am i the only one that wonders why people continue to bid on things that aren't going to end for days? wouldn't it make much more sense to wait until the last minutes and put in a real bid after doing some reasearch and concluding what you're willing to spend on the item? of course this is only irksome because the things i'm typically interested in are the same things that go up to around 300 with 3 days left and i have to pass. And besides, it'd be much more fun and economical to just punch in a moderate bid with a 30 seconds left and hope you lowballed it just right. Most of the early bidders only serve as inflation for the final selling price.

__________________
2004 Chrysler Crossfire

Well, there are some things that you KNOW people won't pay more than a certain amount for, but you want to secure it for yourself because you don't have time to keep searching and what not. The other day I bid on the euro headlight vacuum adjusting switch. I put in a max bid of $30 four days in advance, and ended up winning it for around 17. Those switches are on and off on ebay, so rather than just waiting an extra week to save a buck or two, I went for it.

yeah i suppose i should've been more specific...my complaint was aimed at those items that are a dime a dozen on ebay...automotive cd players...to an extent computers...anything "generic" that can bring a high dollar amount...but only b/c a bidder decides to bid exceptionally early...rather than book mark it and check it a few days later...i find most people that buy higher ticket items search regularly for them and to get the best deal i'd assume they'd wait till the later moments...unless they think the early bidding will scare off would-be bidders...of course the odd ball items like your MB switches and the like are beneficial to bid early on rather than keep checking it (and forget)...just to have to wait for the relisting to end...

__________________
2004 Chrysler Crossfire

Oh man, I probably shouldn't be telling you this, you'll just beat me in an auction with it someday, but check out:

http://www.esnipe.com/

They'll place a bid for you 6 seconds before the auction ends with their ultra high speed connection. They can bid up to your max in a heart-beat.

I'm sure people I've beaten just hate it. It's right there in the bid history: 5 or 6 seconds before the end of the auction. Their price? One per cent. You buy tokens in advance. I saved the $15 advance fee in one or two auctions.

It's devilishly wicked. Now I should finagle a finder's fee from them for new customers.

__________________
Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

I use auctionsniper.com

But yes, your point is very well-made. There should be zero bids until the final 30 seconds or so, or there would be none if people were smart, anyway. Anything else pretty much just serves to run the price up. Oh well!

__________________
1992 300D 2.5T
1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold)
1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy"
1974 Triumph TR6
1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's)

I believe a lot of amateurs start the bid process early. For example, an item worth $300 may have a starting bid of $1.00 just to get the bid process started. That person may already have set a max bid of say, $150

What happens is that the newbie decides to bid $50...I say newbie, because they typically get emotional about a potential purchase w/o considering the # days of the auction. The auto bids then kick in, and BAM, $75. The newbie fears being outbid, and starts driving up the price, $80, 85, 90, and the auto bid keeps outbidding.

The newbie either gives up and realizes the futility of his/her efforts, but screws up the auction anyway.

__________________
2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

Uhh, of course the sellers might have a different opinion of this.

__________________
Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

If you were selling you would think the exact opposite.

Plus the auction may end in the middle of the night or when a person is at work.

__________________
MB-less

....the entire point of an auction. How can you whine about someone bidding too early?? They are not trying to run the price up...that is how much they are WILLING to pay for the item. If you don't like the price, don't bid...it is that simple. It is a free market economy at its best.

__________________
'98 C280

Birmingham, AL