Dave's ebay secret

Here's a light post for the day - I've been using ebay to buy & sell stuff since 2005, but it's not until the last couple years that I've perfected my technique for winning auctions. After some really good buys this past week (i.e. $175 snow pants for Jen for $13.06), I'm feeling pretty good, so I figured I'd share my secrets.

(1) Know the value of what you're bidding on. It's not a deal if you end up spending more than it costs in stores. I laugh when I see people get into bidding wars & drive the price to full retail or even more!

(2) Watch for bad descriptions & photos. I love picking up items that are listed as "Patagonia fluffy jacket" along with a blurry photo. A casual glance may not reveal much, but closer inspection may reveal that the "fluffy" jacket is actually a Patagonia Retro X windproof fleece, last year's model based on the pocket design & zipper pulls, that retails for $185. I'll pick up the "fluffy" jacket for $30, turn around & list it accurately with great pictures and double or triple my money.

(3) And lastly, the "Dave Snatch." I'll set my scope on a particular item, watch it closely throughout the auction period, and if the price is still low enough where it'd be a deal for me or I could easily resell it, I get down to business. First, know your maximum bid. Don't get swept up in the thrill of the hunt. Give yourself the maximum you're willing to spend on the item. If it goes for more than that, it wasn't meant to be. Let it go! :-)

During the final minute, watch the bids. With about 30 seconds left, enter your maximum bid (the most you'd consider bidding) and place the bid. Go with an amount that's weird. For example, instead of entering $100, enter $101.22. I can't tell you how many auctions I've snatched by 50 cents because of entering an odd amount.

Here's where it gets fun. Ebay will ask you to confirm your bid. WAIT!!! You'll want to wait until about 6 seconds left before confirming your bid (a second or two longer depending on your connection speed.) This timing prevents someone from submitting a counter bid before the auction ends.

BAM!!! The moment of truth. You either just won the item or another bidder's maximum bid was greater than you were willing to spend in the first place.

Happy ebaying!