hey guys, i saw this and dont understand it. why is there a certain card on ebay that is going for over $100.00 and looks like there is a bidding war going on, then i did a search for this same item and there are a few for buy it now for $25.00....so my question is why do people get into a bidding war with bids over $100 when they can buy it now for $25?
Because people are human beings with emotions, and common sense often gets tossed aside when emotions are involved. People don't like losing, it's why sniping is so popular. You bid a $20 max, someone outbids you with 3 days left, you stew about it for a bit and up your bid to $25. They up you again an hour later, now he's just doing it to be a jerk, so you put a high bid in to make sure if he does get it, he's going to overpay, that is more important than getting it for the best price. Pretty soon you're bidding $45 on a $15 card just out of principle.
If you are interested in something and somebody else wants it, suddenly you want it that much more. Go to a card show or shop sometime. Wander around until you see a dealer and customer haggling over a card. Say "excuse me, if you two can't agree on a price, I'll buy it for what you're asking right now" See how fast the buyer gets his money out. He was interested in it for $35 and may have passed and come back later to try again, but once you express interest, he's suddenly willing to pay the $50 the dealer is asking. (note: be prepared to buy at that price, this is not 100%, but will happen more often than not) If you REALLY want to see irrationality, follow the buyer and do it several times.
There was a thread not too long ago about someone collecting player x, they could usually get printing plates for $40-50, then someone else threw up a $100+ bid to get it, so the next time he bid $200 to make SURE he got it, he got outbid again, now he's getting frustrated and puts in a $250 or $300 bid on 1/1's because if he's going to lose, by golly, the other guy is going to have to pay through the nose, because their egos and obsessions won't let them email each other and say "look, I have the black plate from this set, I won't bid against you on the blue one if you agree not to bid on the other plate I'm missing from another set. Then we can both pick up a plate for $20 each instead of $300" They've both got to prove they are the biggest fan out there. Even if one did, they other may agree and double cross him. Some people are that hardwired about it.
. So I get sick of wading through all that crap and just click on the auction tab when I run a search.
