why do they do it

rlcphotos

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ebay people bid items up to where thecan buy new for $50.. or less puzzles me
 
I wonder if some of the sellers create buyer accounts and then bid on their stuff to run it up. That has been a ploy of auction sellers since I was a kid, so over 50 years.
 
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ebay people bid items up to where thecan buy new for $50.. or less puzzles me

People are idiots & don't do their homework....



I wonder if some of the sellers create buyer accounts and then bid on their stuff to run it up. That has been a ploy of auction sellers since I was a kid, so over 50 years.

Absolutely... it's called shill bidding. A seller will either set up a phony account from another IP address, or have a friend with an account make the minimum bid numerous times to appear that a lot of bids are being made on their item.

Another thing to watch out for is someone who has something rather pricey for sale, but their 100+ positive feedback is from selling $3 trinkets.

Ebay is a great place to get good deals, but you must do your homework !!!
 
I wonder if some of the sellers create buyer accounts and then bid on their stuff to run it up. That has been a ploy of auction sellers since I was a kid, so over 50 years.

You are absolutely right. And whether online or in real life, an auction is an auction is an auction. :D

But the main thing is the excitement of the auction. People get so into it that they keep bidding past reasonable prices. That and the fact of not doing your homework.
 
On a scientific note: There have been numerous studies about how the emotional battle to "win" an auction blinds bidders to an item's real value. Search "auction emotion studies" or something similar on Google. Pretty interesting stuff!
 
On a scientific note: There have been numerous studies about how the emotional battle to "win" an auction blinds bidders to an item's real value. Search "auction emotion studies" or something similar on Google. Pretty interesting stuff!
When I was selling on eBay I did everything within eBay's rules I could think of to foster a bidding war.

It's great fun to watch people get caught up in one and even more fun watching the account balance grow.
 

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