Ebay Hats: Victories, Defeats, Gripes & Items of Interest

[SteveAS]

Again, the purpose of a sniping program is to prevent people from follow up [bids]. If you bid your max, then follow up bids won't matter. You will win or lose depending on who has the higher max.

Your first sentence is right, but it shows your second and third sentences to be wrong. You implicitly acknowledge that followup bids sometimes happen. Followup bids matter because---if you bid your maximum early in the auction---they mean you pay a higher price when you win and (because the person making followup bids might have a higher max than you,) you win less often.

 

[HatsEnough]

Rick. Do whatever you like. In my experience bidding with a sniping program lost as many auctions as bidding my max whenever. What do you do with a sniping program? Well, you bid you max. The only difference is when you bid it. Again, the purpose of a sniping program is to prevent people from follow up gids. If you bid your max, then follow up bids won't matter. You will win or lose depending on who has the higher max. Do whatever you like. I see no logical advantage at all to sniping. I found no advantage when I tried it myself. If it works for you then that's great.

That is a mischaracterization of how it works, fmw.

Of course, the purpose of a snipe service is to bid in the waning seconds. Yes, you've told the snipe service what your top bid is. But, no, that bid is not always part of the final price of the item. In fact, the snipe service is geared to try and prevent your top bid from always being part of the winning bid by bidding at the last second. It really is a pretty simple concept.

If it "prevent(s) people from follow up bids," well, that is the way the cookie crumbles. That is how the game is best played.

This is quite unlike your practice because when you put in your top bid early in the auction your top bid is always part of the final price if you lose the item. Whether you win the item or lose the item you've unnecessarily bid the price up for everyone.

On the other hand, the snipe service is made to try and prevent your top bid from always being part of the final price.

Now, I should say here that I have never used such a service and never will. Yet, I ebay in precisely the same way a snipe service works. I wait until the last seconds of an auction to bid. It works far, far more often than it doesn't and the top dollar that I'd pay for a hat is rarely reached.

Now for a question: you are all mad at a snipe service and seem to imply that it is something that is somehow illicit. So, what is the difference between a snipe service bidding in the last seconds and me sitting there waiting for the last seconds of an auction to bid? Am I being a bad person for bidding while the auction is open even if it is the last seconds? I cannot see how. An auction is the same whether it is 5 days out or 7 seconds out til it ends.

But, from your replies to these simple points elucidated by several Loungers here, it tends to show me that your stubbornness is aimed at refusing to understand in favor of justifying your practice. So, this will be my last post on the policy.

Suffice to say that pumping in your highest dollar bid days before the auction is over is self-defeating and costs everyone more money than is necessary much of the time. That is not nice ebaying, for sure.

 

[T Rick]

Ouch. Well, maybe we should just get back to the main thrust of the thread. I'll thorw out one more thing though, I didn't read any of FMW's posts here as being snippy, or as even showing a dislike of or disdain for sniping services (or the practice of sniping in general). On OTHER Forums, I have actually seen some immature pinhead outright accuse the sniper of stealing. No such position came from FMW here, he simply states it doesn't matter when you bid as long as you bid your max.

I of course heartily disagree with that statement, and while numbers can't actually be compiled as alternate outcomes for historical auctions can only be speculated on, I am quite certain that my win percentage went up dramatically when I began the practice of sniping (I'd say I went from winning about one in three to two in three, a huge percentage difference, but again can't really cover the actual math or potential variables). I also am certain I've gotten many more bargains (again I think my recent Strat purchase is a good example, though again, alternate endings are now purely speculative).

I think at this point, those on each side should simply agree to disagree, and do as FMW suggested I do, bid however we want to bid. Whats really important after all, is that we all go out and win some auctions and post up some great (new to us) hats!

 

[fmw]

This is quite unlike your practice because when you put in your top bid early in the auction your top bid is always part of the final price if you lose the item. Whether you win the item or lose the item you've unnecessarily bid the price up for everyone.

.

I view that as a positive thing. I think prices are too low on Ebay. The reason is not sniping, though, it is simply a matter of supply and demand. I do some selling on Ebay and VERY little buying so high prices are a good thing from my perspective.

And besides, aren't opposing bidders really the competition? You want to help the competition?

Enough devil's advocate for me for a while. I think I'll go pour a beer.

 

[Lefty]

incredible, wide-ribbon, wide-binding 7XCB

 

[alanfgag]

Everything about that hat was fantastic except for the NY blackout. :sad:

 

[HatsEnough]

It frikkin better be be incredible. It cost me waaaay too much. Curiously enough, my one bid at 7 seconds to go did not reach my top bid, though. I was willing to go a bit more.

 

[DJH]

With you banned I thought I might win that one Alan. No prizes for 2nd though =(
Congrats, HE

 

[HatsEnough]

It will likely be the last time I ever pay that much for a hat that wasn't custom made just for me, I gotta say.

 

[alanfgag]

With the luscious 7XCB felt, I think it will be a whippet whipper. Glad to know we'll see some good pictures of it.

 

[Lefty]

Congrats, HE. That's quite a prize.

Alan - if you ever need a proxy for such a situation, feel free to contact me.

 

[HatsEnough]

Thanks you two. I really do look forward to it. It fills that 7-X hole (or a Clear Beaver at the same time) in my collection. The 7X I have is one from the 1990s and (sadly) isn't really a 7X worth talking about. The only thing I am hesitant about is that the owner said that it was a 2-1/4 brim and that is on the short side for my tastes. I am hoping he mis-measured and it is at least 2-3/8. Still, don't recall seeing a 7X like it. Most of the 7X's I've seen in the past were westerns or Open Roadies. This is a fedora style, event whippet-like if I dare say it.

 

[T Rick]

That was a beautiful hat indeed. Glad I ended up not participating (it went a bit higher than I thought it might, but not much). In the end, as great as it was, I decided I didn't want to spend as much as I'd need to for a hat with a 2 1/4 inch brim (even a perfect hat!). Great score, looking forward to some pics!

 

[HatsEnough]

In the end, as great as it was, I decided I didn't want to spend as much as I'd need to for a hat with a 2 1/4 inch brim ...

I certainly wrestled with myself on that brim size. It is generally too short for me. But, in the end I decided that I wold not likely see another one like it any time soon. So, I pulled the trigger. Now to make sure the wife never finds out how much I just spent!

 

[SteveAS]

Has anyone ever seen a 7XCB at all like that from Stetson? I must say, I wonder if someone converted it from a western or Open Road. For HE's sake, I hope Stetson made it that way in the first place. I'll look forward to detailed photos.

 

[HatsEnough]

... gads, I never thought of an Open Road convert! Well.... we'll see.

 

[red71veloce]

It went for about what I figured it would....too rich for me at the moment. Beats the crap out of spending a like amount on a Whippet. Incredible hat.....congratulations......the brim size looks good proportionally to me.

I would sure hate to have spent a like amount on a Whippet and then have that sweety show up!

T

 

[HatsEnough]

I've never spent anything close to that on a Whippet... then again I have one of them size 7 pinheads.


Here are my Whippets as seen HERE...

 

[alanfgag]

... gads, I never thought of an Open Road convert! Well.... we'll see.

That's an original top quality fedora and an unusual find. I think you'll be happy.

 

[red71veloce]

Well, I'm a 7 as well! Let me know if you have cast-offs from time to time.

Again, congrats on a great hat.

T