Originally posted by frank To me the best strategy is to use something like
auctionsniper , set the highest price you'd like to pay, and let auctionsniper to bid for you in the last seconds. Worked for me several times
Sometimes you can also try you luck w/ some 'best offer' deals. I just won an MX+M50/1.7 combo for $80 (my best offer, which was about 35% lower than the seller's BIN price), hopefully the camera is in good working condition as stated in the ad ...
Wow, good price! I never tried that Best Offer thing. I usually look at BIN price, then shrug it off if I find it expensive. I'm really not the best guy with haggling. I probably should give it a go.
Originally posted by stevebrot Some strategies that will allow you to keep your shirt and make good deals when bidding on eBay:
- Know your values ahead of time
- Decide ahead of time what you are willing to pay
- Bid once and bid late
- Never make an emotional investment in any item
- If something is rare and you really want one, look for a good "Buy it now"
- "Make an offer" is better than bidding or "Buy it now"
- Be aware of excess shipping charges. Anything more than the actual cost to ship is a service charge and excess cost to you. Many sellers pad the shipping to insure some profit from even a low bid auction. Bid your estimate of value minus the excess shipping.
- Read the fine print regarding returns
- Don't be afraid to ask detailed and specific questions about an item. In fact, ALWAYS ASK DETAILED AND SPECIFIC QUESTIONS! If the seller gives a "dumb" or inadequate response, bid low or not at all. A dumb seller is dumb for a reason. What you don't know, you are not liable for. Be doubly wary of descriptions that include the phrase, "I don't know anything about cameras...".
- Somewhat contrary to the previous point...Don't be afraid to bid VERY low on a sketchy item. It is a bit of a gamble, but I got both of my film cameras with attached lenses for less than $50 (not $50 apiece...$50 total).
Steve
Good points Steve. I'll keep those in mind. I probably won't have a problem with that getting emotional thing. I try to be cheery about things. I actually have barely lost out on a local sale for an MX (my current target) that went for $60 with a 50/1.7 on it recently. I laughed it off.
Originally posted by Nick Siebers Best Ebay strategy -
Bid once, whatever you think it is worth to you, or that you are willing to pay. Check back after the auction. If you do not win, even if just barely outbid, someone paid too much for it.
You may wish to wait until close to the auction end time to bid, to avoid giving other bidders info.
It helps if you already have too much camera stuff, so that when you lose it really is for the better.
Noted. About too much camera stuff, well, I'm possibly getting there.