any "on line auction" versus a 'live auction' and I would love to attend any 'live' auction with 'Splitz'......wow!!
I remember him wanting to buy a tractor at a farm/estate auction in Mn. Had to remind him that he had a "normal" size house with a "normal" size driveway and backyard....!!! "Where ya gonna put it IF we can get it home?"total difference and action ,of any "on line auction" versus a 'live auction' and I would love to attend any 'live' auction with 'Splitz'......wow!!
Still took a little extra discussion, but he decided not to bid... It was touch and go there for awhile.
J.
I have an auction strategy that works for me.
Whether it's Ebay, gunbroker or other auction site, I win the vast majority of the items I bid on, why? because I never post the minimum bid and camp out watching it increment upwards. I bid just one time the maximum fair price I'm willing to pay. Those that want a steal or great deal more often than not drop out and I get it at substantially below the maximum fair price I was willing to pay. If the auction goes above my max fair price I want to pay I'm happy for that bidder and move along. Also when I see an already fair price listed as a Buy it Now, instead of bidding I just buy it and don't bother with the auction starting bid. It works for me
Just once I got into a bidding war, and I "thought" I had overpaid for it and when I got the gun found that there was so much well done custom work not detailed in the listing that I discovered that in the long run had I bought another used sample and had the equivalent amount of work done to it the revolver would have cost me quite a bit more than I paid. Was my competition a shill bidder? Maybe but the shill didn't know the real description of the revolver I won!
Y'never know!
Whether it's Ebay, gunbroker or other auction site, I win the vast majority of the items I bid on, why? because I never post the minimum bid and camp out watching it increment upwards. I bid just one time the maximum fair price I'm willing to pay. Those that want a steal or great deal more often than not drop out and I get it at substantially below the maximum fair price I was willing to pay. If the auction goes above my max fair price I want to pay I'm happy for that bidder and move along. Also when I see an already fair price listed as a Buy it Now, instead of bidding I just buy it and don't bother with the auction starting bid. It works for me
Just once I got into a bidding war, and I "thought" I had overpaid for it and when I got the gun found that there was so much well done custom work not detailed in the listing that I discovered that in the long run had I bought another used sample and had the equivalent amount of work done to it the revolver would have cost me quite a bit more than I paid. Was my competition a shill bidder? Maybe but the shill didn't know the real description of the revolver I won!
Y'never know!
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People get way out of hand sometimes at auctions, I see it all the time. It's easy to get caught up in the frenzy. Also I think sometimes they forget about buyers premiums too.
I just wish sometimes people would get that excited about something I'm selling...lol
I just wish sometimes people would get that excited about something I'm selling...lol
that works until you bid it up one more time with the absolute knowledge that those against you will be going higher and .... the next thing you know, you own it.Many years ago, me and Splitz were at an estate sale/farm auction. There was a pristine Weatheby (German) 270 WBMag. The auctioneer didn't even know what it was but did his best to 'put it on the block'. Once I started bidding, it was apparent that a young fella with some money was gonna bring that baby home no matter what. I just kept bidding him up till it got to what I could have bought one new for....... raised him just a tad more and STOPPED. It's always fun !!!!!!!
J.
I'm not complaining here but this is how I ended up with this pistol:
Pretty funny timing- I was just reading the updates on this post and the doorbell rang. USPS with a delivery- 2 SBH hammers I won on EBay for $40/pair. New. On backorder everywhere. Sometimes you just get lucky.
I guess I'm the odd person out here.
I've never been to any sort of a live auction and I don't bid on EBay items in Probably 20 years, and haven't ever used Gun Broker.
I've never been to any sort of a live auction and I don't bid on EBay items in Probably 20 years, and haven't ever used Gun Broker.
redhawker
Buckeye
I was restoring a 54 GMC pickup and was getting parts for it from all over the country on eBay. This was before they became primarily a resellers' marketplace. I used to snipe the parts pretty successfully. I'd find what I wanted and see when the auction was going to end. I'd be sure to be online with the auction page pulled up 5 minutes before the auction's end. I'd put a bid amount in the bid box for the maximum I thought the part was worth. The way I looked at it, if I got it great. If I didn't get it then it was sold for more than I was willing to pay anyway. I'd wait until there was 6 seconds left and put my bid in. Usually no one had time to over-bid me and I'd get the item. Since eBay would only bid the item up by a certain bid increment amount sometimes I'd get it for a really good price. If it was something that I thought was worth $100 and the current bid was sitting at $60, with bid increments of $1, when I hit my $100 bid the price would only go up $1 unless someone else bid on it and even then if like 5 people bid on it but only upped it by $1 each I'd still get it for $67 since I'd put in a $100 bid.
That holds for me as well. Every gun I own I bought new in a gun shop. Maybe paid a bit more than I might otherwise have had to otherwise but I would have recourse if something was wrong with the firearm.
Well, I was watching a poorly photographed 1964 Single Six 6 1/2" on GB for the last couple days. It was $225 with a $325 Buy It Now. I contacted the seller and got better pics, it's in really good shape. Slight bluing loss at tip of barrel.
It ended at 4:00 this afternoon and there had been 5 bids. 4 from one person and one from someone else. So I did the Buy It Now as I figured it wasn't long before it would get that high anyways. Woohoo! I think $325 is a pretty good deal!
It ended at 4:00 this afternoon and there had been 5 bids. 4 from one person and one from someone else. So I did the Buy It Now as I figured it wasn't long before it would get that high anyways. Woohoo! I think $325 is a pretty good deal!
Congrats!!
I won a Ruger Scout Rifle in .450 BM yesterday. I still got it for what I think is a good price for NIB, but reading the auction terms after it closed I saw two things that bothered me and I wish I would have seen it before I bid...
So... the auction company gets to see what my max bid is AND is able to place their own bids or bids on behalf of the seller? Kind of fishy that it went for my max bid, but since I cannot see any of the bids placed now that it is over all I can do is guess....
So... the auction company gets to see what my max bid is AND is able to place their own bids or bids on behalf of the seller? Kind of fishy that it went for my max bid, but since I cannot see any of the bids placed now that it is over all I can do is guess....
The online car auction "Bring A Trailer" put an end to sniping like this.
If someone places a bid at the last second, 2 minutes get added to the auction timer. This gives everyone a fair chance.
I don't disagree with your style of bidding, but I think the 2 additional minutes is fair.
I haven't bought anything on being a trailer, but I like to see the cars. Some photography on the site is excellent.
If you don't utilize Gun Broker, Guns International, Guns America or the live auction's you're only hurting yourself by not having access to hundreds of rare guns that your local gun store would never have on their shelf!
Many years ago I went to a local storage unit auction (before they sold the whole unit) The auctioneer holds up a single Craftsman line wrench. I start at a quarter. There's another guy bidding on it. We're going a quarter at time. At $2.50 the auctioneer looks at me and I back out, he says, "good now we'll go for the real money. " I watched dumbfounded while three guys fought for that ONE wrench. It went for $14. The current ad from Sears for that day was $9.99 for the full five piece set of wrenches.
Two things I have learned.....
1 - Don't bid drunk
2 - Avoid live auctions
both of those caused me to slightly overspend on a police issue 870 wingmaster.
