After losing three auctions in a row, being outbid in the last five seconds each time, I've had it. I joined the crowd but I must say, I really don't like it. Ebay has changed so much over the last two years. About that time, I noticed that people would bid up the item mostly during the last hour. The next year it seemed that items were getting bid up during the last fifteen minutes. This year it's gotten worse - much worse. Even newbies to ebay are using special software which enables them to get an advantage over guys that played by the rules (like me). Today I became an card carrying sniper. My bids will be placed electronically and it will be my guy's computer software against theirs. So what's changed? Nothing, we just upped the ante like countries building up nuclear arsenals to combat the other guy's arsenals. And by the way this business about late winter being the season where people buy items to get ready for spring therefore the prices rise. They do, but my experience is that they don't go down again. They just rise. Bah! $800 for a cracked (possibly irreparably) seat lugged Masi 3V with Dura Ace? Thank goodness there are list members like Charles Nighbor who are still willing to give a guy a good deal on an old bike. Thanks to him but I'm ready to give up on ebay ... until I need something badly ... again.
Garth Libre in Miami Fl USA