An Opportune Time For eBay Bargains?
Today may be a time to find bargains on eBay. When I bid on records, which is not too often these days, I use a sniping software called BidNip. Earlier today I tried to snipe two records, but the software wouldn’t allow it. These were records closing within a few hours, yet the BidNip software showed them both closing sometime in 1999. Indeed. Anyway, I’ll share my secrets: One of the records was this: Randy Weston, Trio and Solo, Riverside 227. This was an original pressing with the white label. I love those white label Riversides and I don’t own an original copy of this. It was listed in M- condition for the record and the cover. I was going to put a snipe bid of about $71, since it was only at $30 with about an hour to go. I would have lost: The record sold for $83.20. The other record is still coming up, but I’ll have no chance to win it, snipe or not: Stanley Turrentine, Look Out, Blue Note 4039. In the Jazz Collector Price Guide our top price for this is nearly $400 and this one is sitting at about $125 in VG+ condition. I might have gone close to $200 for it, but not with confidence and not expecting to win it. The point of all this is that
buyers like me, who rely on sniping software and don’t sit at the computer waiting for auctions to close — probably the majority of major bidders, wouldn’t you expect ?– are kind of off the competitive landscape if they use BidNip. I filed a report with customer service at BidNip and they said they are working on the problem, which seems to be systemwide, but there was no indication of when it might be fixed. So many of the top buyers may be out of luck for awhile. Then again the Turrentine closes in about two and a half hours, ’round about midnight here in New York. Normally past my bedtime, but hmmm…..
By the way, I’ll check out BidNip again either later today or tomorrow morning and post an update in the comments on this post.
Holy crap! I have records going off tonight. Hurry, switch to esnipe.
Hi Al. Winning bid was a sniper at $169. You might have taken it at $200 as it looks like there was only one sniper. Both buyers and sellers have come to rely on this unregulated sniper software outside the purview of ebay. A simple glich like this costs you the record, and the seller about $40+, or looked at differently, saved the winner from competing with unknown amounts of other snipers.
Just checked BidNip again this morning and it’s still not working. Could it just be my account? Anyone else out there experiencing problems. It looks like it’s one of those mythical Y2K problems that never actually happened: When I try to snipe an item it tells me that the item closed on 30 November 1999 at 12 a.m. — time remaining minus 4103 days, 17 hours, 55 minutes and 43 seconds. I kid you not.
Anybody interested in this before it goes on eBay? Make an offer. I sell as bsidechi on eBay.
Jackie McLean Bluesnik Blue Note 4067 record has west 63rd inc on label, dg side 2, P in wax, RVG stamped. Cover has New York 23, and is laminated.
Record is in VG to VG+ shape, no skips, scuffs, stratches; cover is in VG- to VG shape, no seam splits or tape repair, but there is some residue on front cover, tape? and there something of a liquid nature was spilled on top back cover.
Al,
I have the same problem. I emailed Bidnip. They are working on a fix, it’s due to an EBAY API change. It only effects books and music which pretty much covers everything for me.