Confession time!

Given the way eBay auctions work, I've gotten used to paying quite a bit lower than my actual bid on most occasions. I'm careful enough not to "aim for the sky," but today the pressure of the auction got the best of me and I bid probably about $20 more than I would've been happy to pay. Someone else almost matched my bid in the closing seconds (literally, the last two seconds), and the selling price went from $15 to $66. This was for a non-fuchsia Crimson Strike Team Viper, which I could have gotten for less at one of the stores. But I had just been outbid on a previous auction, and in the moment I did not want to lose.

My present financial situation is such that I'm really not broken up about it, but has anyone else here overshot and ended up with a closing price they didn't expect?

I watched those auctions and couldnt beleive how much they went for, I was second highest bidder on the box and lost it to a over $350 bid, I was shocked there too

I typically bid alot for most auction im going for, and honestly 80% of the time they sell for half what I bid, and the 15% of the time that it goes for nearly what my max was im usually very surprised, but again didnt care because ill probably wont see it agin for sale for quite awhile

the 5% of the time that I lose I feel so defeated and its a real bummer, today and yesterday I had 2 defeats in a row, those were hard, but hay you cant win them all I guess

I have sometimes bid "too much" in order to increase my chances of winning, but I've always either won it for a lower price I was comfortable with or else was outbid. I've never gone too crazy though, as I always bid within my means

The only unexpected winning bids have been ones that ended very low

I once bid around 150 bucks for a Transformers lot that I didn't really need, but was outbid at the last second, thankfully. I justified it b/c the seller was local, and would not charge shipping if it could be picked up. . .that was a stupid justification, but eBay makes people irrational. Also, I bid for what would have been about 200 bucks for a Palisades Muppets lot, and was outbid by about 20 bucks (obviously there were at least 2 other bidders). I was thankful at the time that I was outbid, but in hindsight, that lot could have been broken up and resold for, literally, 3X that. But even keeping the figures I wanted, I still could have resold the rest and made my money back (prices have skyrocketed for some of those bastards over the last few months). So, now I kind of regret it.

case in point:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Zoot-Palisades-Muppet-Figure-Loose_W0QQitemZ260177051726QQihZ016QQcategoryZ1923 3QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotoho sting

This figure came out about 3-4 years ago, in stores, and is loose. Wowzers.

Yowzers... make feel a little better about the skyrocketing joes prices. I've put my old skool joe collecting to the side for now the prices are just too insane especially for the foreign figures that i'm missing. I'm mainly focusing on the 25th, DTC, Really Cheap VvV, and 200x MOTU.

The only time I can recall bidding more than I wanted to was when I got into a bidding war over a MOC SAW Viper. I ended up bidding $16.00 and with shipping it was like $21.00. May not seem like a lot but when you consider my collection and how I NEVER pay that much for a figure it was at the time alot of money for just one.

I was bidding on some MOC Inhumanoids a few months ago. I only needed one figure but the price went from, $12.00 to $110.00 in the last 30+ seconds

I found this Mortal Kombat figure lot and bid 30 dollars for nearly 20 figures, but in the end got pulled into a bidding war. Thank god he outbid me cause i would have hated to pay the 75 dollars hes paying for the figures.

I watched those auctions and couldnt beleive how much they went for, I was second highest bidder on the box and lost it to a over $350 bid, I was shocked there too

I typically bid alot for most auction im going for, and honestly 80% of the time they sell for half what I bid, and the 15% of the time that it goes for nearly what my max was im usually very surprised, but again didnt care because ill probably wont see it agin for sale for quite awhile

the 5% of the time that I lose I feel so defeated and its a real bummer, today and yesterday I had 2 defeats in a row, those were hard, but hay you cant win them all I guess


I have seen these boxes go for $300 to $500 just for the box. CRAZY!!!! I was wanting one just to put my fuschia set in. I will keep them in baggies!

.... but eBay makes people irrational.

You're preaching to the choir there sir. I am an avid toy soldier collector. For whatever reason, one certain company has experienced an extraordinary secondary market that has hit meteroic proportions. For instance, I bought a Hummvee from their Special Forces line back in 2003- no one would touch it- now, everyone wants it and I have seen it go for upwards of $500!!!! I paid $90 for it.

Some other examples- my Normandy village- I paid $385 for it- it is now going for $1,500- $1,750. I bought it back in 2001.

It really ticks me off because the same company is doing a "limited edition" Afrika Korps Tiger tank. They are limiting distribution to 1,250 sets. It is priced at $200 and already everyone is clammoring to snag a bunch of them and sit on them. The company did a limited release Winter Tiger for the battle of the Bulge back in 2004. It was priced at $200 and now cannot be had for less than $500.

Ebay is a cancer that if feeding greed unfortunately.

I don't do that much bidding but I generally am good about setting a maximum bid that is the most I am willing to pay for something. There have been a couple of times when I've raised the bar maybe $2-4 in a last second bidding war but I don't get caught up in the "I gotta beat you" feeding frenzy that seems to infect many auctions.

I once listed a Guitar FX pedal with a buy it now about 200 bucks lower then what it was worth. That really sucked. It sold in 15 seconds.

I got into a bidding war on my 72 Cutlass 442.. paid a bit more than what I wanted to pay for it.. like 3 grand more.

SamluvsJoes was selling a lot of 12 Shadow Vipers and I decided what the cheese, I'd bid 39$ on it and the bid was 20$ the last 5 seconds....

Just then...It went up to 37.00 and I won't the auction...Oh Jessica's dad that was alot of money. But I was able to pay for it...Only one probelm.

I had to get rid of some of the Shadow vipers to recoup the cost...So they should be on the bay during Thanksgiving. I did keep 8 of them...But I think that was the correct price for the lot as all of them were complete and you figure a complete Joe from 2000 is 3-5$.

I normally bid more than usual in army builder lots...But I have to end up selling some back.

I once listed a Guitar FX pedal with a buy it now about 200 bucks lower then what it was worth. That really sucked. It sold in 15 seconds.

I sold Red Ninja/Zartan/Shipwreck 25th on the bay last week for 15$ when I could have gotten at least 10 for each...I was kicking myself for that...l still am.

But I picked up more tonight...so it won't be a probelm. I might keep Zartan though, he is one sweet figure and with Christmas coming up...you can never have enough Zartan in his Xmas disguise.

SamluvsJoes was selling a lot of 12 Shadow Vipers and I decided what the cheese, I'd bid 39$ on it and the bid was 20$ the last 5 seconds....

Just then...It went up to 37.00 and I won't the auction...Oh Jessica's dad that was alot of money. But I was able to pay for it...Only one probelm.

I had to get rid of some of the Shadow vipers to recoup the cost...So they should be on the bay during Thanksgiving. I did keep 8 of them...But I think that was the correct price for the lot as all of them were complete and you figure a complete Joe from 2000 is 3-5$.

I normally bid more than usual in army builder lots...But I have to end up selling some back.

Heh heh, my shill bidding ploy worked again!
Er, uh, I mean, glad you won the auction!:p
Sam

PS And no, I don't shill bid. I'm not that pathetic!