Outsmarting Ebay?

[gallahadesquire]

I indulge in ebay from time to time. I have more than enough "stuff' at home [with the possible exception of a full-size Oxford English Dictionary, but somethings should be electronic]. I lost my college ring years ago, and I'd love to replace it with one of the same year. I currently have 1964 (which is too big) and 2016 (which is too small). I was class of '73. (1973, wiseasses!)

 

Currently, there's a '78 up for sale on ebay. It is formally illegal, under ebay's TOS, to negotiate outside of their auction while it is still live. Anyone know how to circumvent this?

 

I'm really, really tempted to run the price up. I can afford to (although that might mean one less hire this year), and I'd love to give the seller a better profit (the ring was probably less than $100, new). Anyone know how to hack the system to find out the current high bids on Ebay?

 

Maybe I should go back to hoarding Rolexes. Better availability, though.

[+ Keith30309]

I indulge in ebay from time to time. I have more than enough "stuff' at home [with the possible exception of a full-size Oxford English Dictionary, but somethings should be electronic]. I lost my college ring years ago, and I'd love to replace it with one of the same year. I currently have 1964 (which is too big) and 2016 (which is too small). I was class of '73. (1973, wiseasses!)

 

Currently, there's a '78 up for sale on ebay. It is formally illegal, under ebay's TOS, to negotiate outside of their auction while it is still live. Anyone know how to circumvent this?

 

I'm really, really tempted to run the price up. I can afford to (although that might mean one less hire this year), and I'd love to give the seller a better profit (the ring was probably less than $100, new). Anyone know how to hack the system to find out the current high bids on Ebay?

 

Maybe I should go back to hoarding Rolexes. Better availability, though.

I don't know of any way to determine the current high bid or reserve except to just place a bid. How many items has the seller sold in the past and has up now? If it's a frequent seller they may have a storefront elsewhere online where you could reach them. If it's a one-time seller it seems less likely. I have heard there is automation available that will automatically bump up your bid within certain parameters but I suspect that is against the eBay TOS.

[maninsoma]

I have used automated "sniping" services in the past. I don't know whether these are against eBay's TOS, but I never had a problem afterwards and it helped me get the items I wanted at the lowest possible price. Since it sounds like you aren't trying to win an auction for the lowest possible price, though, but want to help the seller maximize the ultimate sale price, simply do what you can to win the auction and then pay them extra when you pay for the item.

[escortrod]

As a seller I have received many messages from buyers offering a 'buy it now' price on items I have for sale, even though I have not selected that facility. In a couple of cases I have accepted these offers, ended the auction early, and accepted payment from the buyer via PayPal. As you say, this is against eBay's TOS, but I've never been caught and I don't believe they can do anything particularly punitive to me if they did catch me.

[+ HornyRetiree]

sniping is fine -- I have sniped for years -- It is getting code through that moved to private e-mail communication and deal that is harder.

[gallahadesquire]

Well, to continue the story:

 

I thought maybe it was some poor guy down on his luck, or maybe his family. I realized the seller was a pawn shop in VA. I'm less interested in increasing his profit margin.

 

Regarding the last ring I purchased: It belonged to a kid who had to drop out before his senior year (or maybe he flunked out). A previous high-bidder had reneged on the deal, and I negotiated a price a couple of hundred under the high bid. I think the seller was relieved to get money and be rid of a bad memory.

 

My other ring was the result of a pawn shop going out of business. The guy's uncle owned the shop, and apparently it had been there for years. It certainly looks completely unused (and would have been made in 1962). If only objects could talk.