Do I want to win

[DrPizza]

I'm currently winning an ebay auction. The item will need about an hour of TLC to get it into good condition. In good condition, it sells for about $200 more than my winning bid, *IF* you give the item a slightly different title. (Like calling it what it really is). Some of the accessories that come with it sell for $10 or $20. (my bid is at 40 or 50 bucks right now)

But, it's an electronic device. The seller says it works, but I don't want to bid higher on the chance that it really doesn't work well.

So,
summary:
I'm winning.
I could get sniped if I don't up my bid (2 hours to go)
I could potentially clean the item and make $200 profit
I could potentially get a crappy item that barely works.

Should I take the risk?
Or rather, which risk should I take:
Getting sniped
Paying too much for something that is barely functional

 

If you can fix it up and enjoy it and actually use it for a good amount of time in the future, then just look at it as saving $200. If it'll be a useless piece o'crap when it's fixed up, then just forget about it.

 

[Anubis]

i think you should tell us WTF it is

 

[thirtythree]

Originally posted by: jumpr
If you can fix it up and enjoy it and actually use it for a good amount of time in the future, then just look at it as saving $200. If it'll be a useless piece o'crap when it's fixed up, then just forget about it.

sounded like he was planning on reselling it to me.

 

[lobadobadingdong]

Originally posted by: Anubis
i think you should tell us WTF it is

 

[CWebb04]

Originally posted by: Anubis
i think you should tell us WTF it is

 

[TitanDiddly]

Originally posted by: lobadobadingdong

Originally posted by: Anubis
i think you should tell us WTF it is

Sounds like a ... what do they call them... maritual aids?

Stick around and snipe it yourself.

 

[DrPizza]

the auction ends in an hour or two... I'll let you know then
I was actually going to use it for a class demonstration, and resell the accessories that go with it.
The odd thing is that a bunch of wackos out there like to use it for weird fetishes, so they frequently sell for far more than retail.

<now wondering if someone will try to figure out which auction it is and snipe me!>

 

[DrPizza]

Oh, and if I *could* resell it to the freaks... for more than what a new one costs... I'd do so in a heartbeat and buy a new one at retail.

 

[Yossarian]

better questions are (1) why aren't you sniping it yourself, (2) why have you not already bid the most you're willing to pay and let proxy bidding do the rest? you're an irrational bidder.

 

[dighn]

the curiosity is killing me!

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: Yossarian
better questions are (1) why aren't you sniping it yourself, (2) why have you not already bid the most you're willing to pay and let proxy bidding do the rest? you're an irrational bidder.

If I knew the item was in excellent working condition, but just needed to be cleaned, I'd bid $100.
But, from the appearance of the images, I'm not willing to take that chance...
It might be an incredible deal that I could miss out on, and it might be a piece of sh!t that I already bid too much for. What's irrational about not knowing which it is?

I emailed the seller today, but haven't received a response (which means nothing - I don't watch my own auctions around the clock)