I'll chime in here ...and to expand upon Tom Adam's observation.
The eBay watch list is 30 items (at this time: that has been far less at various times in eBay's development) ...a number which I regularly exceed.
And so I'll OFTEN place an early bid - and just as often as not, this will be an opening bid - for things that I have **some** interest in, or wish to know the final "market value" ...but haven't yet decided whether I'll "actively pursue" (and yes, that means snipe in the final seconds of the auction).
Yes, it's unavoidable that you sometimes end up with that "something" for that opening [watch] bid amount ...I've picked up some real bargains - AND some white elephants - from the practice. (Just picked up a Campy NR 45t chainring, to give a recent example of the more desirable result of the practice.)
Placing an opening [watch] bid hardly jacks up the final price (by much, at least) for most items. But this practice is hardly shill bidding, and its effect on the "perception of market value" is nil-to-little ...certainly nothing to complain about by other bidders (sellers, of course, really appreciate it).
I often see Gary "pedal-professor" Chottiner practicing the same thing ...heck, I've seen "kauzo" do it (and trust me, going mano-a-mano with the good doctor - which considering it, is rather a ludicrous motivation for bidding up an item, if you'd like to be critical about an eBay bidding practice ...although I've observed THAT motivation fairly often, too - is simply silly when he's decided he really, really wants that something ...his pockets are far, far deeper then mine, at least ...along with a whole slew of other serious collectors, not all of whom are Asian btw).
But the technique isn't something to be critical of.
Or to be too surprised at, given that many of us old-timers on eBay developed the technique back when there was NO "watch list" on eBay at all (in the "early days", if you wanted to "watch" an item on eBay, you added the link to the auction to your browser's "Favorites" list).
...it's just another bidding tool.
My two bits.
--- brandon davis ---
-- sacramento, ca --
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Date: Fri, 9 May 2003 07:55:11 -0700
> From: Craig Fenstermaker
> Subject: [CR]Bidding on ebay with no intention of winning an auction?
> Message: 12
>
> Gary wrote:
> I've bid on these many times on eBay but never with the intention of
trying to win the auction. As I recall, they would usually sell for $100
or so; perhaps a bit more for NIB kits if there are a few bidders and less
if they' ve been used at all.
> Gary Chottiner aka pedal-professor
> Cleveland Hts. OH
>
> I admit I know very little about ebay life, but why would a person bid
on, (anything????????????????), these many times on eBay but never with the
intention of trying to win the auction"
>
> craig g. fenstermaker
> ------------------------------
> Date: Fri, 9 May 2003 11:07:43 -0400
> From: Steve Neago
> Subject: Re: [CR]Bidding on ebay with no intention of winning an auction?
> Message: 15
>
> I agree with Craig...
>
> Bidding on ebay auctions without the intent of making a purchase only
inflates auction prices and causes a distorted perception of market value.
It looks deceptive to other potential bidders and smacks of "shill bidding"
if they know the seller...
>
> This is why I am always a "sniper" bidder on ebay... I bid at the last
minute to win the auction , not place or show. I do not bid up prices in a
"man to man (or woman)" bidding war or to "wear out" the other person(s).
>
> If Gary likes to bid just for fun, maybe ebay is not the right forum for
him...
>
> Regards, Steve Neago
> Cincinnati, OH
>
> ------------------------------
> Date: Fri, 09 May 2003 15:21:54 +0000
> From: "Thomas R. Adams, Jr."
> Subject: Re: [CR]Bidding on ebay with no intention of winning an auction?
> Message: 16
>
> The times I've done it have been when my "watch" list is full, I don't
really want the item but I'm curious to see how the auction goes, it's early
in the auction and the bid is quite low, like under $10 bucks. Then I'll
make a minimum bid in order to keep tabs on the item without having to
delete something from my "watch" list. As I'm only bidding up an increment
of 50 cents or so, I don't think that I'm really "inflating" the price too
much.
>
> Or on an occasion when the seller announces the reserve, I might bid a
dollar under so that if someone really wants the item, their 'real' bid will
meet reserve.
>
> This isn't nearly the problem it was before eBay increased the 'watch'
list to 30 items. And on more than one occasion I've won the item with my
'watch' bid.
>
> Tom Adams, Shrewsbury NJ