Dave,
Buy with confidence from Tony, I have a couple of items from him and I can tell you that he and is products are top notch and great values.
I got sniped!!!
Yeah, even if you didn't really want the razor it sucks to see someone beat your bid by .50 right as it was going out.DaveInPhilly wrote:If I really wanted the razor I would have made sure I was online at the time it ended. But it does hurt to see the item sell for only $0.50 more than I bid.
joseph
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acoldspoon
- Posts: 739
- Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2006 9:46 pm
- Location: Brooklyn
Yikes! It looks like I stirred things up a little with my recent interest in DE's <g>. I know it's all good hearted fun but do hope I didn;t step on any toes.
I buy vintage stuff for my own collection and use. The items in my sets are all new items though, not eBay finds marked up like some vendors. Things I thin from my collection may or may not get marked up but never go into my sets.
Typically I stick with straights for shaving but do like to tinker with DE's as I like the mechanicalness ( Indian Larry Quote) of them. They are fun when I am in a hurry and can't use a straight.
Been buying mostly certain items to fill in my collection. I wanted a 3 piece open comb in chrome and gold finishes, a Toggle (got one in trade), certain TTO designs, etc...... I am quickly finding that many very similar razors shave very differently.
Close to having what I want now so I won't be a big threat on the cheap stuff and only spend big $$ on certain straights. All bets are off though on slant bars though <g>.
BTW, did they make open comb twist to open razors at all??
Tony
I buy vintage stuff for my own collection and use. The items in my sets are all new items though, not eBay finds marked up like some vendors. Things I thin from my collection may or may not get marked up but never go into my sets.
Typically I stick with straights for shaving but do like to tinker with DE's as I like the mechanicalness ( Indian Larry Quote) of them. They are fun when I am in a hurry and can't use a straight.
Been buying mostly certain items to fill in my collection. I wanted a 3 piece open comb in chrome and gold finishes, a Toggle (got one in trade), certain TTO designs, etc...... I am quickly finding that many very similar razors shave very differently.
Close to having what I want now so I won't be a big threat on the cheap stuff and only spend big $$ on certain straights. All bets are off though on slant bars though <g>.
BTW, did they make open comb twist to open razors at all??
Tony
The Heirloom Razor Strop Co.
www.thewellshavedgentleman.com
www.thewellshavedgentleman.com
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DaveInPhilly
- Posts: 391
- Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2006 1:32 pm
- Location: Guess
No toes stepped on here, I was really just kidding around. I half heartedly bid on things all the time, I win some and lose some (if I won them all my fiancee would kill meHeirphoto wrote:Yikes! It looks like I stirred things up a little with my recent interest in DE's <g>. I know it's all good hearted fun but do hope I didn;t step on any toes.
), I just happened to realize that I knew the winning bidder this time and thought I would share my little anecdote with the folks here. All in good spirits, no hard feelings my friend. 
I got nibbled!
This makes me think I'll be sniping from now on...
At the same time, I have to concede, I set my price and was outbid. And sniping would have meant the seller got 50 cents less, more than likely. So I can get over it...
This makes me think I'll be sniping from now on...
At the same time, I have to concede, I set my price and was outbid. And sniping would have meant the seller got 50 cents less, more than likely. So I can get over it...
Give us the luxuries, and we will forgo the necessities.
Give a man a fire, he'll be warm for a day.
Set a man on fire, he'll be toasty for the rest of his life.
Dominic
Give a man a fire, he'll be warm for a day.
Set a man on fire, he'll be toasty for the rest of his life.
Dominic
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DaveInPhilly
- Posts: 391
- Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2006 1:32 pm
- Location: Guess
It was this one.rtaylor61 wrote:Anyone care to post a link to the auction being discussed?
Randy
I stopped watching the auction about an hour before it ended. I don't use snipe software, but I generally bid at the very end. I quit watching after reading this:DaveInPhilly wrote:It was this one.rtaylor61 wrote:Anyone care to post a link to the auction being discussed?
Randy
Vintage HOFFRITZ GERMANY Safety Slant Razor & Case. Handle is 2 pieces and it appears that a third piece is missing, but razor is still functional. When put together razor is 2 3/4" long and case is 2" square.
Doesn't look to me like anything is missing, but I figured others will come along. Well, Tony now has TWO of Satan's razors!
Randy
"I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them." J. B. Books
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DaveInPhilly
- Posts: 391
- Joined: Fri Jan 20, 2006 1:32 pm
- Location: Guess
Sniping apparently has a benefit to the whole market. The mathematicians who have worked on auction behavior have shown that when people conceal their interest and bid late, prices are lower than when a lot of people bid early and play at upmanship. And that successful bidders always bid that way (whether with some tech assist or manually).
Why is somebody pissed when they're sniped? Because they didn't have a chance to bid more than they were willing to spend - if the sniper bid 2 minutes before the end rather than 10 seconds, there might have been a price war and someone would have paid more than they stated they would.
The term sniping suggests a hidden marksman picking off the prize. What if it was called 'strategic late bidding?' I was once sniped and said "hey, what the hell was that?' and I found out and tried it. Let no one mistake the idea - auction bidding is adversarial. Sniping is a technique available to all - so it's a level playing field. Now, if someone wants to play the game with a particular image of what ethical imeans, or a claim for gentlemanly behavior, or with a 'no weapons' approach, they will only win if their price is truly high enough, collusion, or no one else is interested. You can't cry 'no fair' if you're aware of a strong tactic and choose not to use it.
People get pissed when they're outbid. They thought they already owned the precious thing. If we believe the stats, late bidding keeps the prices of everything rationally down as opposed to emotionally up. There are plenty of really unethical things about online auctions - fraud, misrepresentation, non-delivery, price collusion, counterfeits. If you really want it for the best price, don't reveal your interest early, and bid as late as you can. Call it sniping or whatever.
Jeff S.
Why is somebody pissed when they're sniped? Because they didn't have a chance to bid more than they were willing to spend - if the sniper bid 2 minutes before the end rather than 10 seconds, there might have been a price war and someone would have paid more than they stated they would.
The term sniping suggests a hidden marksman picking off the prize. What if it was called 'strategic late bidding?' I was once sniped and said "hey, what the hell was that?' and I found out and tried it. Let no one mistake the idea - auction bidding is adversarial. Sniping is a technique available to all - so it's a level playing field. Now, if someone wants to play the game with a particular image of what ethical imeans, or a claim for gentlemanly behavior, or with a 'no weapons' approach, they will only win if their price is truly high enough, collusion, or no one else is interested. You can't cry 'no fair' if you're aware of a strong tactic and choose not to use it.
People get pissed when they're outbid. They thought they already owned the precious thing. If we believe the stats, late bidding keeps the prices of everything rationally down as opposed to emotionally up. There are plenty of really unethical things about online auctions - fraud, misrepresentation, non-delivery, price collusion, counterfeits. If you really want it for the best price, don't reveal your interest early, and bid as late as you can. Call it sniping or whatever.
Jeff S.
Last edited by JJSilver on Thu Mar 09, 2006 2:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I won't argue the math side of sniping. I'm sure that there are are people who've spent a fair amount of time to prove it one way or the other. If it results in lower prices for items sold, then it's a benefit to the buyer.
Sniping is part of the eBay experience, and I'm sure everybody here has dealt with it first hand. I recently had a rant on a thread about getting sniped out of a purchase, but I also got over it quickly. The problem I have with the "snipe" is in how it's executed.
My most recent time as a victim of sniping, there was a last minute bidder. There is nothing wrong with coming late to the party. He then did the annoying series of sequential bids driving the price up. It almost appeared that he was trying to outbid himself. When 20 bids all come in within seconds of each other from the same user, there is something going on, that doesn't seem right. The bidder drove the price up, and I was happy to not pay that much for the item. It went for almost 4 times what I was prepared to pay.
The last snipe I did, was in my opinion much fairer than the multi-bid method. I bid early with a nominal ammount that put me in the lead, but within reason. I didn't bid my maximum first. I then waited until the last few minutes of the auction, and sure enough in comes a bid for about double. Fortunately it was under my intended maximum. I timed it out so that I'd be able to hit "bid now" within the last 30 seconds and bid my max. I snagged the item. I don't feel bad about this method, I did it myself.
My problem comes with those who use special software or services to auto-bid and snipe the items they want. I don't feel that using a bid-bot is the most ethical way to go. Sure it makes it easier, but I just don't feel that it is fair. And yes, before somebody leaps to remind me, I do know that life is not fair. Again, just my feelings.
The other thing that happens on ebay, is users with multiple accounts, essentially going into a bidding war with themselves. This drives the price up, and then one of the bidders (secondary account) will do a bid retraction, thus invalidating the long series of drive up bids. This takes the true nature of the auction process out of the equation, and forces it into an underhanded state of collusion.
So I admit I've sniped my share of auctions. Here is my question for the group, since others here admit that they do it as well. Do you do it yourself, or use a special tool for it?
EDIT: Allow me to rephrase that last question. Do you snipe manually, use special software, or a service?
disclaimer:
I'm not trying to start a flamewar, I'm just interested in others views on this topic.
-Jeff
Sniping is part of the eBay experience, and I'm sure everybody here has dealt with it first hand. I recently had a rant on a thread about getting sniped out of a purchase, but I also got over it quickly. The problem I have with the "snipe" is in how it's executed.
My most recent time as a victim of sniping, there was a last minute bidder. There is nothing wrong with coming late to the party. He then did the annoying series of sequential bids driving the price up. It almost appeared that he was trying to outbid himself. When 20 bids all come in within seconds of each other from the same user, there is something going on, that doesn't seem right. The bidder drove the price up, and I was happy to not pay that much for the item. It went for almost 4 times what I was prepared to pay.
The last snipe I did, was in my opinion much fairer than the multi-bid method. I bid early with a nominal ammount that put me in the lead, but within reason. I didn't bid my maximum first. I then waited until the last few minutes of the auction, and sure enough in comes a bid for about double. Fortunately it was under my intended maximum. I timed it out so that I'd be able to hit "bid now" within the last 30 seconds and bid my max. I snagged the item. I don't feel bad about this method, I did it myself.
My problem comes with those who use special software or services to auto-bid and snipe the items they want. I don't feel that using a bid-bot is the most ethical way to go. Sure it makes it easier, but I just don't feel that it is fair. And yes, before somebody leaps to remind me, I do know that life is not fair. Again, just my feelings.
The other thing that happens on ebay, is users with multiple accounts, essentially going into a bidding war with themselves. This drives the price up, and then one of the bidders (secondary account) will do a bid retraction, thus invalidating the long series of drive up bids. This takes the true nature of the auction process out of the equation, and forces it into an underhanded state of collusion.
So I admit I've sniped my share of auctions. Here is my question for the group, since others here admit that they do it as well. Do you do it yourself, or use a special tool for it?
EDIT: Allow me to rephrase that last question. Do you snipe manually, use special software, or a service?
disclaimer:
I'm not trying to start a flamewar, I'm just interested in others views on this topic.
-Jeff
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Blue As A Jewel
- Posts: 3834
- Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2005 8:14 am
- Location: Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Jeff - I have sniped. In the past I did use software to carry out the deed, however now if I do snipe I do it manually. My wins are few, because I can't keep up with all the bots! On the good side I know what I'm prepared to pay and don't go over board...ok that last part is a lie - sometimes I still do go overboard.
- Ravi -
You can mistrust me less than you can mistrust him. Trust me.
You can mistrust me less than you can mistrust him. Trust me.
Excellent points. OK, now that there are two "JeffS' let's have an auction on who gets to use that signoff to avoid confusion. (How About Jeff NY and Jeff Chicago?)
When I first learned aboout sniping it was manual and you had a bunch of browser windows open and kept refreshing every couple of seconds. Then I used a standalone application called iSnipeit, and these days when I need to bid late or want to automate bids, I use eSnipe, an online for-fee service.
When I first learned aboout sniping it was manual and you had a bunch of browser windows open and kept refreshing every couple of seconds. Then I used a standalone application called iSnipeit, and these days when I need to bid late or want to automate bids, I use eSnipe, an online for-fee service.
I've heard about the software. I figure when I get outbid by exactly $1.00 over my maximum bit I've been 'softwared' I don't mind losing out to someone who waits till the last minute like I do. It's the software guys and girls who annoy me.blueasajewel wrote:Jeff - I have sniped. In the past I did use software to carry out the deed, however now if I do snipe I do it manually. My wins are few, because I can't keep up with all the bots! On the good side I know what I'm prepared to pay and don't go over board...ok that last part is a lie - sometimes I still do go overboard.
Contributing Member to the Cause
Why do you feel using a bid-bot is unethical but manual sniping is OK?JeffS wrote:My problem comes with those who use special software or services to auto-bid and snipe the items they want. I don't feel that using a bid-bot is the most ethical way to go. Sure it makes it easier, but I just don't feel that it is fair.
This is clearly against eBay rules. If caught, the perpetrator is banned from eBay. I've been involved in hundreds of auctions and have only seen bid retractions a few times in those auctions. Doesn't the seller have the option to cancel the listing and restart it with no penalty if any eleventh-hour funny business happens?JeffS wrote:The other thing that happens on ebay, is users with multiple accounts, essentially going into a bidding war with themselves. This drives the price up, and then one of the bidders (secondary account) will do a bid retraction, thus invalidating the long series of drive up bids. This takes the true nature of the auction process out of the equation, and forces it into an underhanded state of collusion.
I use software, for two reasons. First, I don't have to be at my computer when the auction ends, madly hitting the refresh button on my browser to see how much I need to bid. Second, I don't risk getting emotional over an item - I figure out ahead of time the maximum I'm willing to pay for it, put the bid into the sniping software and forget about it. When the auction's over I get an email letting me know whether I won or not.JeffS wrote:So I admit I've sniped my share of auctions. Here is my question for the group, since others here admit that they do it as well. Do you do it yourself, or use a special tool for it?
I've tried it both manually and with software, and all I can say is my blood pressure thanks me for using the software.
To be honest, I don't use eBay much these days. It seems the days of the great deals are for the most part over. The only way to get a good deal (without gambling on an auction with a poorly written description, bad picture or no picture) is to find a Buy-It-Now auction where the seller has no clue what the real value is and sets the price too low. And in that case, you have to be fast or someone else will snag it first. I don't mean this as a condescending statement, but frankly I feel my time is worth more than the few bucks I would save by monitoring eBay all the time. If eBay is a hobby (like antiquing), that's a different story, but for me it's not a hobby.
-Troy
The difference between theory and reality is that in theory, there is no difference between theory and reality, but in reality, there is.
--Anonymous
--Anonymous