How eBay Pros Win Auctions Almost Every Time
Brad Schepp
November 14, 2006
When I first started selling on eBay a guy from England bought a 1940s era TV repair manual from me. I remember this sale though, not because the item was interesting (it was) or because the buyer was from England. I remember it because he confided to me how he had won such a competitive auction. “I used sniping software,” he said.
Sniping software? To me that sounded like “swiping” software. I had no idea what it was but I did know it gave him a leg up, making him seem quite the eBay insider. Since then I’ve leaned a lot about sniping software, and use it all the time. I think that if you’re not using it you’re probably losing auctions to those who are.
Sniping software allows you to place a bid for an item within the last few seconds of an auction’s ending. Because a remote computer does your bidding automatically, it happens much more quickly than if you were to enter the bid yourself. To set this up, you enter your bid in the software whenever you want during the auction. Because your bid’s not made public until the very end of the auction, you’ve kept it a secret. That way other potential bidders don’t even know about your bid, and may not realize they have competition for the item.
You can edit your bid until shortly before the auction ends. That way, should the item get other bids you can adjust yours accordingly. As the auction is about to end you swoop in with your bid and hopefully snatch the item away from unsuspecting fellow bidders. That is, unless they’re using sniping software too. J
Sniping software is a bargain. You usually pay per snipe, and the cost is minimal. Lots of programs give you a trial period. One of our favorite sniping programs is BidNip at BidNip.com. And yes, this type of software is perfectly legal.
For more insider secrets please see our new book, How eBay Really Works, just published by Sterling Publishing.
Sniping software? To me that sounded like “swiping” software. I had no idea what it was but I did know it gave him a leg up, making him seem quite the eBay insider. Since then I’ve leaned a lot about sniping software, and use it all the time. I think that if you’re not using it you’re probably losing auctions to those who are.
Sniping software allows you to place a bid for an item within the last few seconds of an auction’s ending. Because a remote computer does your bidding automatically, it happens much more quickly than if you were to enter the bid yourself. To set this up, you enter your bid in the software whenever you want during the auction. Because your bid’s not made public until the very end of the auction, you’ve kept it a secret. That way other potential bidders don’t even know about your bid, and may not realize they have competition for the item.
You can edit your bid until shortly before the auction ends. That way, should the item get other bids you can adjust yours accordingly. As the auction is about to end you swoop in with your bid and hopefully snatch the item away from unsuspecting fellow bidders. That is, unless they’re using sniping software too. J
Sniping software is a bargain. You usually pay per snipe, and the cost is minimal. Lots of programs give you a trial period. One of our favorite sniping programs is BidNip at BidNip.com. And yes, this type of software is perfectly legal.
For more insider secrets please see our new book, How eBay Really Works, just published by Sterling Publishing.
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