Sniping (was Re: Vax 4000/90)

[vrs]

From: "Vintage Computer Festival" <vcf at siconic.com>
> > Unfortunately, Ebay's "theory" goes against human nature. What you think
is
> > your maximum bid, when someone else outbids that your brain says "well,
if I
> > could get it for just a little more, I guess I'd be willing to pay
that".
>
> Right.  This is exactly what I used to say ad nauseum.  It is the very
> reason sniping is still around.  It helps eBay in that it uses human
> psychology in their favor (oh, and by the way, the side effect is that it
> results in INFLATED PRICES).

I see this as replacing an orderly competition to determine who is willing
to pay the most with a last second scramble in which some number of bidders
get cut off by the auction deadline.  So I don't see how it drive prices up.
Seems like whoever got cut off lost their chance to drive the price up.

Since I enter snipes days ahead of time (and assume most others do too), I
think the emotionalism that drives the prices up is largely defeated.  If
the minority who are hand-entering their last-second bids had enough time to
bid effectively, *that* would drive prices up.

> (I don't want any arguments.  It's a fact.  Go do something useful instead
> of replying to this message ;)

Like *that* was going to happen :-)!

    Vince