OT: gear question

I've been bidding on Fostex VF160s on ebay and I keep coming up just
short--surprisingly it takes some will not to overbid! So I think I'm
going to just order one new from an online music store as I really want
to get on with this,but I'm also looking for one or two reasonably
priced, all purpose microphones--acoustic instruments,voice,etc. Any
suggestions?

hi Dan,

--- In MakeMicroMusic@yahoogroups.com, "daniel_anthony_stearns"
<daniel_anthony_stearns@y...> wrote:
>
> I've been bidding on Fostex VF160s on ebay and I keep
> coming up just short--surprisingly it takes some will not
> to overbid! So I think I'm going to just order one new
> from an online music store as I really want to get on
> with this,but I'm also looking for one or two reasonably
> priced, all purpose microphones--acoustic instruments,voice,
> etc. Any suggestions?

i'm pretty experienced at winning auctions on Ebay ...
the secret is to not give in to the temptation to bid
early ... here's my successful technique:

1) do *not* give in to the temptation to bid early ...
don't place your first bid until literally the very
last minute of the auction. i usually sign in when
there's about 2 minutes left.

2) decide on the maximum amount that you would be
willing to spend for that item.

3) after you've signed in, type your bid into the
bid webpage.

4) when there's about 20 seconds left before the auction
ends, click the button that sends your bid.

5) unless someone else really wanted that item enough
to register a maximum bid higher than yours, you've
just won the auction.

works for me every time. the two crucial things are
to wait until the very end to place your bid, so that
no-one else has time to outbid you, and to bid the
*most* you'd be willing to spend on the item, to make
sure that your bid is the highest.

i hardly ever get stuck paying anything near my
maximum amount ... usually end up getting a great deal
by using this technique. the only time i lose is when
i'm feeling cheap and my maximum bid is too low.

i also know that there is software out there that
will do this for you ... store your maximum bid but
not send it to Ebay until the last few seconds. but
i like doing it "in person".

-monz

Dan/Monz,

{you wrote...}
>i'm pretty experienced at winning auctions on Ebay ... the secret is to >not give in to the temptation to bid early ... here's my successful technique:

Which doesn't always work on very hot items, and also requires one to actually be at the computer as bidding is closing. Better success may be found by using one of the automated sniper programs; I happen to use Auction Sniper:

http://www.auctionsniper.com/

It has been quite successful, both at winning auctions, as well as keeping in check one's enthusiasm to deplete a bank account when you are feverishly typing in bids in the waning seconds...

Cheers,
Jon