| I have ZERO online bidding experience but have gone to a few in person (equipment, tools, livestock). Some advice I received from a general contractor applies to auctions: You never lose money on a contract you don't win. I've seen FOMO and pissing matches run up bids when simply putting a value on each lot you're after and sticking to it seems best. Leaving an auction empty handed only feels bad for a few minutes and is easier the next time. Once upon a time, at least in person, the auction house took there share out of the sale price (the buyer's share) but everyone where I am has charged it as a fee to the buyer for at least 15 years, so consider that when setting your number. Anecdotes: I've been in a bidding war, hit my number and stopped, had the exasperated Auctioneer try to goad me, and lost. I've witnessed unbridled enthusiasm make equipment sell for 80% of the cost to buy new. Once a bidding frenzy at a fur auction meant the price of squirrel pelts doubled and my colleague made $16K snaring squirrels that year. BTW: At least in the 90's, the People's Liberation Army was the biggest buyer of squirrel fur; I was told they were used to fringe hoods on winter jackets. That may have been as case of get the pelts no matter what. |
If Mao hadn't gone on his retarded crusade against squirrels, they wouldn't have had to do that lol.