Ask Sherry: How do I win eBay auctions?

You asked, and I am answering every Friday once I have enough questions!

You can ask any question using the form here.

You’ve mentioned winning ebay auctions a lot. I seem to always get outbid. Can you share some of your strategies?

I would say if I have an aim to win an auction, I win about 99% of the time unless it is ending at some time that I am not willing to stay up for (e.g. past 10 p.m. EST)…

My strategy is as follows…. I snipe.

I’m a very good sniper having trained on video games my whole life.

• Mark it as a favourite but don’t bid on it until the last minute
• Check around for what other competing offers there are and when they’re ending & what price they’re at, to get a feel for if you can snap up a second one, or if this is truly THE ONLY ONE available
• Get a solid internet connection (not wifi unless it is your own and reliable)
• Set a budget before hand in your head including shipping that you are comfortable with
• About a minute before the auction ends, open a window, wait for it to slowly countdown, already pre-enter your final amount plus a random few cents ($0.07 for instance), and then about 5 seconds before it ends, press “Submit”
• Pay for your sniped auction

Enjoy!

Very interesting insights! I’ve often wondered how you maintain and grow your relationship when it seems like your partner and you don’t get much alone time. Your week of money stories talk a lot about going to work, spending time with your kid, going to bed early and having your own days to do stuff. But do you two ever go out? Do you have a trusted babysitter that would actually allow you to go out?

Short answer? No.

In all of my Week of Money Diaries, the ONLY time we get alone to chat is when Little Bun is preoccupied with playing, or napping. Or sleeping.

Still have a burning question?

You can ask any question using the form here and all of my previous Ask Sherry posts are here.