[mort96]

The logic of "you shouldn't ever need to snipe, just bid your max price" only works if we assume that the max price is a red line though. If I "value something" at $5000 (as in I want to buy it at $5000), and I bid $5000, and someone bids $5000.01, I would probably be happy if I sniped them and got the item for $5000.02.

[less_less]

I'm not defending "you shouldn't ever need to snipe, just bid your max price" as a hard principle, just trying to explain where the idea comes from. Sniping can be strategic for lots of reasons: you don't have to commit to a bid until the last second (in case you find a similar item for cheaper elsewhere), you deny other people information, you might avoid anxiety from wondering whether your bid will win, etc.

That said, the max price is supposed to be a price where you are not especially happy to get the item at that price, but not really sad either, a price where you would say "well, I hoped for better but I guess that's a fair deal". That's not realistically pinned down to the cent. But if you set a max price at $5000 and would be happy to get the item at $5000.02 (for some reason other than satisfaction from sniping), then you set your max price wrong, or at least differently from how economists expect you to set it.

[mort96]

> But if you set a max price at $5000 and would be happy to get the item at $5000.02 (for some reason other than satisfaction from sniping), then you set your max price wrong, or at least differently from how economists expect you to set it.

I think this is the problem. When most sciences observe reality diverge from the model, they see that as a flaw in the model. When economists (at least you HN "economists") observe reality diverge from the model, they seem to see that as a flaw in reality.

The model is wrong.

[imtringued]

According to you, a bidder should always be willing to extend the bid to infinity since each increment is only one cent more.

[mort96]

No, I am willing to pay $0.01 more but not infinity more, there's a difference

[chrisoverzero]

"I made my max bid $500.00, but I'd have paid $500.01!"

"I made my max bid $500.01, but I'd have paid $500.02!"

"I made my max bid $500.02, but I'd have paid $500.03!"

…where does this process end?

[pessimizer]

The way you've put it, always exactly 1¢ above your max bid.

[mort96]

I can't give you a precise number, but it's somewhere above $0 and below $∞

[less_less]

This thread is pretty weird.

My phrase "how economists expect you to set it" is probably wrong here, since I'm not an economist, I've just read the most basic theory about how to use this tool, and also used it myself (on eBay, you know, years ago when the site was mostly auctions). So I don't really know what "economists expect", but rather the basic guidelines for using this tool. You got me there.

> I think this is the problem. When most sciences observe reality diverge from the model, they see that as a flaw in the model. When economists (at least you HN "economists") observe reality diverge from the model, they seem to see that as a flaw in reality.

But like, to double-check here: "reality" means your imagined use of a tool that you do not in fact use, right? Like you say you "don't do auctions" and I'm trying to explain what that option is for, and you're countering that the basic "how to use this tool" explanation is a wrong model of reality?

[imtringued]

By your logic, there is no such thing as a limit or maximum bid. It's like you don't understand the concept of a maximum.

If you're always willing to add one more cent then that wasn't your maximum.