35mm cameras

[usayit]

It's not just about max bid or not, it's about how much money eventually gets paid. If you early-bid, then odds are that someone will come along and bid more than you.

The odds are no different because your max bid is not advertised. Current bid != max bid. If you max bid is higher than anyone is willing to snipe, you are the winner. It doesn't matter whether you bid at the beginning or at the very last second.

This results in a couple things: 1) eBay gets more money from the royalties, 2) the seller gets more money, 3) someone pays more than it could go for, and 4) you don't get what you bid on. If you snipe, you don't need as much patience as described above because you will win an auction earlier.

Royalties, money to the seller has nothing to do with when you place your max bid.... it is based on the final winning bid. the winning bid could be placed at the beginning nor end. Also... sniping an auction does not cause the auction to end earlier.

In the format of ebay's auctions (open/english), there is no advantage to sniping except you end up paying more than or intended or you wasted time watching/waiting for the final seconds.

 

[blash]

No - early bidding raises the final price of the item. By sniping, you ensure that everyone will have entered the smallest bid that they would have ever entered for the item. When you early-bid, you allow people (maybe not you, if you're disciplined, but other people yes) to revise that smallest bid upwards. It inflates the price of the item and earns everyone but you more money. By sniping you keep the prices low and make sure that what you enter is based off what you're willing to pay and not what someone else has bid.

 

[flea77]

No - early bidding raises the final price of the item. By sniping, you ensure that everyone will have entered the smallest bid that they would have ever entered for the item. When you early-bid, you allow people (maybe not you, if you're disciplined, but other people yes) to revise that smallest bid upwards. It inflates the price of the item and earns everyone but you more money. By sniping you keep the prices low and make sure that what you enter is based off what you're willing to pay and not what someone else has bid.

You are making the assumption that no one else is sniping, heh.

Allan

 

[blash]

It doesn't matter if someone else is sniping, the point is that no one will be able to revise their bid.

 

[RyanLilly]

blash does make a good point about snipers out sniping each other, artificially inflating the price. But in the end usayit is right, bid the max you are willing to pay, if you don't win, go to the next item and bid again.

Now once I got outbid in the last 15 seconds, but the reality was I was already stretching myself thin with my max bid. Either way the winner got a killer deal, and If my bid had been even $10 more I probably would have won, but At the time my max bid was all I could afford, so no hard feelings. With rare exception, there is always a next time.

Back to the OP and film stuff getting pricey again. Simple supply and demand. When everyone jumped on the digital bandwagon, there was tons of film equipment to be had, and very little demand. Hobbyists found that what was just a year ago financially out of reach, now cost pocket change; so demand went up as the finite supply of gear went down, as hobbyists bought it up; which brings us to where we now stand.

However, It seems that medium format shooters were slower to switch, so a lot of MF stuff are still at very low prices, just look foe a RB67 on KEH or anywhere else, CHEAP! Even a whole Hassleblad setup can be had for less than $500!

 

[blash]

Heh, I just can't let this go, huh? Wow...

OK: There's a nice new lens I want - 50mm f/1.4 D. The Maximum I am willing to pay is $270.

If I early bid - I go over the last price, say $220 which increases to $235 which was the first guy's maximum bid so the going bid (my bid) is $240 - not yet my maximum. 2 hours before the auction ends, the guy who had the bid before me decides to be an asshole: he comes along and goes "Hey, I could pay $250 for one of those, that would still be a good price - although I couldn't afford $250 earlier, I just got an extra $15 for my birthday in the mail" - that's his new, revised maximum bid. He bids, eBay increases my bid to $255, I win at $255.

If I snipe - I see the $220, snipe it, bid raises to $235 which was the first bidder's maximum and I win at $240.

I just saved $15 by sniping and not trusting the other bidders. If eBay was a perfect world where everyone would only be allowed 1 bid on any item and that would be their maximum bid, then early bidding would work. The real world is different though. It's not just about winning, it's about not having to pay as much.

Alright that's (hopefully) my last post on the whole eBay off-topic rail... back to OT, what about large format? If MF is sticking cheap, then maybe LF too... I'd definitely be interested in getting into large-format (if the prices are keeping nice and low now) but I have no idea where to start since it's pretty radically different from 35mm.

 

[flea77]

Heh, I just can't let this go, huh? Wow...

OK: There's a nice new lens I want - 50mm f/1.4 D. The Maximum I am willing to pay is $270.

If I early bid - I go over the last price, say $220 which increases to $235 which was the first guy's maximum bid so the going bid (my bid) is $240 - not yet my maximum. 2 hours before the auction ends, the guy who had the bid before me decides to be an asshole: he comes along and goes "Hey, I could pay $250 for one of those, that would still be a good price - although I couldn't afford $250 earlier, I just got an extra $15 for my birthday in the mail" - that's his new, revised maximum bid. He bids, eBay increases my bid to $255, I win at $255.

If I snipe - I see the $220, snipe it, bid raises to $235 which was the first bidder's maximum and I win at $240.

But what if you have your snipe program set to $270 max, and he has a snipe program as well set to $250. In the last few seconds both sniping programs go to work and start a flurry of bids, the outcome of which would still be you winning at $255.

Allan

 

[blash]

Even if was sniping, the point is that his first bid was $235. He would therefore be sniping at $235, not $250. If he were sniping at $250, then his original bid in the example would've been $250 and we break-even on effectiveness. Sniping is at least as effective as early-bidding and most times results in a positive outcome for you.

And who pays for a program to snipe for them? Really - just a waste of money, do it yourself.

 

[Garbz]

The reality is Sniping allows you to beat only two kind of people. 1. Those who don't know how ebay works on bidding UP TO your maximum, and 2. Idiots who should not be in an auction situation as they revise their "maximum" due to emotional attachment for an item the clearly shouldn't be able to afford.

I have used both tactics at times. Both are equally effective in my opinion. There have been plenty of auctions I've won without sniping.

 

[Battou]

I just purchased an M42 Asahi bellows with 55mm f1.8 Takumar lens with UV and 1A filters and cap, all mint, for $14 + shipping.

You ass hat.....I've been looking for one of them :lmao:

Lately, though, I've noted that these bargains are becoming scarcer. I can no longer 'score' a nice Minolta 201 body for $15-20. Prices have, over the past 6 months or so, not only stabilized but started to increase.

Anyone else note this?

Is 35mm making a comeback of sorts?

I have indeed, I've been shooting Primarily Canon FD equipment for the last few years due to the bargans I can find them at but of late I am beginning to find some difficulty finding them, Hell I actually saw a FD 400mm go for more than I have paid in rent over the last ten years totaled.

Yeah, I do believe 35mm is mounting a comeback of sorts. I don't believe it was dead in any capacity but definately gaining a fuller following. With the economic dealie we had/have going on people just can't afford the digital equivalents but they want the camera, Film is their best bet for that very reason. They can afford real equipment, and still pay the rent.

 

[monkeyroller]

Years ago I got this great film SLR for about 20% of the price of digital...but when processing costs started to become expensive, I decided to sell the camera. Turned out the demand was back in, because the ebay folks bidded double what I originally paid!

 

[Jon, The Elder]

I thought this thread was about good film gear deals, not just bidding lessons for Ebay.....did I miss something again?

 

[monkeyroller]

Ebay's getting worse and worse though, as businesses jump in selling their stuff at full price (sometimes even higher than store price).

Craigslist is where it's at!

 

[christopher walrath]

I picked up an XG-1 with a 45mm Rokkor, a 28mm Vivitar, a 80-200 macro zoom and a 2x for about $97, incl post, about a month ago. The deals are there. You just gotta wait until all the other grainheads are sleeping.