How To Win on Ebay & Other Auction Sites
If you are new to bidding on online auction sites then the first thing you will need to work out is what kind of online bidder you are going to be. There are all kinds of different ways that people go about bidding on ebay but in this article we will look at the three most common methods:
(1) Start Off with a High Bid – If you know how much you are willing to pay, have a set limit in your head or simply know that you won’t have the time to sit around and monitor the bidding process over the next day or two then you can begin with a high bid and hope that no one else wants to bother trying to top it. Many people, for example, will not have the time to monitor every changing incremental bid and stay on the computer until the auction has closed. By setting a high bid you both put people off and set the price where it does not appear to be a bargain. Sure, using this tactic might mean you lost the item by being outbid whilst you are not paying attention, but at least it will be with the peace of mind that you were beaten after offering your best price.
(2) Bid Incrementally – This is the usual way of bidding, and the way that most people go for. As with a normal auction incremental bidding simply means that you go for the ‘Watch Item’ view and then simply keep an eye on the state of the auction. Every time a new bid comes in, you will be notified by email and you will be able to make a decision whether to up your bid and match the current bid. If you decide to bid using this technique then you need to exercise some self-control and not get caught up in a frenzied bidding fight. If you don’t set yourself a limit you will end up spending far too much for your item and feeling that guilty buyer’s remorse.
(3) Sniping – Also known more politely as bidding to the wire, this is the technique of waiting until the last minute to snipe, or grab a winning bid. A lot of people moan about this technique but in all honesty there’s nothing wrong with doing it. Simply wait until your auction is counting down in the last couple of minutes, get a price in your head that you want to spend and then wait. Once the auction is 15 to 20 seconds from the end, place a bid that is about $10 above the final bid. This should give you an excellent chance of winning the item.
Alex is a journalist and blogger. He writes on everything from finance to design and writes a consumer blog for Coupon Croc . |
