bidding slot increments gripe
 

is it just me or does the Bidding slot increments really hurt the sellers...

it seems the gaps between bidding slots are pretty high compared to ebay incremental bids...

when you get into the 500 range or more...many times the current bid is just under market price and nobody wants to take the next bidding slot and go far and away over market price...if there was a little less of a gap in bidding slots..the seller would of been able to get the additional money...

I understand the auctions could take longer but you can put in a max bid and it takes forever already...

anyone else gripe about this? as I buyer I like the big gaps cause I grab the last bidding slot that's below market price knowing the next guy is going to have to create a new high

on ebay I cant do this...I have to put my highest bid last second and someone can beat me by 50 bucks.....but if it was mile high etc they would of had to bid 250 more plus buyer premium ...

Agree and feel the same way, also as a buyer. If the bit is at 500, and id go to 510 or 520 but i have to do 550 i may lose a card

I wonder why the major auction houses, multimillion dollar businesses who succeed by doing well for their consignors, never thought of this before? :eek::rolleyes:

I was just thinking about this the other day! In live auctions, the auctioneer often goes up by increments but if no one bids at an increment, he backs it down until someone gets the bidding going again. Often times the final bid is higher than the increment that was originally not accepted.

It would be easy to do this in software ... I wonder why no one does it?

jeff

hmmm something not right
 

why are people understanding what I am saying and agreeing with me...

I guess a broken clock is right 2 times in 24 hours..

In Heritage live auctions (where you can still bid online), once per lot you can make a "cut bid," which is half of the next bid increment. It's a very nice feature.

One thing that has worked against me (I believe) is when I want to go up to the next bid increment (e.g., Bid is at $1000. Next bid is $1100, then $1200, then $1300). Some AHs won't allow me to place a bid of $1200. Only $1100 and $1300 (or higher) are permitted.

When that happens I just ask a friend to bid 1100 and as soon as he does, I bid 1200. It all works out.

You have friends???

Count me among the stupefied. Can we get an offer of proof? :)

As much as REA is beloved by most folks, one thing with REA that drives me nuts is the bidding increments from $500 - $1,000. Every other auction house goes in $50 increments in that range, but REA goes in $100 increments.

So if the bid is $500 on an item, you have to go to $600. So it even further amplifies the issue originally posted about.

Granted, many REA items are over $1K so this only impacts lower priced items, but it really starts to bring bidding strategies into play for items in that price range using REA's structure.

Peter, if you pay them to do it, they don't technically count as 'friends'.

I love a pile-on.

It all evens out if the long term and the seller is not affected. Using your $250 increment as an example, the seller gets the full $250 of the last bid when another $10 over the underbidder may have won it.

Right, and I am sure Rob and others have thought this through and come to the conclusion that on balance they do better with bigger increments than small ones. Particularly with the "gotta have it" mentality of folks like us most of whom lack discipline.

What if I pay them in Frank Bucks?

Great topic. I agree as a buyer I set a price in my mind and that's what I stick to so if the increment is above that I won't go to the next bid. To me auction houses should let you bid in smaller increments.

I'll bet most who actually sell on Ebay, wishes the increments were a little further apart. Especially with the instant 1 increment bid tool they have now.

Kind of depressing to see your piece get 10 last second bids, only for it to move up like $4.50 in the process.