1. Look at the item daily during the bidding so you REALLY want it and make sure the bidding price hasn't gone out of your price range. :) (but be sure you don't give away your hand by making any bids)
2. Stay by your computer until after midnight on the last night of the auction, waiting for the bidding time to draw to a close.
3. At precisely 1-2 minutes before the bidding window closes, make your offer $1 higher than you would've gone. (For example, $56, or $96, or $101). That way if they counter before time runs out, you are probably still $1 higher than them.
4. Sit back and watch that lovely item become yours.
I must admit, I felt a twinge of guilt doing this last night, that other person was probably pretty bummed because they were lulled by my prior inactivity into thinking they were going to win. However, I also felt justified because that is what has been happening to me repeatedly in my ebay experiences--loosing in the last few minutes by a dollar of two.
Well, this is what I've been loosing sleep over lately. And who says my life isn't hard? :D Truthfully, I'm a bit embarrassed about this entry, but I am excited enough about this to want to share it with you.
This is my haul! Hours of fun, coming my way. Now, if only I could figure out a way to nicely display everything...any ideas? (I'm thinking a low table like the Thomas train tables ones...)
7 comments:
no way! I loved those things when I was growing up...my sister brought me some back from Germany and I thought that is the only place you could get them. I haven't seen them for years and years! I might have to start bidding...
You and your family look great! Ice skating pics are so cute!
You bid just like I do. It makes me mad when people bid early because it just drives the price up. I like the wait til the last minute bidding. It makes it so much funner. You do have to really watch shipping costs though. Some people make there money there.
I'm afraid I learned those lessons long ago on ebay...I am one of those seasoned last minute snipers on ebay. Unless it is something that I don't care if I win or not, I don't bid early. Sometimes I get a steal without really trying because I do put a low minimum bid on something, and luck out that no one else bids on it. Although those are usually odd items, not hot/fun/cute toys.
Congrats on your haul!
I Loved playing with that stuff when I was little! My grandma always got me a set for my Birthday!
This makes me want to give go buy it and get rid of some of the girls toys! How Fun!!
Chris does that all the time, and usually wins. Don't feel bad. Plus you spent a lot of time watching what you wanted so you deserve it! Ebay is great! We have sold and bought a car on there are been very happy with it.
Bravo Jean!! I would have never guessed you could be so sneaky :).
Claire and Cady are lucky to have such a smart and devoted mother (online after midnight, bidding on ebay?? Madness! But it paid off!). Think of the hours they are going to play with their new Calico Critters toys! It's going to be glorious!
Jean, Jean, Jean. Classic. :) Can't wait to see your big haul! Thanks for the Ebay tips...I always wondered how people actually won.
I'm so excited for you. I will never forget the thrill of winning when Tim and I first became ebayers and got our x-file DVDs at awesome prices. We were exactly like you.
Now I always use a snipper and I always win unless it actually goes way out of my price range. I love snipping--or maybe it is just that I hate losing.
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