Snipe S/W?

From: Dave McGuire <mcguire_at_neurotica.com>
Date: Thu Dec 21 13:08:54 2000

On December 21, Aaron Nabil wrote:
> If I can offer advise, use the proxy system. Enter the amount maximum
> amount you are willing to pay. You have absolutely, irrevocably defused
> ANY danger of sniping.

  If the item is commonly available through other sources, sure, I
agree. But lots of stuff on eBay isn't. Rare is the "one of a kind"
item, but if I see something that I've been looking for for years on
eBay, my definition of "maximum" is a very subjective thing...and may
have nothing to do with the "street value" of the item...it has more
to do with how badly I want it, and how much trouble I'd have to go
through to get it elsewhere.

  A good example of this is classic computers. Despite living in an
area where there's either a three-letter agency or a DRMO warehouse on
every street corner, PDP stuff (for example) is VERY difficult to find
where I live. I'd pay several hundred bucks for a pdp11/34a in a
heartbeat on eBay. Why? Because I've been looking for one for a LONG
time and only recently got one locally by pure luck and the sharp eye
of a good friend. You guys who are swimming in them may think I'm
nuts...but you HAVE them. Get it?

  In other words, two points...One, sniping is an essential technique for
non-mainstream items (in any category) on eBay, if your goal is to get
the item. Two, the definition of "non-mainstream" frequently differs
from person to person.

               -Dave McGuire
Received on Thu Dec 21 2000 - 13:08:54 GMT