Shad buying tactics

[SteveD]

Not sure if this might help with tactics for people to nab Shadows from under the nose of our friendly neighbourhood Shad buying nemesis.

I recently went through Ebay and put small bids on all available Shadows, and was winning the bulk of them until mid morning this morning, when I got about 15 emails saying that I'd been outbid on all of them within the space of about 5 mins. The new highest bidder is a familiar looking turquise star. When i looked into it this is his bid style:-

Item 1 Toys & Games > Action Figures > GI Joe/ Action Force 1 Seller 1 3d 8h
Item 2 Toys & Games > Action Figures > GI Joe/ Action Force 1 Seller 2 9d 1h
Item 3 Toys & Games > Action Figures > GI Joe/ Action Force 1 Seller 3 8d 8h
Item 4 Toys & Games > Action Figures > GI Joe/ Action Force 1 Seller 4 7d 7h
Item 5 Toys & Games > Action Figures > GI Joe/ Action Force 1 Seller 5 3d 8h
Item 6 Toys & Games > Action Figures > GI Joe/ Action Force 1 Seller 6 3d 5h
Item 7 Toys & Games > Action Figures > GI Joe/ Action Force 1 Seller 6 3d 5h
Item 8 Toys & Games > Action Figures > GI Joe/ Action Force 1 Seller 6 3d 5h
Item 9 Toys & Games > Action Figures > GI Joe/ Action Force 1 Seller 7 3d 3h
Item 10 Toys & Games > Action Figures > GI Joe/ Action Force 1 Seller 8 2d 5h
Item 11 Toys & Games > Action Figures > GI Joe/ Action Force 2 Seller 9 1d 6h
Item 12 Toys & Games > Action Figures > GI Joe/ Action Force 2 Seller 10 <1h
Item 13 Toys & Games > Action Figures > GI Joe/ Action Force 1 Seller 10 <1h
Item 14 Toys & Games > Action Figures > GI Joe/ Action Force 2 Seller 10 <1h
Item 15 Toys & Games > Action Figures > GI Joe/ Action Force 1 Seller 10 <1h
Item 16 Toys & Games > Action Figures > GI Joe/ Action Force 1 Seller 8 <1h
Item 17 Toys & Games > Action Figures > GI Joe/ Action Force 2 Seller 11 <1h
Item 18 Toys & Games > Action Figures > GI Joe/ Action Force 1 Seller 11 <1h
Item 19 Toys & Games > Action Figures > GI Joe/ Action Force 1 Seller 12 <1h
Item 20 Toys & Games > Action Figures > GI Joe/ Action Force 1 Seller 12 <1h
Item 21 Toys & Games > Action Figures > GI Joe/ Action Force 1 Seller 12 1h
Item 22 Toys & Games > Action Figures > GI Joe/ Action Force 3 Seller 13 <1h

The useful bit of info is the number before the "Seller no" and the time thing at the end. Seems to me our friend tends to only bid once, and thus the one bid he does put on must be pretty high. Looking at the times there's also a tendency to snipe, but he's also not shy at sticking an early bid on and just leaving it. So I'm assuming that the bids he's just outbid me with will be his bid that is his usual "top bid" for a single Shadow, and is now placed on them all that are currently listed.

Now, if I were going to take this through to it's conclusion, I would next pick one of the current crop of Shadows and chip away at it until I was the high bidder again. That should then tell us what his usual "top line" is. I would then set a load of snipes with Goofbay or similar for all of the current batch of Shadows for sale for a couple of quid more than what we are assuming to be his usual top bid?

Based on a few assumptions, but it might just work! Still paying over the odds for the figures, but it might be a way of getting a good start of an army without getting into a bidding war with him? I'm not about to do the final bidding part, as I have no need for more Shadows, but if anyone else wanted to try it I'd be interested to see if it works!

[Lady Jaye]

You don't have much work to do today, now do you?

[Chopper]

I'd say you are right, but I'd shudder to think what his max bid will be.

[SteveD]

You don't have much work to do today, now do you?

Ha! A lunch break misspent would sum it up better Jaye!

I'd say you are right, but I'd shudder to think what his max bid will be

It'd be interesting to find out wouldn't it? My guess is he sticks £20 on each. Which is simply a silly amount.

[Chopper]

I'll never know

[Lady Jaye]

Anyone daring to put 19.99 at al the auctions? Just to piss him off?

If he is willing to spend silly amounts, we might as well help him spend it!

[Ross SC]

um, why doesnt someone on here put one up to find out?!
could it be the baron in disguise? just to piss us all off?

[Chopper]

Wouldn't put him past it Ross. He's a cheeky bugger.

If we could determine that 20 pounds was his price point, even I'd bid on a few.

[The Baron]

Anyone daring to put 19.99 at al the auctions? Just to piss him off?

If he is willing to spend silly amounts, we might as well help him spend it!

I endorse this suggestion.

[SteveD]

Right, I've bid one of them up, and at this stage it's suggesting the initial bid put on it by him was £4. So seemingly he's cutting back, or sticks an initial bid on and only bids it up more if he needs to. So might be very prone to snipes if this is his usual tactic?

Watch, I'm going to win another bloody Shadow now, all because I got bored in my lunch break.