Sniping is a strategy to keep the price lower until as near the end as possible, increasing your odds of winning for a more affordable price. You can manually snipe by being online when the auction ends and bidding at the last few seconds but many people use automatic software to bid on their behalf. Since sniping is so close to the auction end, you won't usually have a chance with time left to enter an alternate bid if someone bids higher than you.

EBay's proxy bidding system lets you - directly through eBay, no third party software involved - enter either one bid for a certain price or do a proxy bid. A proxy bid is you enter your maximum bid and eBay will automatically bid for you until it reaches the max as other users place bids. You can do this any time during the auction. No matter when a bid is placed, the highest bid will always win.

The theory is that sniping can sometimes outsmart proxy bidding because instead of the price going higher over the course of several days you enter at the last moment.

Like this:

Day 1:
Seller: lists item at $0.99 for a 5 day auction

Day 1: bidder 1 places one manual bid for $1.05

The auction price increases to $1.05

Bidder 1 is the high bidder.

Day 1: bidder 2 places a proxy bid for a maximum of $10

eBay increases the price incrementally and places 1 bid on bidder 2's behalf. The auction price is now $1.30. Bidder 1 has been outbid. Since Bidder 1 entered one manual bid, they would need to come back with a second bid or proxy bid to try and win the auction.

Bidder 2 is the high bidder. The auction price is $1.30.

Day 2:
Bidder 3 sees the auction price of $1.30. They enter a proxy bid of $5. They do not know that Bidder 2 has entered a max bid of $10.

Bidder 3 is automatically outbid by Bidder 2's proxy bid. Bidder 3 must now come back to place a new bid, otherwise is out of competition to win the auction.

The auction price is now $5.25. Bidder 2 is the high bidder

Day 3:
Bidder 1 comes back to check the auction and sees that she has been outbid and is no longer in competition to win the auction. She decides to place another bid. She enters a proxy bid this time. She enters a max of $12

Bidder 2's bids are entered and automatically countered by Bidder 1's bids. Bidder 2 is outbid. eBay increases the price by the minimum amount required so the auction price is now $10.50 and Bidder 1 is the high bidder.

Day 4:
No bids are placed. The auction price is still $10.50

Day 5:
Bidder 1 thinks sweet, she can get a great deal. But just in case, she decides to increase her proxy bid max to $18. The auction price doesn't change until a few other bidders wander in and place manual bids, but the price remains below Bidder 1's max.

The auction price is now $16.75 and Bidder 1 is the high bidder

Bidder 2 decides she really really wants the pony. She enters a max price of $50.

There is one hour left in the auction. The price increases to just above Bidder 1's max and the auction price is $18.50.

Bidder 2 is the high bidder. Bidder 1 decides she doesn't want to spend more than that and drops out.

A few more bids trickle in, some manual, some proxy. The proxy bids increase the price quickly because eBay automatically outbids the second highest with the first highest.

The price is now $27.25 and Bidder 2 is the high bidder.

Five seconds to go.

Bidder 2 panics and enters a max bid of $200 (never do this!) because she really really wants the pony. It's her grail!

Bidder 9 snipes the auction at 2.5 seconds left using third party software. Bidder 9 probably isn't even online right now. He trusts the software to do its job.

Bidder 10 enters a manual last minute bid of $52 with 2 seconds left but is immediately outbid by Bidders 9 and 2 and doesn't have time to enter a new bid.

The auction price jumps to $100.75 after Bidder 9's snipe.

The auction ends at $100.75 and Bidder 2 is the winner.

Why is Bidder 2 the winner? Bidder 9 bid closer to the end of the auction.

Bidder 9's max snipe price was $100
Bidder 2, although the bid was placed earlier than Bidder 9, still wins the auction because eBay's system makes sure  the highest bid wins and $200 is higher than $100.

So usually a last minute bid will win the day but not always.
Bidder 2 probably way overpaid for the pony but she got emotionally invested in the auction.

Bidder 1 goes and BINs the same pony for $8 from a different seller.

(It was Peachy)

I love how you explained it, so Accurate. Actually this last days l like watching bids on ebay, for Mimics or ponies l can't afford, and know they are going to end up sold for a small fortune, but yes, the bids grow slowly and then the last day they just go crazy.


And yes, l have used to max bid for my last purchase and l won the bidding cause l went high the first, but never above a limit (it was 15€ for Sundance and got her for 11,5) if the other bidder had gone above 15 l would have lost but ok cause it was my max bid.

I share various "unpopular" opinions that have been mentioned here, but I think I have one really unpopular opinion...

I just HATE G4. And G3. And G2. But especially G4. I will not even give them a chance because I don't even acknowledge them as ponies, as they simply aren't (to me). Especially G4 makes me sick (I'm not saying that to be rude, on the contrary, I don't feel comfortable saying out loud here, but since this is the appropriate thread...), the style as well as the whole "fandom". I don't recognise ANYTHING My Little Pony in them. It's just a completely different world, it could be Pony versus Barbie for all I know. And the worst side effect of this fandom is that it's so widely known, even outside the collectors world.

Why does that matter so much? Well, because I used to be that weirdo who collected plastic toy horses. I liked that. Now it's a "thing" to collect ponies, and people don't even picture the right "ponies" when I tell them. So I don't talk about it anymore. I was a proud collector once.

There. I said it. You can throw tomatoes at me now.

Yes! Well said! The later versions looked like escaped from the Power Puff girls.... G1 forever !

First and then you can kill me off: l like customizing ponies, for me is like giving them a new life, so sorry for those who find that an abomination.

Then, l hate flutter pony original wings, they look like nothing the ones from the tv show. Ok they are shiny and sparkling but still, don't like them.

As for Perfume puff ponies, l would love to get a Red Roses with baited hair so l could rehair her my way.

As for so soft ponies, they should all have been like this or none of them, but when you get used to the nss the flocked are weird. Maybe if from the beginning all the ponies would have been flocked then it would be ok. After all ponies have fur...

The deflocked one looks stunning... maybe mine will be like that...

Quote from: Khayman81 on March 24, 2017, 02:29:40 PM

Quote from: Duenia on March 24, 2017, 09:29:13 AM

I guess I technically have her for a few days. She arrived last night, and will be leaving likely next week 

Yes you do. And technically I want her and have her in a few weeks :-)
Can't wait to have her. They should have made her NSS tho ...

And she can't wait to see you lol

So do I!!!!
My bf will be happy too :-)

She actually hated green, but the pony turned out so great I thought it would be the best way to honor her. I miss her so much. The pony stays with me in my bedroom so she can watch for me at night and always be there for me.
Thank you for the kind words, it is always appreciated 

That means a lot to me guys, thanx a lot.