Auction Sniper

[EP]

Hi,

I've been tasked by the wife to bid on various items on eBay for the
kids for Christmas. I'm getting a bit fed up sitting waiting for the
last 15 seconds of the auction and so I'm contemplating whether I can
rig up a very simple Perl sniper that allows me to bid on items at the
last moment. I'm interested as much in the challenge of getting the
code to work as in freeing myself from my computer on Sunday
afternoons.

Before I start writing the code I am wondering if this is actually
possible or if eBay has set up anti-sniper mechanisms to make it
impossible. There doesn't seem to be much, if any, discussion on the
web about such a sniper. On the other hand there are lots of commerical
sniper products out there which seems to indicate that it is possible.

I would be interested in knowing if anybody done this successfully for
themselves or knows or any resources that I can study.

If I get it working then I'll post the code here for general use.

I'd appreciate any comments or suggestions.

Regards

EP

 

[Anno Siegel]

Hi,

I've been tasked by the wife to bid on various items on eBay for the
kids for Christmas. I'm getting a bit fed up sitting waiting for the
last 15 seconds of the auction and so I'm contemplating whether I can
rig up a very simple Perl sniper that allows me to bid on items at the
last moment. I'm interested as much in the challenge of getting the
code to work as in freeing myself from my computer on Sunday
afternoons.

Before I start writing the code I am wondering if this is actually
possible or if eBay has set up anti-sniper mechanisms to make it
impossible. There doesn't seem to be much, if any, discussion on the
web about such a sniper. On the other hand there are lots of commerical
sniper products out there which seems to indicate that it is possible.

Why are you asking a Perl group about eBay's access policy? We can
help you with Perl code. Preliminary feasibility studies are another
matter.

Anno

 

[jack]

First of all you should understand that there is no such thing as
'sniping'.

If you read the descriptions on E-Bays web sight about how to use the
Maximum Bid functionality, you would quickly see that all any sniping
program does is make you think you are getting a better deal that just
placing a Bid along with a Maximum Bid. The Sniping program can only
work if it exceeds the current high bidders Max bid. If you place a
Max Bid, that means that is the MOST you are willing to pay for that
item. Not ALMOST The MOST, but THE MOST.

 

[EP]

Anno,

Because I would write the code in Perl and I guess if anybody has
approached this task it is likely that they would have done so in Perl
using, for example, LWP.

EP

 

[EP]

Obviously.

 

[Anno Siegel]

[no attribution, no context]

Usenet needs a better kindergarten more than ever. Instead, we get
"Google Groups" herding them in a clueless as they come.

Anno,

Because I would write the code in Perl and I guess if anybody has
approached this task it is likely that they would have done so in Perl
using, for example, LWP.

So something is on topic on clpm because someone is likely to have written
a Perl program that deals with it? Think again.

Anno

 

[jack]

[no attribution, no context]

What is that ?

I thought the point of Usenet was to help people, not to 'snipe' at
them (excuse the unintentional pun) because they don't yet know the
arcana that appear to be so anal about.

comp.lang.perl.misc -> Group description: The Perl language in general.
'In general' is a pretty vague term, presumably on purpose. So, what
exactly is your complaint ?
At least he didn't post it in comp.lang.vb; then I might possibly have
sided with you.

 

[A. Sinan Unur]

Obviously.

*PLONK*

 

[Anno Siegel]

[no attribution, no context]

What is that ?

I thought the point of Usenet was to help people, not to 'snipe' at
them (excuse the unintentional pun) because they don't yet know the
arcana that appear to be so anal about.

Anal or not, that is no sentence.

The purpose of Usenet groups is *not* to help other people but to discuss
certain topics. On some groups, clpm included, that results in a lot
of technical questions being asked and answered, on other groups it
doesn't. In no case does it make the group a cost-free help desk.

comp.lang.perl.misc -> Group description: The Perl language in general.
'In general' is a pretty vague term, presumably on purpose. So, what
exactly is your complaint ?

"The *Perl language* in general". Not vague at all.

My complaint is that the question whether eBay allows certain types of
access to their site is off topic in clpm. Understand now?

At least he didn't post it in comp.lang.vb; then I might possibly have
sided with you.

How would that make a difference?

Anno

 

[EP]

People,

This is just silly:

I have better things to do with my time than read this stuff.

Lets just close the subject. Anno can then go back to shouting at
waitresses and kicking cats. I'm not reading any more of it.

EP

 

[Julia De Silva]

I've been tasked by the wife to bid on various items on eBay for the
kids for Christmas. I'm getting a bit fed up sitting waiting for the
last 15 seconds of the auction and so I'm contemplating whether I can
rig up a very simple Perl sniper that allows me to bid on items at the
last moment. I'm interested as much in the challenge of getting the
code to work as in freeing myself from my computer on Sunday
afternoons.

In addition to what has already been said ....if you could be bothered to
google for 10 seconds you'll find that there are already plenty of sites out
there which already offer this service.

Reinventing the wheel ?

 

[spaam_this]

First of all you should understand that there is no such thing as
'sniping'.

If you read the descriptions on E-Bays web sight about how to use the
Maximum Bid functionality

Sniping exists and is effective because a significant % of bidders
don't understand the Maximum Bid functionality, and only bid enough to
take the lead.

But that has nothing to do with PERL.

 

[jack]

Sniping exists and is effective because a significant % of bidders
don't understand the Maximum Bid functionality, and only bid enough to
take the lead.

Snipping is senseless if you understand how to use the maximum
functionality.
Snipping cannot beat a Maximum bid, without exceeding the maximum bid.

But that has nothing to do with PERL.

Correct

 

[spaam_this]

Snipping is senseless if you understand how to use the maximum
functionality.

Sniping wouldn't save you money if EVERYONE understood how to use the
maximum functionality. Since they like to bid incrementally, sniping is
an effective strategy. BTW, there are other reasons for bidding late
that have nothing to do with beating incremental bidders.

Snipping cannot beat a Maximum bid, without exceeding the maximum bid.

Naturally, but as already stated, many people don't use a Maximum Bid.
They expect to have one more chance to bid reactively. Sniping
eliminates this opportunity.

 

[Smitty]

Sniping wouldn't save you money if EVERYONE understood how to use the
maximum functionality. Since they like to bid incrementally, sniping is
an effective strategy. BTW, there are other reasons for bidding late
that have nothing to do with beating incremental bidders.

The FACT that you understand the maximum bid functionality means that
sniping can't do anything for you.

Naturally, but as already stated, many people don't use a Maximum Bid.
They expect to have one more chance to bid reactively. Sniping
eliminates this opportunity.

So does maximum bid - which has the added advantage of always beating
sniping - you understand maximum bid, so why use sniping ?

 

[takarov2003]

The FACT that you understand the maximum bid functionality means that
sniping can't do anything for you.



So does maximum bid - which has the added advantage of always beating
sniping - you understand maximum bid, so why use sniping ?

While not saying that your argument is a straw man (because it is not),
it is a lot like the straw man argument about term limits "if you don't
like who you have in office, stop voting for him/her". It isn't that I
don't like who I have in office, I may not like who somebody else has
in office whom I cannot vote out due to voting districts, other states,
etc.

I find that many times people who seem to understand the Max Bid
process nevertheless decide (when outbid) that what they thought was
their Max Bid could be bumped up by a buck or two if failure to do so
meant that somebody else got the item for just a dollar more than their
max. I might even be guilty of it myself (I just can't stand the
thought that for a single dollar more, I could have had the item).

There is a tendency for such people to just keep bidding up by a buck
until they realize that my Max is well above theirs. If you have a
couple of those people bidding for an item you want, this is bad news
because while my Max Bid may be the most I am willing to pay, it does
not mean that I don't want to pay much less if I could avoid giving
such people a chance to make multiple last-minute bids.

THAT is why there are snipers. They understand Max Bid. They also
understand that what many people thought was their Max really wasn't if
a buck or two more would win the bid. They snipe at the last minute to
pre-empt the chain-reaction last-minute bids that often take place on
eBay in the hope of not having to pay their Max Bid, just more than the
other guy's Max Bid.

 

[spaam_this]

The FACT that you understand the maximum bid functionality means that
sniping can't do anything for you.

Maybe I need to use smaller words. Many people bid in tiny increments,
stopping when they get the lead, and bid again only if outbid. If I bid
my Max Bid at the last second (i.e. a snipe), that prevents them from
bidding again. They don't get the chance to offer their Max Bid. This
saves me money. The fact that I understand how to bid doesn't change
their knowledge or behavior.

So does maximum bid - which has the added advantage of always beating
sniping - you understand maximum bid, so why use sniping ?

Placing your Maximum Bid early in the auction does NOT prevent reactive
bidders from re-bidding. I don't know where you got the idea that it
does. Bidding my max early not only allows these "nibblers" to raise
the amount I'll pay even if I do win, but it gives them a chance to
convince themselves that they should overpay for the item, so I may
lose even though a snipe bid would have made me the winner.

Bidding any time before the last 20 seconds is just stupid, unless
you're killing a Buy-It-Now.

 

[xhoster]

The FACT that you understand the maximum bid functionality means that
sniping can't do anything for you.

To keep this on topic, would you care to write a Perl simulation proving
this point?

Xho