To Snipe or Not to Snipe?

Have you already chosen sides on this question?  For some reason sniping is something that people are very passionate about whether pro or con.  For example, the writer of the review Sniping - Is it Good Strategy for Winning Auctions? views sniping as a very negative thing.  It's difficult to argue with a Platinum Power Seller, but I see sniping as very positive for both buyers and sellers (and for eBay too).


Before presenting my case I want to state that I am presenting software-based sniping as a positive -- not sniping "by hand."  I use web-based sniping software that charges me 25 cents per successful auction and nothing for ones where I'm outbid.  I chose that sniping website based on my own research trial bidding.  Choosing some inexpensive items I pitted different web-based sniping softwares against each other by using all of them to bid for me on the same item.  I gave each of them the same maximum bid to enter.  One website outperformed the others 100% of the time on all of the items I tested.  I no longer get out-sniped and now win every auction I bid on if my maximum is high enough.

Why sniping is good for buyers:

Argument:  Enter your bid early so you don't forget to bid.
Response:  This is actually good advice.  I've received way too many emails from, especially, repeat buyers who forgot to bid.  Enter your maximum bid in sniping software and you'll never forget to bid.  You don't even have to have your computer turned on when the auction ends (but that's also true for eBay's proxy bidding system).  But also, sniping gives you the dual benefits of secrecy and surprise.

Argument:  Bid your highest amount as early as possible, then leave it to eBay's proxy system and fate.
Response:  Snipers have the advantage of secrecy and this is one reason sellers don't like sniping; they don't know whether anyone is going to bid or not, nor does anyone else.  Sniping virtually eliminates any advantage some unscrupulous sellers have by using shill bidders to push up the final selling price; if you don't know I'm bidding you can't know the amount of my maximum bid.

Argument:  Sniping can fail as sellers sometimes decide to cancel their auction because it has not reached a high enough amount even though this is contrary to eBay's rules and is not in the spirit of an auction.
Response:  I've been keeping detailed information on my auctions and the bidder's.  48% of the total amount bid on my 10-day auctions and 76% of the total bid on my 7-day auctions occurs during the final day.  Almost all of this last day's bidding activity is during the final 5 minutes.  Sellers can't pull an auction with less than 12 hours before the auction's end and that's where the majority of activity takes place.  Sellers who pull their auctions for lack of bids are fearful and short-sighted.  They would probably be better served by selling their items at a fixed price.

Argument:  The words "snipe, sniping, and sniper" are quite emotive words, making it sound sexy, clever, or macho, as in sniper rifle.
Response:  Sniping via web-based software takes all the emotion out of the bidding process and results in more wins for the bidder.  Perhaps that really is sexy or macho, but it simply seems to be good sense to me.  Why?  Because it works and isn't winning the item the only thing that really counts when you're bidding on an item you want?

Argument:  There is no money to be made by giving anti-sniping advice.
Response:  True, but there's no money to be made by me for giving pro-sniping advice.  I will, however, make more money on my auctions if everyone will snipe them.

Why sniping is good for sellers:

Argument:  Sniping is for bargain hunters.
Response:  Bargain hunters don't often win auction whether they use incremental bidding, eBay's proxy bidding or sniping.  If everyone "assumed" they were up against snipers they would always enter the maximum they would be willing to pay.  The result of this is always higher final selling prices.

Argument:  You can't snip multiple auctions ending at the same time.  Use eBay's proxy bidding system.
Response:  With sniping software you can bid on an unlimited number of auctions all ending in the same second (but that's also true for eBay's proxy bidding).

Argument:  Sniping is a silly, and losers, game.
Response:  Only for bargain hunters trying to snipe with incremental bids.  Bidders who use sniping software enter higher maximum bids on items they really want and they never forget to bid.

Sniping is also good for eBay:

Obviously, if sniping results in more items being sold for more money, eBay maximizes it's income.  Why else would eBay being going to such great lengths to created the Refresh button and has worked so hard to make one-step bidding a reality?  They sure aren't doing so to make less money!

Thanks for reading my guide to sniping.  Please spare a couple of seconds to click the YES link at the end of this page if you found this review interesting, useful, or informative regardless of whether you agree with my position or not.  NOTE: You must be signed into your eBay account with your user ID or your vote will not be counted.  Your YES vote makes all my effort feel worthwhile.

If you want to read more on the subject there are a lot of guides that have been written, both pro and con, on the subject.  Here are some of them in no particular order:
ABCs of Sniping
How to Snipe
Sniping! The Best kept secret on Ebay
Don’t get outbid at the last second – Sniping Tips
How to Snipe the Easy Way
To Snipe or not to snipe that is the question
BIDDING IN THE LAST FEW SECONDS (Sniping)
SnipeWare / Sniper Software - eBay Auction Auto-Bidder!
Avoiding Snipers!
Beat the Snipers and Win Your Auction Bidding
Beat The Snipers For Those Christmas Presents
How to snipe eBay auctions. Win by sniping. Fair play?
HOW TO BID EVEN WHEN YOU ARE NOT AROUND
Sniping - It's a solid strategy for successful bidding!
Win more & get more sleep! Sniper bidding programs
Have FUN with Proxy bidding - Sniping -How it helps YOU
Bidding Tactics and Strategy Methods Overview
SNIPING THE SNIPERS.......
Sniping 101