Idea ?

DSBradley

Member
I've been thinking about this for a while and I'm still not sure if it would work out or not but let me tell you and then you chip in. If we can all agree on some simple rules, I think we could all win.

Many of us bid on eBay because it's easy to search for exactly what you're looking for, or for the lack of iron in our area. Trouble is, what if we end up bidding against each other? I don't want to drive up a price if it's one of you I'm bidding against. I would hope you wouldn't for me either. What if there was some way to stake a claim here so as to keep "friendly fire" down to a minimum. I know that some pieces are rare enough to attract a few of us here to bid.

I was just thinking a Gentleman's Agreement (and Lady's Agreement) could be worked out. Chime in because the last thing I would want would be a rift here. Doug's vote counts as a pass or veto.

Just a thought :icon_thumbsup:
 
I would assume if you're bidding on an item, it's because you want it and not because you enjoy spitefully costing other bidders to spend more than necessary. If the former is true, and you possess some amount of self control, then you won't be bidding any higher than your budget allows. If your budget is higher than other bidders, you win; if not, one of them does. It's how eBay is supposed to work.

So, there's really no point in adding another variable-- like chivalry, or whatever you might want to call it-- to the mix. I get that there might be times when, if you knew the other person bidding on the item and that they might want it more badly than you do, that you would not want to be the fly in their ointment. But, since people apparently don't make it a habit of announcing the eBay listings they're watching-- and I'm not recommending they start-- those times are likely few and very far between. So, I don't see a need for the forum's attention to be eBay-focused in ways other than helping novice collectors not yet familiar with values to understand things like a Griswold #3 SBL skillet is not a $50 plus shipping piece.
 
I don’t believe this would work. Too many variables to coordinate changing minds and decisions during a listing. Besides, if it was you and I, no hard feelings to the one who wanted it most.

I would not be a good candidate for such a group. I let an item run it’s course and I decide if I really want it or not in the last 5 minutes. If I do, I snipe $500 or 3X last bid, which ever is higher, in the last 5 seconds.

Hilditch
 
OK Doug, I do see your point and is understood. Hilditch, you would win because I bid under a minute left but only a few dollars more. This might be why I lost the last couple of items that caught my eye. :D

Scott
 
I would also guess their would be a legal aspect to this. I imagine in the buyers agreement their is a collusion clause. Cant imagine ebay would be super happy to see people doing this.
 
Fair warning. Do not ever attend an auction thinking that you will out bid me on something that I am bidding on. I will bring it up so high and dump it on you or you will learn real fast that I will get what I want. That is what is fun about auctions.
There is this one auction that stands out of the many that I have attended over the years, not for just cast iron but also antiques in general. The bidding on this lot got to a point that all the other bidders dropped out but this one antique dealer that was still bidding, but did not see who she was bidding against until it cost more than she was willing to spend and turned and saw me at the very back with my hand up. She said some less that respectful comments that made her look the AH in the room. All is I asked was are we not at an auction. Well, her face went red and she left. I saw her 6 months later and she felt so bad for the way she acted and did apologize for it. For me It was a very good day, as I made bank on what I had won and later sold.

OH, that goes for eBay also, ask the bidders on the last 3 skillets I won. It is only money that we cannot take with us, but if you bid right you can still make bank.
Also you need to remember that at auctions you just might be bidding against a collector like myself. I do have museum quality pieces in my many collections.
 
DSBradley, if you are bidding on one of my items on ebay I would absolutely encourage you to cross post it on CIC! :icon_thumbsup:
 
Fair warning. Do not ever attend an auction thinking that you will out bid me on something that I am bidding on. I will bring it up so high and dump it on you or you will learn real fast that I will get what I want. That is what is fun about auctions.
There is this one auction that stands out of the many that I have attended over the years, not for just cast iron but also antiques in general. The bidding on this lot got to a point that all the other bidders dropped out but this one antique dealer that was still bidding, but did not see who she was bidding against until it cost more than she was willing to spend and turned and saw me at the very back with my hand up. She said some less that respectful comments that made her look the AH in the room. All is I asked was are we not at an auction. Well, her face went red and she left. I saw her 6 months later and she felt so bad for the way she acted and did apologize for it. For me It was a very good day, as I made bank on what I had won and later sold.



OH, that goes for eBay also, ask the bidders on the last 3 skillets I won. It is only money that we cannot take with us, but if you bid right you can still make bank.
Also you need to remember that at auctions you just might be bidding against a collector like myself. I do have museum quality pieces in my many collections.


We have very different styles. When I bid I bid with the product in mind, not the person I am bidding against. In all honestly I would prefer is no one walks away mad but I understand that is part of the beast sometimes.
 
We have very different styles. When I bid I bid with the product in mind, not the person I am bidding against. In all honestly I would prefer is no one walks away mad but I understand that is part of the beast sometimes.

Where did say that I care who I am bidding against?
I do not care who I am bidding against, that is why I sit in the very back. I take no names. If I bid it is for one of 2 reasons, first to win and second to dump it at a high price. Yes, there are people with deeper pockets than me that have the same collector attitude. Sometimes very rare items come to market once. I have a very rare Vermont maple syrup hand soldered tin can with the original paper label, that some would laugh at what I paid for it. But the other bidder who lost it, only lost it by $5.00. It is valued at 3 times what I paid for it.
 
Where did say that I care who I am bidding against?
I do not care who I am bidding against, that is why I sit in the very back. I take no names. If I bid it is for one of 2 reasons, first to win and second to dump it at a high price. Yes, there are people with deeper pockets than me that have the same collector attitude. Sometimes very rare items come to market once. I have a very rare Vermont maple syrup hand soldered tin can with the original paper label, that some would laugh at what I paid for it. But the other bidder who lost it, only lost it by $5.00. It is valued at 3 times what I paid for it.

I guess I meant "dumping" things is not my style. If someone wants it for more than I value it I have no issue with them having it. Their seems to be a certain vengeance when trying to get someone to pay more for something that I just do not have. I put a number in my head at which I would pay for something and if someone number in their head is bigger than mine, so be it. I have no deisre to have someone pay more for an item than I think it is worth.
 
I have yet to purchase CI on eBay, but I've been buying books and some other collectibles there for sixteen years, with some selling, too. I snipe without apology. I watch the item(s) I want, figure out the most I am willing to spend, and bid one time with under ten seconds to go. I have a high success rate using that method because I know my markets, and I have familiarized myself with the venue over time. I have a good idea if the desired item is likely to appear again within a year, or if it is a truly scarce item, and that will affect my spending limit beyond what I simply think the item is worth. Knowledge is not only power in this realm, it enables me to remain in control of my activity and to not be swayed by the unforseen (like the actions of others). My outcome will be affected by such activity, but my actions will not.

There are auto-bid services which enable one to register a last second bid ahead of time, but I do it manually (in the moment), because I work from home. Those times where I had to show my hand early meet with very different results--many times I get sniped by one bid increment. That reinforces my supposition that early bids encourage others to react, which essentially means that you often are bidding against yourself in such instances.
 
I guess I meant "dumping" things is not my style. If someone wants it for more than I value it I have no issue with them having it. Their seems to be a certain vengeance when trying to get someone to pay more for something that I just do not have. I put a number in my head at which I would pay for something and if someone number in their head is bigger than mine, so be it. I have no deisre to have someone pay more for an item than I think it is worth.

I agree wholeheartedly.

Why would you want someone to get whipped in a bidding war if you do not want the item or it has gotten out of your range?
 
I guess I meant "dumping" things is not my style. If someone wants it for more than I value it I have no issue with them having it. Their seems to be a certain vengeance when trying to get someone to pay more for something that I just do not have. I put a number in my head at which I would pay for something and if someone number in their head is bigger than mine, so be it. I have no deisre to have someone pay more for an item than I think it is worth.

Read your last sentence;

We have very different styles. When I bid I bid with the product in mind, not the person I am bidding against. In all honestly I would prefer is no one walks away mad but I understand that is part of the beast sometimes.

I do not have any issue with anyone that I let win. It just tells me that they needed it more than I. A winner is a winner every day, and I do not care who it is. Sometimes I do know the winner or the loser. This past fall I attend an auction for some cast iron and went head to head with a dealer that I purchase from in his shop. I won, because I had it sold before I won. Two weeks after that auction I was in his shop and purchased 2 pieces. Yes, we are friends.
 
Fair warning. Do not ever attend an auction thinking that you will out bid me on something that I am bidding on. I will bring it up so high and dump it on you or you will learn real fast that I will get what I want. That is what is fun about auctions.


This was more to what I was referring to. To each their own, I was just stating we have different styles. I have never had a desire to dump an item on someone at a higher price. I am not attacking your style I just never understood the desire to have someone pay more for an item at an auction for "fun"
 
I agree wholeheartedly.

Why would you want someone to get whipped in a bidding war if you do not want the item or it has gotten out of your range?


Ever bid in an auction?
Like JustinR stated; "I understand that is part of the beast sometimes."

Where did the word whipped come into play?

Win some lose some, that is auction life.
 
I went to my first auction 35 years ago. I ended up being humiliated and going home with a box of junk I didn't want. The next time I went to an auction I put on my big girl pants and left my feelings at home. It's fun but it's no place for the timid.
 
This was more to what I was referring to. To each their own, I was just stating we have different styles. I have never had a desire to dump an item on someone at a higher price. I am not attacking your style I just never understood the desire to have someone pay more for an item at an auction for "fun"

It is not so much different styles, than different words.

I cannot force anyone to bid, they do it on their own. So do not make me out to be the bad person. It is an auction, when you raise your hand only you will know when you will stop bidding. Yes, all auctions are fun win some lose some all with a smile.

---------- Post added at 02:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:19 PM ----------

I went to my first auction 35 years ago. I ended up being humiliated and going home with a box of junk I didn't want. The next time I went to an auction I put on my big girl pants and left my feelings at home. It's fun but it's no place for the timid.

You made me think and laugh at the same time. It was 37 years ago for me. I just wish I had more $$$ back then.:icon_rofl:

I do not want to talk of all the cast iron that I passed up.
 
It is not so much different styles, than different words.

I cannot force anyone to bid, they do it on their own. So do not make me out to be the bad person. It is an auction, when you raise your hand only you will know when you will stop bidding. Yes, all auctions are fun win some lose some all with a smile.

---------- Post added at 02:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:19 PM ----------



You made me think and laugh at the same time. It was 37 years ago for me. I just wish I had more $$$ back then.:icon_rofl:

I do not want to talk of all the cast iron that I passed up.

I was not making you out to be a bad person nor can I figure out how you came to that conclusion. I even stated I was not attacking your style. You said you will raise the price of an item and drop it on people. I simply stated we had different styles.
 
col·lu·sion
kəˈlo͞oZHən/Submit
noun
secret or illegal cooperation or conspiracy, especially in order to cheat or deceive others.
"the armed forces were working in collusion with drug traffickers"
synonyms: conspiracy, connivance, complicity, intrigue, plotting, secret understanding, collaboration, scheming
"there had been collusion between the security forces and paramilitary groups"
LAW
illegal cooperation or conspiracy, especially between ostensible opponents in a lawsuit.
 
Back
Top