[rescue] Wow

[Kurt Huhn]

> *Sigh* it's not a game, it's a transaction.  If they're willing to pay more
> for it than I am, they get it.  It's that simple.
> My disappointment lies in watching the final bid price on an item jump up by
> $25 or $50 as people rush to try to outbid me and just end up jacking the
> price up.
> 

*YOU* don't think it's a game.  The truth is that it *is* a game. 
There's nothing wrong with that.  The transaction occurs after the dust
settles and a winner emerges.  It's a game of bluffs, hedges, and
patience.  Just because it's online doesn't make it any different from a
cigarrette smoke-filled barn.

> 
> Again, it's not a game.  and the tactics are nothing alike...  you bid, if
> someone outbids you, you have the opportunity to bid again.  Where's the
> bluff in that? is it in the way you wave your paddle?  is it because you
> chose to blow a kiss to the auctioneer rather than simply touch the corner of
> your hat?  The only drama is if the participants choose to interpret it that
> way for themselves.  If e-bay were like a _real_ auction, the auction would
> be extended by three minutes every time someone places a bid.

That tactics are very much alike.  You don't want anyone around you
knowing how much you're willing to pay - they might be willing to pay
more.  If you want the item on the block, you bid - but you watch what
other folks are doing to try and see how much they're willing to bid. 
Yes, it's different, but the game is more alike than different.

Waving paddles, blowing kisses, and touching your hat have nothing to do
with real auctions - only in the movies does that shit work.  The game
is with the other bidders - not the auctioneer.  It's a psychological
game, and it can be easily won by those who play it well.

Sniping is simply a method of hedging your bids and catching others
off-guard.  If you don't want to think ofit as a game, then think of it
as strategy for buying.  You want the lowest price - not the maximum
price you're willing to pay, right?  Sniping at an auction gives you the
chance to determine the price a little, instead of someone else driving
up your bid.

If it weren't a game, it wouldn't be exciting, and there wouldn't be a
reason for it.  Instead of eBay being an auction site - it'd be a garage
sale site.

Looks OT for rescue - cc'ing to geeks@, please reply there
-- 
Kurt
kurt at k-huhn.com