Frustrated

[LadyGuinevere]

I've been having a bad run of luck with auctions recently as well, although for me it's merchandise rather than nirvanas. I actually celebrated when I won some comics the other day, lol! It's partly my own fault though, as I keep forgetting to up my max. There was a princess variant I meant to go higher on yesterday, but forgot to up it, even though I was online at the time.

[teresat]

This too has happened to me recently. I just put in my absolute top value I want to pay and walk away. I'm sick getting frustrated after carefully stalking an auction.

But I don't bid on any ooak ponies. That would bum me out too if I lost one of those in the last second.

I hope everyone eventually gets the ponies they want for a good deal!

[Jadis4742]

RULE OF PONY PURCHASING

1. Available
2. Decent Price
3. Good Condition

Pick two.
 

[Pythia]

RULE OF PONY PURCHASING

1. Available
2. Decent Price
3. Good Condition

Pick two.
 

Hahahaaa, I like that!

[NovelNerd]

This too has happened to me recently. I just put in my absolute top value I want to pay and walk away. I'm sick getting frustrated after carefully stalking an auction.

This right here, but sometimes I still find myself looking back to the auction. Most of the time I put in my max, walk away and don't worry about it. Then there are times I want it, and I find myself going back and bidding more than I should. Sometimes I dislike my competitive nature to win! 

[Xaniss]

Aww, I can feel your pain ponies! I'm 'attempting' to be on a pony-diet and the best way for me is to not lurk on ebay or the for sales here ... yeah, like that's really happening 

One thing that I've been finding the most frustrating at the moment is ebay blocking my bids from International locations - even when I get the okay to bid by the seller. Just recently I stalked an auction for nine days (it was a botcon shirt, not ponies) and - as I'm a last minute bidder/sniper - I was devastated to discover that I couldn't bid and totally lost out! If I knew this fact earlier, I would of had time to contact the seller to correct the listing and I probably would of won it 

I have learnt from this and when I get the 'okay' from an overseas seller to bid, I place the next bid up (or first bid) on the item to make sure first I can bid - if I can't, then I have the option to contact the seller and ask for them to change their listing to include Australia - I must be a major pain to sellers out there! 

[Moonracer]

I know that pain, hun. *hugs*

I recently missed out Italian Blossom... but not due to last second bids, but more to my own carelessness. I planned on bidding her and I even had the auction site remind me that the auction's going to end soon, but it just so happened that my mind was so preoccupied with other, more important affairs, that it just flew out of my mind... When I finally remembered that I had an auction to win, it was too late: someone already won her.

Thankfully though, the same seller put her up again (probably 'cause the original winner didn't manage to pay for her on time and changed his/her mind), so all's not lost - I won't lose her this time!

I have several other ponies that I missed: Beach Ball evaded me... twice in fact! Once she was sold with a bunch of other ponies via an advert - just as I contacted the seller, she replied to me that shortly before I replied to her add a lady came and picked up all the ponies. Second time was on an internet auction: I was outbid in the last couple seconds... bummer... :/

Other pony was Milky Way: she was sold with a couple other ponies as a "Buy it Now". I contacted the seller, asking if she'd be willing to sell her separately. She agreed and told me to list the price. But just as I was about to reply to her... BOOM! Somebody bought the entire lot... :/

[ashlyne]

Well, I do try to place my highest bid in the final moments myself, but most of the time I have to use a snipe program because the auction is ending at the same time I'm at work or when I've gone to bed. I understand how it can suck, but how else are you going to get what you want?

Theoretically, I get it, and I don't have anything against it. In practice, however, it's just incredibly frustrating, haha.

If it all comes down to how much you're willing to pay, then why wait until the last second of the auction? Why not just place your highest bid earlier?

Primarily because of what Kitkatvintage said.  People will "nibble" up the price till they're on top.  Bidding in auctions can be a very emotionally and competitively driven thing. If you place your max amount early, you're more likely to invite a bidding war.  Also, if someone sees there are more people already bidding on the item, it automatically becomes more valuable in their eyes, and they're more apt to put in a higher bid, driving up the cost and making it less likely for you to win.   

Sniping is a strategy that works, for one thing, and personally it actually REDUCES my stress level.  It's so much easier for me to see an ended auction that I lost fare and square, knowing I wasn't going to pay anything more than my max,  than to actually witness that price being driven up and seeing people pop in with their bids.  When you see them (us) actively snipe and you actually see your loss in real-time, yes, it's VERY frustrating because you have all your emotions going and hopes built up and then sudden disappointment.   You might actually find separating yourself from real-time bidding a much more relaxing and enjoyable way to play the game, if you can get around seeing it as being sneaky or vindictive. 

I snipe probably 90% of auctions I bid on for two big reasons:   
1.  I can't be at the computer or on ebay all day long, with as many auctions as I watch (I like having a job, and I also like my sleep!)
2.  The stress of watching those last seconds was really getting to me.
...and also because sniping seems to up my chances of avoiding a bidding war and winning. 

I do make exceptions though, for things I'm SUPER excited about and just can't stay away from. But I pay the price with anxiety the whole time!

EDIT:  Oh! I forgot to add that another reason I don't like putting in my max too early.  It gives me a false sense of "Oo! I'm the high bidder! I'm going to win!"  Ebay even gives you a little message  to cheer you on.  Some people like this thrill, but it's a major let down if someone's willing to pay higher. It almost feels like the item is rightfully mine, and then someone snatches it away from me.  I don't want to set myself up for that, or feel that way towards another bidder whose only crime is that they were willing to pay more. 

[partypony566]

I'm lucky I guess that I can't afford any nirvanas usually but I completely understand the disappointment

[Leopard_Print_Unicorn]

For all the reasons metioned above I consider e-bay a legitimate sport

[Endocat]

ARRRGGHH new frustration with ebay for me!  sellers removing bids and auctions early....  I'm sad today because a Greek Skydancer was removed well before auction ended   I really wanted a go at bidding for a grail.  Boo-hoo.

[Novavelle]

time out... there are sniping programs?! lol... I just do it my dang self but it has to be something I REALLY want... most of the time I set my max bid from the start... and sometimes I'll be baited to bid more if someone outbids me long before the auctions end... but I look at it this way, if I were meant to win it I would have... there will be another one eventually... I hate dwelling on it cause then it just bums me out... :cough cough: MOC quackers :cough cough:

[HoustonCollector72]

This too has happened to me recently. I just put in my absolute top value I want to pay and walk away. I'm sick getting frustrated after carefully stalking an auction.

This right here, but sometimes I still find myself looking back to the auction. Most of the time I put in my max, walk away and don't worry about it. Then there are times I want it, and I find myself going back and bidding more than I should. Sometimes I dislike my competitive nature to win! 

that is not the way to get them at a good price, you should bid at the last minute only ,no reason to bid and bid higher and higher, you are kinda shooting your own feet ,I'm sure the sellers owe you some good kickback money  for making their items go higher and higher

[nhal039]

Houstonbrony72 I disagree, sniping on cheap ponies works well but its a different ball game when bidding on an expensive pony putting in your max amount at the start is the best way to go.

[Leopard_Print_Unicorn]

time out... there are sniping programs?! lol... I just do it my dang self but it has to be something I REALLY want... most of the time I set my max bid from the start... and sometimes I'll be baited to bid more if someone outbids me long before the auctions end... but I look at it this way, if I were meant to win it I would have... there will be another one eventually... I hate dwelling on it cause then it just bums me out... :cough cough: MOC quackers :cough cough:

Sometimes with Nirvana ponies, I'm scared that there WON'T be another one eventually. Or at least not for a long, long time. And patience isn't usually one of my virtues.

But I usually have a price in mind that I'm willing to pay, and I will jump in and snipe with my maximum at the last minute. I'm afraid if I put it in to begin with, it will just drive the price up very high early in the auction. I dunno if that's logical.