Ever notice how sometimes, an Ebay auction end for some Big Daddy Vintage part, can be just like a stage race group sprint? The bigger the item, the bigger Tour that the race falls in, as it will bring out all the big name top sprinters.
The race day begins as the seller lists the Unobtanium item for sale. The top guys of the current interest group are all there. They hang in and watch, drafting, letting others who surely will not win, do all the bidding work early on. Sure, a couple of guys make a jump and try to break away early on every now and then, and sometimes they bid for a couple of intermediate sprints, and some public exposure points along the auction route, but these things don't mean anything to top guys, vying to snatch the Green Bidder's jersey. Those guys can't be seen at the front yet, but they are always there, within the peloton of bid watchers, timing it ... timing it ... and usually the early bid break gets drawn back into the pack, often just a few kilometers, or less before the auction end. Normal would-be contenders that can't quite be at their computers for the auction finish, make last desperate break attempts too, as their legs run out of time, but they usually can't stay away when the big names like Kauzo Cipollini, Ale-Juy543 Petacchi, or (my personal favorite) John Mad Dog McEwen are aiming for the finish line. Then, it's all in the closing minutes of the auction; those last several tight turns through town are when things really start hotting up, as Paul Sherwin will say. You can see the nervousness in the pack as the lead out bidders jostle for position. If you even just tap your brakes and press BID moments early, you lose 15-20 seconds, and you lose your perfect spot. Suddenly, the auction sprint accelerates the time - space continuum, and both the world and auction shoot by. This is the last 100 meters, with seconds left, and in a refresh blink of an eye, there we see all our Tour de Ebay heroes, furiously pedaling ... BID! BID! BID! Auction ended, and it's off to the Paypal podium. Of course, there is only one real winner. Another day and another auction for the rest. And who remembers the bidder that took second or third anyway? ... especially when Ebay blocks out their IDs. ;)
Ciao, Mark Agree Southfield MI USA
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