Thread Number: 5661
Bidding on ebay getting out of hand on a Eureka 		[Down to Last]

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Post# 62831   3/16/2009 at 02:50 (5,518 days old) by decade_800 ()        

OMG the bidding is geting WAY to out of hand on ebay, on a eureka model 1470,(link to follow) to the tune of $130.00, and that is why I HATE bidding for anything on ebay. I mean SERIOUSLY, I cannot justify paying 130 bucks for a vintage vacuum, that is technically not vintage, it's from like the 80's people get GREEDY on ebay, especially I have noticed on vacuums, I am a collector too and even tho I like something and want it I am not going to pay an enormous amount for it. Just wanted to rant and say that it is ridiculous the bidding wars that go on on ebay, I hope whoever it is on here that is outbidding everyone, is happy and enjoys the machine, i sure as hell would for 130 bucks... The sob better have 24k gold in it too....


CLICK HERE TO GO TO decade_800's LINK on eBay


Post# 62835 , Reply# 1   3/16/2009 at 06:42 (5,517 days old) by swingette ()        

and it has a PLASTIC handle?...

Post# 62838 , Reply# 2   3/16/2009 at 07:11 (5,517 days old) by kenmore81 (Warwick, RI)        
Im Guilty lol =(

 kenmore81's profile picture
I must admit if i want something bad i will pay xxx.$ for it but I set a limit. I have been searching and bidding and searching and out bid, for a metal base convertible, I have found one i just had to have and i must admit i went over my limit by 5 bucks but Im a sucker for blue lol.I did almost bid on this Eureka but my limit on what i woulda spent (60.00) total was reached quickly lol. Never would i bid over 100.00 on a vac that sold at K-mart for 69.99 in 1987-88. Anyway Im rambling on. Just my .02. Kenny

CLICK HERE TO GO TO kenmore81's LINK on eBay


Post# 62840 , Reply# 3   3/16/2009 at 07:19 (5,517 days old) by petek (Ontario)        

Greed has absolutely nothing to do with it. It is an auction and the person who wants the item badly enough and has the funds will pay for it. That's what an auction is. It has nothing to do with what the item up for bid is either, new, old, good shape, bad shape. You don't know the reason why the person wants it so badly, could be sentimental so you can't just blanket statement that people are greedy

Post# 62843 , Reply# 4   3/16/2009 at 07:28 (5,517 days old) by kenmore81 (Warwick, RI)        

kenmore81's profile picture
Well said Pete.(in much less words than me lol). I guess Im a little chatty today.

Post# 62845 , Reply# 5   3/16/2009 at 09:00 (5,517 days old) by luxg ()        

You are so so right Pete, we must remember that Ebay is just that an auction!! An item is worth just whatever someone is willing to pay for it!!

Post# 62846 , Reply# 6   3/16/2009 at 09:04 (5,517 days old) by sleepdoc (St. Louis, MO)        
Do yourself a favor and think about what you're about to

 sleepdoc's profile picture
Lee, I don't know where to begin my criticism of your lack of reasoning. Succinctly, therefore, "bidding wars that go on on ebay" is oxymoronic emotionalism subverting logic. Do you suggest that no one bid against someone else in an auction? You can write whatever you want within the parameters of the rules set by the webmaster, but you should expect that the readership will remember that your "rant" is on par with the self-centered of perhaps an 8-year-old, which embarrassment won't serve you well long-term. Morality is not determined by your convenience or indulgence, the capacity for the understanding of which is a key pre-adolescent developmental milestone.

And it's only Monday morning.

"/rant"

Post# 62847 , Reply# 7   3/16/2009 at 09:19 (5,517 days old) by dirtfinder1 ()        
Sleepdoc...

 Patrick what are we going to do with you......drinking too much haterade!

Post# 62848 , Reply# 8   3/16/2009 at 09:21 (5,517 days old) by thunderhexed (Edmond, OK)        
sometimes...if you're lucky...

 thunderhexed's profile picture
The last three machines I have bought on ebay I was actually outbid on, however, the seller would make me a second chance offer, usually at a lowered price either because they have a duplicate item to sell, or the original winner ended up being a non-paying deadbeat. If you want it, bid within your limits, you never know what will happen. That is how I got my Legend II and G5 Kirbys!

Post# 62852 , Reply# 9   3/16/2009 at 10:52 (5,517 days old) by petek (Ontario)        

As much as I stated above I do understand Lee's frustration. It's happened to me as well on numerous occasions. I pretty much set my limit on what I'm going to pay and I often as not don't get the item. Thing is is that something as good or better usually turns up sooner or later again on Ebay or in a thrift store for much much less and I definitely like getting stuff for less LOL
The lesser the better.

Post# 62853 , Reply# 10   3/16/2009 at 11:36 (5,517 days old) by jdinstl ()        
All kinds of explanations...

 There could be all kinds of reasons the bidding would go so high. Someone with deep pockets into Eureka's. Someone who has the other colors and wants the full lineup. Who knows? Or, like any other online auction, it's a gamble,some people are high rollers. And some people get caught up in the excitement. Also, looking at the sellers other items -- they seem to generate a lot of bids, and are in great condition. That seller may have a following that is willing to pay a premium.

Myself, I have a few "preferred" sellers that I will pay a premium for their wares as I know it will be exactly or better than stated, and packed to survive a nuclear blast.

There *ARE* some ridiculous bidding wars on eBay. At the same time the bid sheet on my Elextrolux was gathering dust (I was the only bidder) there was a free-for-all going on a Dyson that was advertised as -- get ready for it -- "Does Not Work!" And yes, the derelict Dyson sold for multiples of what my working Electrolux cost. So goes the way of the world.

Heavy breath here, because I'm going to get in trouble for this, I'm sure...but a few, one in particular, responses here are kind of...well...over the top.

A bit of background. I've known about the VCCC for years and years. I was even going to join as the next convention was going to be in St. Louis. I thought "Perfect! It'll be local and I'll get to meet like-minded folks!" But at the time, some brouhaha about something or other flared up, and I deferred joining as I thought "Ok, they've got some issues they need to work out, and this is not the right time."

Fast-forward to current day, In my short time, I've seen shootouts on these forums over what vac is better that what other vac, so on and so forth.

I like old technology, most all of it. Collecting and restoring these things is what I do to bring peace and light, not heat. It's something I really enjoy, and it brings me satisfaction. I think those sentiments can be understood by anyone reading this forum...and few others, as we all know.

Now, I know, I can click the "delete my account" button, and make sure the door doesn't hit my @ss on the way out, and be just fine. Granted, I'm still a newbie, a short-timer, and it's probably inappropriate for me to say anything at this point in my tenure, as none of you really know me. But it's my hope that this is a place where I can learn new things, come to appreciate other things (such as the recently added Electrolux and Hoovers to my collection), and offer the same to others. I love looking at all your collections, and your finds. I love seeing someone acquire something others would call "junk" and from it, show a shining example of vintage technology.

I know it cannot be graciousness, tea, scones, and pleasant "ladies who lunch" light conversation. But something between that and CNN Crossfire would be a good meeting point, wouldn't it?

Said in respect, and just my opinion...YMMV...

John

Post# 62856 , Reply# 11   3/16/2009 at 12:55 (5,517 days old) by decade_800 ()        
I know that ebay is an auction

And I am not criticizing anyone by no means, please don't misunderstand me, all I am saying is that sometimes items on ebay will be sold for FAR more than what they are actually worth on market value, on the other hand if some one chooses to pay an enormous price than so be it, all I am saying is that myself personally don't see the point in paying an astronomical price for something that is in fact, new OLD or used, unless it has been refurbished and labor was involved, that is a different case. I know that some things have sentimental value to certain people, such as myself, I'd love to find an Electrolux like the one i grew up with, but I am not willing to pay an outrageous price for it either.
I have bought many of things on ebay for a really great price, I was just looking at items on there yesterday and came across this listing and thought that it was getting a little out of hand bidding for a used non vintage plastic vacuum.

Post# 62857 , Reply# 12   3/16/2009 at 13:27 (5,517 days old) by dirtfinder1 ()        
Over the Top response.........

 Well…..sometimes I would have to agree with John that some statements on this site can be over the top and can border on outright vicious. However, I find that most of the time when people get heated over something that is said on here it usually only shows how committed they are to the topic at hand or the site itself. In defense of Sleepdoc’s statement I must state that Patrick is a deeply caring individual which I believe shows in some of his posts. Also on a few occasions Patrick in my opinion has helped push the site towards a higher standard of being.

He has argued for stronger guidelines and standards of how we post on here and has more then once stood up for the younger members of the site in helping clean up some inappropriate material which was posted in different threads. He is full of compassion and I’m sure anyone who knows him knows very well that he would not say something unless it was for the greater good of the site or he felt it had to be said.

Furthermore, as most of us know things that are written down sometimes don’t come across the way we mean them too. I believe the great Marlene Dietrich said it the best in saying….

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”



Dave




Post# 62858 , Reply# 13   3/16/2009 at 13:31 (5,517 days old) by petek (Ontario)        

Do you ever watch Antiques Roadshow.. what really blows me away is this kind of example..

A $3 toy robot from Kresges or Woolworths back in 1960 gets valued at $4,000.00, I'm not exageratting but usually something like that.. it's a piece of junk made in Hong Kong only 48 years old.

The next person brings in beautifully ornate walnut veneered little table from Connecticut circa 1720 and they value it at $1800?

What's more valuable really?



Post# 62859 , Reply# 14   3/16/2009 at 13:34 (5,517 days old) by danemodsandy ()        
Decade:

 I know that the bidding seems to be out of proportion, but as someone else here said, it is what it is, for reasons no one but the high bidder knows about.

I once ran bidding on an item way up myself, paying about twice as much as the item usually goes for. Now, why in the hell did I do that? Well, the item was a teakwood trivet matching several others I already owned, and it was the week before Thanksgiving, and I needed that piece desperately to complete the table setting. No one else bidding in that auction had such a compelling reason, no one else was willing to outbid me, and so I got the item I needed, even though I paid a high price for it.

Thanksgiving dinner was gorgeous, as I had intended it should be. Since then, the same item has come up on eBay several times, and sold for prices way less than I paid. I don't regret my purchase, and those who competed against me in that auction have had other chances to get the same thing, much cheaper.

That's how it works, and that's how it's always gonna, so relax - you'll get what you want soon enough if you just keep your eyes open and a little money saved up.

Post# 62860 , Reply# 15   3/16/2009 at 14:17 (5,517 days old) by ohio_tuec ()        

Believe me, I share your frustrations. My disenchantment with eBay stems all the way back to the first item I bid on 9 years ago. At the time, I was in college and skipped a class to watch the auction finished on a 1937 Kenmore Imperial. I thought it was mine, and within the last few seconds, some S.O.B. (whom I later found out was also in the VCCC) "sniped" me. I ended paying alot more than the $177.50 to get mine years later, and that one had the original bag too. It's amazing, in an economy where everything is down, it speaks volumes that some are willing to pay a king's ransom for a vintage vacuum. Wish I had those kind of funds....

Post# 62865 , Reply# 16   3/16/2009 at 16:02 (5,517 days old) by petek (Ontario)        

I don't get this "sniped" thing or should I say peoples disenchantment with it other than the appearance of being taken.
You're supposed to put or you should at least make your highest bid you can possibly afford or want to pay for it and that's it so whether someone outbids your maximum bid 5 days or 5 seconds before the auction closes what difference does it make, you would have been outbid regardless.

Please explain to me?

Post# 62866 , Reply# 17   3/16/2009 at 17:34 (5,517 days old) by methodistbill ()        
Sniping

 I've heard there are computer programs that people use to "snipe" an item by submitting the highest bid at the very last second. Don't know if that's accurate information.

Post# 62867 , Reply# 18   3/16/2009 at 17:36 (5,517 days old) by crevicetool (GA )        
Hey!

 I've been Snipe hunting before. Does that count?

Rick

I'll be quiet now...

Post# 62868 , Reply# 19   3/16/2009 at 17:43 (5,517 days old) by jdinstl ()        
I've heard that too, Bill,

 There is software and services out there to "do your sniping for you" Myself, I just use eBay's "Max Bid Amount." It's pretty effective most of the time.

It really is. I've got the junk to prove it! :)

And I would imagine our UK friends could tell us about the Humber Super Snipe!

John

Post# 62869 , Reply# 20   3/16/2009 at 17:57 (5,517 days old) by jdinstl ()        
Antique Road Show

 Oh man, Pete, that you bring that up!

Yeah, someone can come in there with Marie Antionette's infamous diamond necklace and be told it's worth 10 cents. The next person has a headlight bezel from a Trailways Bus and it fetches a fortune.

My favorite was watching one beautiful piece after another being dispatched to the less than $1,000 pit...then a lady trucks out what looks like an old chamois that was spurned even by rodents. When the appraisers saw it, by their reaction you would have thought it was the Holy Grail. It was valued at 10's of thousands because it was actually a tricorn hat from the Revolutionary War!

Go figure....

John

Post# 62871 , Reply# 21   3/16/2009 at 18:11 (5,517 days old) by petek (Ontario)        

But even the sniping program you set your maxi bid to snipe at the last possible second so why not just put your maxi bid in. Still don't make no sense to me.

Post# 62873 , Reply# 22   3/16/2009 at 18:14 (5,517 days old) by jdinstl ()        
Pete...

 ....that's what I do... :)

Post# 62883 , Reply# 23   3/16/2009 at 20:26 (5,517 days old) by decade_800 ()        
That is one of the reasons

 I don't bid on ebay often, I have been "sniped" before and lost the item, my best friend was in a bidding war on a Eureka canister, that was from the 80's and ended up paying nearly 350 bucks for the damn thing, i told him for that kind of money, i could have gotten him a totally refurd Elux, which was WAY better than the Eureka vactronic he was bidding on. There was an Apple iPhone my friend was telling me about on ebay that sold for 975 dollars due to a fierce bidding war, I thought that was downright ridiculous, to force the bid that high when the damn thing only cost 249 NIB from Apple.

Post# 62884 , Reply# 24   3/16/2009 at 20:44 (5,517 days old) by petek (Ontario)        

Lee how were you sniped? If the person who you say sniped you in the final seconds had put in that very same higher bid only a day before would you have bid again even higher to try and get it? And if you say yes you would, then why didn't you put in a higher bid in the first place?

Post# 62892 , Reply# 25   3/16/2009 at 22:47 (5,517 days old) by swingette ()        

Allowing yourself to engage in a bidding war is just plain foolish, unless you are bidding on one of MY items, in that case bid early and often!

Post# 62919 , Reply# 26   3/17/2009 at 10:57 (5,516 days old) by ohio_tuec ()        

Petek, what you don't seem to understand is that some people who "snipe" are willing to outbid you at any price. What good is setting a max bid, if they program their snipeware to outbid you anyway? eBay's not gonna condemn the practice, since it means a higher commission for the item sold, and the seller sure as hell isn't gonna condemn it either, since they're getting more money. It just means alot of heartache for the would-be buyer, and creates alot of unnecessary mean-spiritedness.

Post# 62925 , Reply# 27   3/17/2009 at 11:45 (5,516 days old) by decade_800 ()        
Petek

 I was biding on an item and i set my max bid at 75 dollars, and 2 min before action end i was out bid, i raised it to 85 dollars and was still outbid by another bidder, by the time i could raise the bid again the auction had ended and the item was sold to an unknown bidder. I know that there is snipping going on on ebay, what's the point in even bidding if you have bastards like that that use snipping software to out bid everyone?

Post# 62930 , Reply# 28   3/17/2009 at 13:50 (5,516 days old) by petek (Ontario)        

Lee you are making absolutely no sense whatsoever.. You just said you set your MAX bid at $75.
Then you say right after that within 2 minutes you were outbid so your raised it to $85.. but then before you could raise it a second time it was over and someone else won it.

If you were so willing to keep upping your bid during the final minutes then why didn't you put your highest bid at the beginning and leave it at that? You may have won it because now you don't know whether this so called "sniper" was willing to go much higher than what he went, his winning bid could have been his maximum.

Post# 62931 , Reply# 29   3/17/2009 at 14:05 (5,516 days old) by danemodsandy ()        
The Trouble With Sniping Software:

 Petek:

The problem with sniping software is that it can find the max bids of other people, and outbid it by the least amount necessary to win. It does this by raising the sniper's bid in small increments, very quickly, until it gets confirmation that it's high bidder.

Now, if someone bids a max of $100 on an item, and if there were no such thing as sniping software, then other people bidding might have their max take the item - and might not, depending on if their max was higher than anyone else's. But with sniping software, they're able to take the item by the very LEAST amount needed to win. This is what ruffles people's feathers about sniping software - it basically reveals info (other bidders' maxes) that traditionally has been secret, and outbids by only what's needed to rub someone else's face in the mud.

If eBay is so damn pleased with the effects of sniping software, then I say they should build it into the site and their auction process, so that everyone's on a level playing field again. The way matters stand, some people are playing fair by traditional auction rules, and some people are helping themselves to info they shouldn't really have.



Post# 62933 , Reply# 30   3/17/2009 at 15:31 (5,516 days old) by petek (Ontario)        

Are you positive Sandy? I can't fathom information being held privately by Ebay somehow able to be read by outside parties or software. Surely if this was to be so some one or some law firm would have a field day taking them Ebay to court

Post# 62934 , Reply# 31   3/17/2009 at 15:40 (5,516 days old) by petek (Ontario)        

Still I'm still thinking on this...
Regardless of what the sniper software does you don't know as a bidder what the person with the sniper software has their MAX set at.. for example this Eureka.. that person who won it against Lee most likely had a set maximum for it to snipe, Say $200.. well if Lee had put in his max bid days before at $225 he would have won that vacuum.
I don't for a minute believe that everyone using a sniper program has them set to continue bidding up endlessly, the majority of buyers have to have a limit somewhere. Of course there is going to be one person here or there who has millions of bucks and a $1000 bid on a $20 Eureka is pocket change to them but they are the rare exception.

Post# 62936 , Reply# 32   3/17/2009 at 15:53 (5,516 days old) by methodistbill ()        
Power Snipe

 This apparently is the software that's used by some snipers.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO methodistbill's LINK
Post# 62938 , Reply# 33   3/17/2009 at 16:03 (5,516 days old) by methodistbill ()        
Another Sniping Program

 I guess there are several.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO methodistbill's LINK
Post# 62939 , Reply# 34   3/17/2009 at 16:05 (5,516 days old) by rugmaster37 ()        

Okay,

Lemme preface this by saying that I have been collecting vacuum cleaners for over 20 years and have been on almost every vacuum cleaner site on the internet that I could find at some point or another. I have had lots of opportunities missed, coupled with bad luck and timing when it comes to obtaining vacuum cleaners for my collection thru the obvious auctions,estate sales, garage sales, website purchases and so on and so forth.

I understand, TRULY; that finding vacuum cleaners today is harder than it once used to be. I and others here can possibly remember a time when you used to be able to walk into haunts, and other aforementioned places and literally fall over old vacuum cleaners. I know I used to.

That said for many finding vacuums thru places like e-bay have become an absolute necessity, because it's seldom the case that we ever can find what we're looking for here, or in places like sally Ann, Value Worlds and Villages and all other thrift, and junk type stores. . Seems that , as it should be people on the site here are very attached to their machines; and subsequently aren't really willing to part with them for any sum.

And that's perfectly okay...

That said, Occasionally on e-bay there comes a item that makes us salivate, and go crazy nuts trying to figure out a way we can come up with , and win said item. It's happened to me. even more rare is that once in a lifetime opportunity to buy said vacuum cleaner in NOS form, never touched by human hands, and boy does that make the auction site vibrate like a Vibra-Beat nozzle between all of us bidding for it.

I have been duped mightily by both sides of the coin, lemme explain.

I was one of the bidders on all three of the NIB Premier Swivel Top canister vacuum cleaner with Power Heads. I bid what I first thought was a "reasonable amount" and then as the price rose more and more, I literally ended up bidding a a few days salary, and chose to mortgage my life's basic needs and ostensibly my future of owning a car, and paying for an apartment to have one. I did not Need one, but I was drawn by the rarity of the thing, and the fact that I would be an owner of a NIB Premier Canister Cleaner. I bid what now I look back on , was a RIDICULOUS amount for the first and second machines, and did not even attempt to go there on the third try. Why because when you look back in hindsight, yeah you did not win the thing, but there will be others. It proves it self out time after time, and while maybe not new in box, you did not spend yourself broke trying to get it. Believe me it's far nicer to still be able to eat for a few weeks, drive around happily searching for the "real" finds, and not having it rain on you because all the underpasses are filled with out of work auto workers...in theory; than to own some shiny vacuum that to most of the world is nothing but an old klunker...EVEN in NIB format.

Then their the other side of the coin...

Years back, I was in a fierce bidding war to purchase a Penncrest Cord Reel Convertible that was offered up by another collector; and I became absolutely BLINDED by want and drove myself literally bankrupt for most of a month because I had to have this very machine. Subsequently the machine flew into the stratosphere and I still remained the top bidder because I literally bid a whole two weeks salary back then to win the god damned thing. When I got it, It wasn't what I'd hoped it would be. It WAS beautiful, and pretty, worked like a charm, was in excellent condition but it lacked one MAJOR thing. It wasn't anything more that a old Hoover Convertible with a cord reel on it. It had no special powers, and brought me a few weeks worth of pride of ownership. You know what happened to it?? Jeff Parker now has it in his collection, because in short order I hated myself silly for buying the thing, and again it wasn't doing anything more than picking up dirt, and when not in use, sat silently in the corner of my room like a totem pole. Yeah I loved the machine, but someone else who has a much larger collection and who just so happened to be missing a Penncrest badged machine, seemed like he could use it more. So he has it now.. The end..

Now getting to what I think the point of what Pete is trying to make is.... Regardless of sniping software used and allowed by Flea-Bay, you have "personally" set forth in your mind what you 'feel" you are willing to pay for the said item on the auction block.

Meaning, If you are only willing to pay the MAXIMUM amount of $75.00 for a new in box Eureka, and your outbid by 20,30,40, even a hundred dollars; it makes NO difference how that person who had the deep pockets got the auction to end.

You PERSONALLY made a choice to only spend said amount. If it was so near and dear to you, as he stated....You should have bid the most exorbitant amount that you possibly could have afforded , lets say $200.00.

If you were still outbid, that's the way the cookie crumbles guys. If you only have said amount to spend, and the auction closes for higher than your amount you have, and there are no more amounts forthcoming from you, YOU"VE lost the item, and the auction process ends.

So what if it "sniffs" out a max bid..that's the way of the world. Life is unfair. That's WHY as he was trying to get across, it seems pointless to get so angry and upset over something that you clearly had no control over.

A final thought is... If it bothers you so much that your always being outbid, set yourself up a "snipe' account. that way you are Never going to find yourself in this position of anger when you loose an auction thru the Bay...

Amen.

Post# 62944 , Reply# 35   3/17/2009 at 16:42 (5,516 days old) by petek (Ontario)        

Good msg Chad, still regardless if the sniper account sniffs out your maxi bid the sniper has to decide also whether he wants to set his max snipe higher. Let's say you Chad are the sniper on that Eureka and you want it dearly but you only have $1000 and really know you can't go higher.. Me I want it dearly too and so 5 days before the auction ends I put in my max bid at $1500.. what are you going to do, reset your snipe to $1510 or walk away.

Post# 62946 , Reply# 36   3/17/2009 at 16:56 (5,516 days old) by jdinstl ()        
I don't think...

 ...the sniping software can actually figure out your max bid...it just races with you in a cyber ping-pong fashion until one or the other hits max bid. Now I do think whatever bid is in the system (max or not) when the clock stops ticking on the auction -- is the winner.

But that is totally up to the computer, neither snipe software or eBay's Max Bid can change that scenario.

Myself, if I see something I like...I put it on a watch list if it's early in the auction. I set my max amount about 5-10 minutes before the auction ends (unless I absolutely know I can't be at the 'puter when the auction ends). If I get it, great, if not -- something else will come along :)

And, if you absolutely, positively hate the bidding process on eBay, you can always filter results to dipsplay "Buy It Now" items.

Anyway, that's it for me on this topic....enjoy :)

John

Post# 62949 , Reply# 37   3/17/2009 at 17:15 (5,516 days old) by danemodsandy ()        
Petek:

 "Are you positive Sandy? I can't fathom information being held privately by Ebay somehow able to be read by outside parties or software."

Here's how it works: A buyer wants a Lux XXX real bad. The bidding is currently at $45, but what you cannot see is that someone has placed a max bid of $125 on eBay; that's how eBay works. Now, the buyer who wants the XXX so bad can bypass all that; he can set a max in his sniping software. Let's say $250 for the sake of discussion. Now, here's what happens at the end:

- The bidding is at $45.
- Some deluded soul bids $55 in hopes that will take the item, which it doesn't, because there is a max of $125 actually bid. The bidding goes up to $60 as a result of the $125 max bid.

Now, up to this point, everything's fair and square, okay? BUT -

Mr. Sniper turns on his sniping software, set to his max of $250. What his software does is to place incremental bids, very rapidly, until it learns that it is high bidder, at which point it stops bidding. That means two things. One, Mr. Sniper gets the item for $130 - $120 less than his max - and two, the previous max of $125 is, for all practical purposes, revealed to Mr. Sniper, because sniping software stops when it has won; Mr. Sniper now possesses information that was once strictly eBay's.

Without sniping software, Mr. Sniper would have to bid his max within the eBay system like everyone else, and would have to risk other bidders running up the price closer to his max, the way everyone else has to do . With it, he holds an advantage over other bidders that I consider unfair, both as to chances of winning the item, and sometimes, as to the final price.



Post# 62950 , Reply# 38   3/17/2009 at 17:25 (5,516 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
danemodsandy:

 That all depends on Mr. Sniper having deep pockets, because he runs the risk of a similarly-deluded bidder having bid $249, either manually or by software, just before his software enters his bid.

He may have won, but he's left to pay $250 for the Lux XXX. If he really was happy to pay this much, and bid $250 manually, long before the auction ended, he'd still have the upper hand because unless this Lux has generated a lot of interest, it's likely he'll win anyway.

Post# 62951 , Reply# 39   3/17/2009 at 17:37 (5,516 days old) by danemodsandy ()        
vintagehoover:

 You're absolutely right that it can work that way. But if I had to guess, I would think that Clash of the Titans happens less often than Goliath laughing at that silly little slingshot and stomping David.

Post# 62967 , Reply# 40   3/17/2009 at 20:13 (5,516 days old) by petek (Ontario)        

I see what you're saying Sandy but in the end the person being so called sniped isn'r really being sniped, they are being outbid plain and simple. If they really really really wanted it they would have put in a higher max bid to up their chances greatly that their max bid exceeds what the sniper will pay.

Post# 63011 , Reply# 41   3/18/2009 at 09:21 (5,515 days old) by ohio_tuec ()        

But that's not always the case. Someone who has snipeware and sets it to outbid AT ANY PRICE will have the upper hand and get the item anyway. Sometimes with snipeware there is no max bid, the sniper will get it at any price, so the bidding process for everyone else is totally pointless. The Sniper wins, and like Chad said, the only way to level the playing field is to use snipeware as well. I wonder what would happen if say a Hoover Model "O" were to appear on eBay and several bidders were using snipeware. The auction could go up by hundreds if not thousands within the last few seconds. Like I say in an economy where everything is down and so many people are out of work, it's astounding that eBay seems recession-proof.

Post# 63016 , Reply# 42   3/18/2009 at 10:54 (5,515 days old) by eluxomarty (Palm Springs)        
My practice...

 ...is to bid on something that I want only if I am going to be home when the auction ends. That way I can be there at the last minute and try to win the auction honestly. Sometimes I win, sometimes I don't. That is the name of the game.

If an auction ends when I am at work then I don't bid because most likely I lose the auction.

I don't do bidding wars. I don't bid against someone I know. I know ebay is an auction and everything is fair game, it's just my choice not to bid against someone I know.

I do like to watch bidding wars however, kinda like watching a match and its always interesting to see how much something will go for.

Marty

Post# 63018 , Reply# 43   3/18/2009 at 11:00 (5,515 days old) by eluxomarty (Palm Springs)        
Two more things..

 I won't use snipe ware and I don't judge people for how much they pay for something. I have paid waaayyyy too much money for things in the past based solely on the rarity of the item or for the sentimental value of the item.

Post# 63023 , Reply# 44   3/18/2009 at 12:58 (5,515 days old) by decade_800 ()        
I for one

Did not bid on the item, I was just watching the item to see how high it would go, and sure enough it sold for WAY more than what it was worth, even NEW at the time it rolled off the factory assembly line. I can remember this same unit being sold in stores for 50-60 bucks back in the 80's, and that was NIB. We all know that life is unfair, that is a whole different ball park, it's just sad that a item that is only worth say 30 bucks even in pristine condition as this vacuum was, is sold far more that it's actual value.

Post# 63024 , Reply# 45   3/18/2009 at 13:38 (5,515 days old) by methodistbill ()        
$120

 If that vacuum sold for $60 in 1985 NIB it would be about $115 to $120 in 2009 dollars. How much did it finally go for?

Post# 63031 , Reply# 46   3/18/2009 at 17:26 (5,515 days old) by aeoliandave (Stratford Ontario Canada)        

aeoliandave's profile picture
US $129.50 it sold for, Bill.

I've been staying out of this discussion trying to figure out what it is I do, how to word it and how it might be termed. I echo Marty in my method. I honestly don't think 'sniper software' has any advantage over my brain, fingers, watch's second hand, mouse and connection speed.

My practice also is to bid on something that I want only if I am going to be home and awake when the auction ends. That way I can be there at the last minute and try to win the auction honestly. Sometimes I win, sometimes I don't. That is the name of the game.

I am also able to access wireless at work and so 5 minutes or less before auction end I will make my play - same results. Win some, lose some.

The reason for waiting for first bidding is to not draw attention to one's self or intentions. I certainly don't want to drive the price upwards days in advance. If someone I know emails me - or viceversa - expressing intent to want it it is between us if one or the other withdraws or goodnaturedly, please, dukes it out to the end.

Once EBay made the policy decision to hide all identities including the winner (among other poorly conceived changes), informed & friendly co-operative competition ended and we have no choice but to bid against strangers...all bets are off and may the deepest pockets win...with admiration, grudgeing or respectful, again, your choice.

One man's Roll-Easy is another man's Dirt Devil, eh?
Dave

Post# 63046 , Reply# 47   3/18/2009 at 18:57 (5,515 days old) by hoovercelebrity (Germany)        
...even in pristine condition as this vacuum was, it sold fa

 Something is worth ..... what someone else is willing to pay for it!

Post# 63096 , Reply# 48   3/18/2009 at 21:55 (5,515 days old) by luxg ()        

You are so right Fred, and I am sure that for most of us if we were the seller we would be very happy if someone wanted to pay more us more than the item was worth!!

Post# 63367 , Reply# 49   3/21/2009 at 16:18 (5,512 days old) by max39 ()        
Ebay bidding

 HI, new here, also known as Maxx19692004 on Ebay, the guy that bought the vacuum.
I do collect Eureka's and bought 3 from the same seller, all either NIB or floor models, not a chance to often to get a 25 year old vacuum still in the box, made my eyes bug out.
They were one of the first vacuums I used to take apart as kid, so I had to have them.


Post# 63501 , Reply# 50   3/22/2009 at 17:10 (5,511 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)        
Hi Max39! You are one lucky Eureka fan!

 eurekaprince's profile picture
I would love to have the room to collect New In Box Old Stock Eureka vacs. I drool everytime I see one on ebay.....oh well....one day, when I get out of the renter's nightmare!

Welcome to the club.....now let's see some photos of those old-new Eurekas!!!!!

Post# 63725 , Reply# 51   3/24/2009 at 03:12 (5,510 days old) by kirbyclassiciii (Milwaukie, Oregon)        
Early Hoover Portapower

 kirbyclassiciii's profile picture
Another eBay seller is listing an early model Hoover Portapower (1975 or '76, going by the color of the logo/text that appears on the floor nozzle). He also has a Model 100 Dustette (1949-55) for sale.

The Portapower was the successor to the Swingette which Hoover had introduced in 1970. The PP was replaced by the Sprint and Tempo portable canister line in 1989.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO kirbyclassiciii's LINK on eBay


Post# 63740 , Reply# 52   3/24/2009 at 04:39 (5,509 days old) by swingette ()        

ooh that IS an early Portapower. All of the Portapowers ive seen have the lousy plastic hose-grip that doesnt swivel. This has a proper aluminum grip with the better-style air bleed. The Swingette/Portapower is a genius machine, and its THE machine I turn to when I need a cylinder or canister.

If only they came with a proper rug nozzle and bare floor brush...


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