GunBroker advice

[BStill]

I've been using GB for a long tome just to browse and learn about guns in general and how the market values/prices them.  I have very little bidding experience, but just "won" my first auction.

I fully understand the principle of a "max bid", but when I look at the bidding history (attached) I'm a little suspicious.  I (Blower) was winning the auction at $100 less than my Max Bid, until the final bidder (c****3)  matched my Max Bid and drove my purchase price up to my Max Bid.   

For those of you who regularly buy from GB auctions, does this look like a shill bid?  or am I just being paranoid?

Thanks


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[Blackwatch]

Looks like you won based on being first to enter 500...had c***3 come in higher they would have won obviously. Not uncommon for some to enter bidding close to the end of the auction.

[bang bang]

its hard to say.  The person isnt a NR like you but has several buy/sold reviews.

fwiw, what i do when i put a bid in is not to use round whole numbers but some number like 527.00 since some/many people will think in whole numbers only.

Also, as of this day and time, theres no way to determine what a person is thinking or feeling without them admitting it. 

so all you can do is to pay the max bid you gave and move onto the next toy.

[larryflew]

Bang Bang hit the nail on the head.

[v35]

I have a lot of bidding experience, but not a lot of winning experience 

Clearly if c***3 bid even once cent more, you would have lost to him. I don't blame you for feeling paranoid, but there are a number of factors that explain what happened, not the least of which is that $500 is indisputably a round number.

Having won very few auctions I sympathize with anyone who perceives someone came along and did nothing more than drive up the price you had to pay    but that's the way it goes. My advice is always to simply bid the highest amount you are willing to pay, not one cent less, knowing that you might actually have to pay it.

Then, be happy you won. That's what happened, so be happy!

[NeedCZ]

Lots (most?) buyers wait until the very end of an auction to bid, so it isn't suspicious that a round number bid came in like that.  I understand your frustration, but no reason to be suspicious

[Rmach]

I bought quite a bit on GB over the years, and 90% of the bidding action happens in the last 15 minutes.

[Texas377]

My experience (both buying and selling) with Gun Broker has been good. 

[thedude]

The person probably set his max he would go at $500 the same as you did and just proxy your bid up to that amount.  You just bid $500 before him.

[SI VIS PACEM PARRABELLUM]

Just be glad people can't "snipe bid" on GB like on ebay. I've got that down to an art.

[m1a_scoutguy]

My experience (both buying and selling) with Gun Broker has been good.

My two major tips for GB are you "only" buy items that your local FFL can't/won't get or his price is more than you could get that same item for," including shipping & transfer"! You have to be very diligent and disciplined and never get caught up in the moment of bidding,LOL Any firearm I have bought off GB has always been below what a local FFL could/would sell it to me for including the above shipping/transfer costs so I normally do very good on GB ! As you stated above your Bid went from $400ish up to $500,I guess the important question is with shipping/transfer included how did you make out? Not to bust on ya but your Winning bid and total fees should be less than your local FFLs total cost hopefully unless its something they just can't get, if that's the case then ya did good !  GB can be a fun/great place to buy firearms, especially CZ stuff if your local FFL does not carry them, but as they say buyer beware ! Hope ya made out ahead on the deal!

[the war wagon]

LOTTA folks are complaining on various forums ABOUT "shill bidding" on G-B.  You may hafta search a while for your bargain, but I ONLY 'bid' on "Buy it now" auctions.  NO muss, NO fuss.

Got my 805 that way NiB for $1,378 a few months ago.  I didn't want to end up at $1,800+, for a pistol I can buy all day long for $1,500 +/- on Armslist! 

[BStill]

Appreciate all the responses and advice.  Definitely a learning experience. 

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[RoverSig]

You control how high you go with your highest bid.  Once you put that number in there, you have to figure you might just end up paying that.  So you retain ultimate control.

I have to believe Gun Broker protects their business by being diligent looking for 'straw buyers' but there might some businesses or more likely individuals out there that can create a false identity and bid on their own products to drive up prices.  Much like "ratings" reviews at businesses on Yelp! and Yahoo are often input by employees or friends of the business owner - "Best driveway asphalt company ever!"     

I can relate to the comments about paying too much, though.   I've seen this on eBay, where people have bid for something I was selling MORE THAN IT WAS WORTH based on what they would have paid if they just went to the Wal-Mart or Amazon web page - but they got caught up in the desire to win the bidding race.   

Bottom line is that a foray onto an auction site carries some risks and we probably should enter the process with the realization we can get skunked. 

[fastfr8r]

I’ve had this happen a few times but as others have said, no real way to prove someone is driving the bid.