eBay For Dummies, 8th Edition

Chapter 7

Winning eBay Strategies

In This Chapter

Making an offer on a fixed-price listing

Finding the hidden secrets in the bidding history

Placing a token bid

Using canny strategies to win your auction

When people think about eBay, they initially think all sales are auctions. This is not close to being true, of course, since many major brands have hung up their shingles on the site. Fixed-price sales have become the majority of eBay transactions. But, thank goodness, the folks at eBay still let us enjoy the fun of an auction. Bidders love them and sellers even more - especially when the item up for sale is worth more than the seller ever expects to get.

I travel the country and am often asked about eBay. I speak to so many people who find an auction on eBay, bid on it, and at the last minute — the last hour, or the last day — are outbid. Sad and dejected, they find losing an auction often cuts to the core and makes them feel like losers.

You're not a loser when you lose an auction on eBay. You just may not know the fine art of sneaky bidding (my way of saying educated bidding). ...