BIDDING IN THE LAST FEW SECONDS (Sniping)

BIDDING IN THE LAST FEW SECONDS (Sniping) A tactic that some okayers use is called sniping. They wait until the last few seconds to place their bid. Some people think this gives them an advantage, but it does have some disadvantages of which you should be aware. The bidders who use this tactic believe that by placing their bid in the last few seconds, they will win because the other bidders will not have time to increase their bid. In reality, this tactic may not be of much benefit unless the sniper is bidding against inexperienced bidders using manual bidding.
The key to winning auctions without paying too much, whether you bid at the beginning, middle or end of an auction is this. BEFORE you start bidding, decide what you want your ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM bid to be for an item. You should say, I am willing to pay this amount and not a penny more. If okay automatic bidding bids any amount up to your ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM, you will be happy to win the item. If someone else pays a penny more and you lose, you will be happy because you did not want to pay that much.
Once you have determined your ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM and you are ready to bid. Go to the item page and press the PLACE BID button. This will take you to the place bid page. Enter your ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM bid amount into the box, then click CONTINUE. This will take you to the confirm bid page. Make sure your ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM is correct, then click CONFIRM BID. You are all set up.
okays automatic bidding will enter a bid for you that is only the MINIMUM REQUIRED to make you the winner. If a higher bid gees in, automatic bidding will increase your bid the minimum amount needed to make you the winner. Automatic bidding will continue to keep you in the winning position until the end of the auction (in which case you win with a bid at or below your ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM) or until someone enters a bid that is higher than your ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM (in which case you are happy because you were not willing to pay that much).
There are many things the sniper does not know. He does not know what the ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM bid is for the current winning bidder. He does not know how many other snipers there will be in the last few seconds. He does not know what ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM bid will be placed by those other snipers. He also does not know if he will lose his internet connection or have geputer trouble in the last few seconds that will keep him from ever placing a bid.
There are a few things the sniper does know. He MUST be in front of his geputer, ready to bid, as the auction closes, unless he is using a proxy bidding service or sniper software. He will only have one opportunity to place a winning bid. He must place a bid using his ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM and allow automatic bidding to raise his bid against any other bidder or sniper. He also knows that if his ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM bid is equal to an earlier bid, he loses. The earlier bidder has the advantage in case of a tie. Of course, whether they bid at the beginning, middle or end of an auction, all bidders should be using automatic bidding with their ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM. This always assures them the best chance of winning without getting suckered into bidding more than they had intended.
At the end of an auction, the winning bidder will be the one that places the highest value on the item up for auction. Each bidder will place his own value on the item and use that to determine their ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM bid. A bidder who wants to buy and resell an item for a profit will not place as high a value as a bidder who wants to own and use an item. If another bidder is willing to pay more, thats the way the auction goes.
So, if you want to be a sniper and enjoy bidding in the last few seconds, go ahead. Just keep in mind that WHEN you bid has no effect on who wins the auction, unless there is a tie. The winner will always be the person who places the highest ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM bid.Good Luck and Happy Hunting.