I am somewhat baffled by the assumption that a sniping service would result in lower purchase prices. A sniping service actually turns the auction into the equivelent of sealed bid auction where the bids are opened in the final moments. But serious bidders know that sniping services exist, so they typically launch their highest bids in the final moments of an auction to ward off the competition regardless of where the price is hovering. For top items, where the item is a few moments before the auction end is often unrelated to the final price.
In fact, if folks didn't worry about snipes, they might tend to bid lower since last min bids would be less likely. Folks may bid high as a defensive move against snipes.
I generally think of all ebay auctions as a sealed bid auction with the prices before the close indicating the minimum level of market interest.
I know it is possible that early bidding can identify highly desirable items and heat up the action - but I've seen items bid up high early on and then go nowhere - and other items go nowhere for days and then skyrocket in the final moments.
Mike Kone in Boulder CO
> bill wrote:
\r?\n>
\r?\n> CRer's
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Those first type TA pedals ended at $3,300!!!!!!
\r?\n>
\r?\n> WOW!
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Bill Talbot
\r?\n> New Hartford, CT
\r?\n>
\r?\n> *********
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Now. *That's* impressive.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> And someone from the good old U-S-of-A was the high-bidder. Makes
\r?\n> me proud that an American collector was ready to let it all hang out
\r?\n> with the other big dogs..
\r?\n>
\r?\n> I wouldn't mind seeing the bike those are going on! More likely they'll
\r?\n> end up in a glass case.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> On a related note... if all those guys had used a sniping service I bet
\r?\n> you anything those pedals would have gone for less.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> I had a similar experience just recently with that Colnago tandem that
\r?\n> sold on ebay. I made a nice, stiff snipe bid, fairly certain I'd land the bike.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> But two japanese collectors got into a war, and bid the bike up. An american
\r?\n> was in there somewhere too. Seems nutty to me. Why provoke the competition?
\r?\n> Seems like very little fun to pay more than you should, just 'cause the other
\r?\n> guy wants to prove he's willing to pay more than you are..
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Charles Andrews
\r?\n> SoCal