JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper

enable eBay Price alert in JoyBidder

2011-11-24T22:31:00.000-08:00

I have blogged about using JoyBidder Pro to monitor Buy It Now items price drop on eBay. Here is a simple guide to set up price alert and receive email when price changes.

Step 1: Add the items to JoyBidder. One of the many ways to do this to add the items using the item numbers.

Step 2: Select the items and right click the mouse button to bring up the popup menu, and enable the Price Alert.

Step 3: Open the settings dialog and make sure you enable email alerts

Step 4: Show the Price Alert column in the list, which displays up or down arrow if there is any price changes for the items.

Upgrade to JoyBidder Pro 1.7.7 for Firefox 7.x Now

2011-10-19T06:17:00.000-07:00

It appears some users have trouble auto-updating to the latest version of JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper Pro for Firefox. From what I have heard so far, it happens that if you upgrade Firefox to 7.x without JoyBidder being updated to the compatible version (1.7.7) first, Firefox will disable JoyBidder.

If you have this problem, please manually install the latest version of JoyBidder Pro for Firefox at http://www.joybidder.com/install.php

eBay search returns irrelvant item

2011-09-30T09:37:00.000-07:00

I wanted to get a copy of Demon Souls strategy guide, which is only included in the Demon Souls Deluxe edition. This collectible item is sold at around $85 if used. There were rare occasions where it went under $80. So I created a scheduled search for it, which will automatically search and import items to JoyBidder. Every morning, I review the new findings and add the ones that I want to buy to a batch snipe of $76 (It is little too low, but I am testing the waters here, and who knows when the luck strikes. sniping, especially batch/group sniping, is very much like fishing, luck and patience are the key).

However, this morning, I found a "Gamenboy Advance Game Shark" in my list. I thought it might be a bug from JoyBidder, but it turns out that the item is actually in the eBay search results if you search for "Demon Souls Deluxe".

See screen shot below

JoyBidder Auction Sniper for Firefox 5

2011-06-21T18:30:00.000-07:00

JoyBidder Pro now supports Firefox 5, the first rapid-release version.

The new version 1.7.2 is released the same day as the release of Firefox 5.

If you have problem auto-updating to the new version after upgrading to Firefox 5, please go to JoyBidder Auction Sniper web site or click here to install.

First 2 weeks on eBay: iPad 2 price chart

2011-03-23T22:36:00.000-07:00

Do you want to know how much iPad 2 is selling on eBay?
Will the price goes down if you wait for just another few days?
If you are lucky having extra one to sell, should you list as BuyItNow or Auction?

Read the charts below and see if you can answer the questions yourself.

Summary

Price Trend

Volume Trend

Data is retrieved from eBay web site using JoyBidder Pro automated search import feature.
Charts are generated by JoyBidder Pro Auction Analytic tool.

Monitor eBay BuyItNow Price Drop

2011-03-16T00:37:00.000-07:00

It is a common practice that eBay sellers drops prices of BuyItNow items in order to move their inventory. For sellers managing large inventory, they use software to automatically adjust prices bases latest sales data. Since the goal is to move inventory while keeping maximum profit, seller don't usually tell the buyer there is pending price drop.
Some buyers manually tracks price changes of the items they are monitoring, but this is a very manual process.

Good news for eBay buyers, latest version of JoyBidder has implemented price alert feature. You can enable price alert on selected items and get alerts you when price changes.

JoyBidder Auction Sniper 1.6.11 is released

2011-02-05T16:40:00.000-08:00

JoyBidder Auction Sniper 1.6.11 was released for Pro and Free. This is a bug fix release and you can view the release notes here. Depend on how users use JoyBidder, the fix might be important to someone who track BuyItNow items and usually add auction items from eBay view item page from build-in browser.

Note: If you are using the Free version for Firefox, due to the Mozilla's rigid review process, the new version will be reviewed by AMO reviewers before it can be made public. (it could take 3 to 5 days). Here is more information on how to update JoyBidder.

CRITICAL BUG FIX: Update to version 1.6.10 NOW!

2011-01-17T12:28:00.000-08:00

1.6.10 was released for Pro and Free. It fixed a critical bug that auction items cannot be added JoyBidder due to changes eBay made during the last weekend. The fix was released within 5 hours when the issue was first reported. Existing users should upgrade to 1.6.10 as soon as possible. If you don't want to wait for the scheduled auto-update alert, you can upgrade manually.

Note: If you are using the Free version for Firefox, due to the Mozilla's rigid review process, the new version will be reviewed by AMO reviewers before it can be made public. (it could take 3 to 5 days).

JoyBidder interviewed by ABC Radio National

2010-12-31T13:21:00.000-08:00

I was interviewed by reporter Hagar Cohen from ABC Radio National on JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper software. The interview was on air on Dec. 29, 2010 on Radio National Breakfast program. If you missed the program, here is the link to ABC Radio National web site, where you can either listen online or download MP3 file. Les Howard, one of JoyBidder Pro users, also shared his eBay sniping experience during the interview. Actually, Ms. Cohen also interviewed several other JoyBidder Pro users, however, due the length of the program, only Les's interview was included.

Thanks everybody responded to the interview and happy new year to all JoyBidder users!

Are eBay engineers smarter than 5th grader?

2010-12-17T10:55:00.000-08:00

I guess most of them are smarter than 5th grader if not by much, but definitely not all, at least 2 of them are dumber than you would possibly imagine. Here is the proof. See the screen capture below.

The label says "shop by top 4 deals" on the up-left corner, while there are 5 items in the list on the right. See the highlighted section in the screen capture.

Then you would ask why this has to be a carefully coordinated work from at least 2 engineers. Here is the deal. You need one dumb developer to invent this "4 equals 5" nonsense first, then you need another even dumber quality assurance engineer to give a green check before it meets public eye.

Anyone wants to join eBay, please make a note of this. You see, next time you talk to eBay recruiter, bring this article with you, and confidently tell them you are more than good enough to replace these two dumb ass.

Seriously Disclaimer: I am not referring specific to any eBay engineers, if you think you might be one of two dumb ass showcased here, you have the right to remain silent, or reveal yourself by commenting here. Or even better, link this article to your LinkedIn profile.

eBay Auction Sniper Free Edition 1.6.9 is public on AMO

2010-11-30T15:27:00.000-08:00

The following files of JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper Free Edition 1.6.9 have been made public on Mozilla Addon web site (AMO).

Mozilla Addon editor has tested this update on Max OS X with Firefox.
Firefox user can now install this update and try it out on the latest beta of Firefox 4.

AMO's review process is the most rigid of all software download sites. Not only they will test the software, the editors will also review the source code. I understand why they are doing this to protect Firefox user from malicious software, and I feel good when my software has been reviewed and approved by a fellow programmer. However, this comes with a cost. It just takes time to clear the review queue. It is getting much better now or so they claim, most of the update will be reviewed in 3 days, while new submission takes a little longer. It used to be weeks, what a big improvement considering that!.

3 to 5 days of delay might be okay for most of the Firefox extensions, but doesn't allow me to quickly release fixes in light of random and inevitable eBay changes. That is one of the two reasons that I choose to host the Pro edition eBay sniper Firefox extension on www.joybidder.com, so I can release updates whenever I see fit. If you are interested in knowing the other reason for self-hosting, read it on.

JoyBidder is now compatible with Firefox 4

2010-11-23T23:37:00.000-08:00

JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper version 1.6.9 is released. It is compatible with Firefox 4, for those who cannot wait for the official release of Firefox 4, you can now try JoyBidder 1.6.9 on latest Firefox 4 beta. Please report any bug or compatibility problem.

Since Gecko 2 SDK is not officially released yet, the binary component that allow JoyBidder to wake up from sleep is disabled in Firefox 4.

Firefox 4 is 3 times as fast as Firefox 3.6, so JoyBidder Firefox extension runs faster as well. Desktop application user will have to wait for next year when Gecko 2 SDK is released.

Looks the same, but feel faster

call of duty black ops first week ebay price

2010-11-16T11:56:00.000-08:00

Do you want to know how much Call of duty black ops sells during its first week on eBay? Here is the research I did. Enjoy.

Summary

Price Trend

Volume Trend

Sell through rate is very high and auction price is almost the same as Buy It now price, which means the demand is very high.

Price average is at around $58, with daily lowest under $50. Use eBay deal search tool such as this and our auction sniper software, it is not difficult to get one at $55. Use eBay bucks and affiliate program, you can save 4% off. So your take home price is $53 including shipping, which is better than retail which sells at $59 plus tax.

Note:

1. The price discussed above including shipping already.
2. Nov. 15 volume is not complete, since this study is done on this day.
3. The summary and chart are produced by JoyBidder Auction Analytic software, which is currently available as public beta in JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper.

You can get xbox kinect cheaper on eBay

2010-11-10T23:14:00.000-08:00

Major retailers are announcing that Microsoft xbox kinect is sold out quickly. Even Amazon sells used ones at $200. Can you get a better deal on eBay? Absolutely YES! Here is my study.

Sales Summary

Price Trend

Top sellers

Volume Trend

Sell through rate is not high, which means there is plenty of supply on eBay.
Price average is at around $195, with daily lowest at $150. Use eBay deal search tool such as this and our auction sniper software, it is not difficult to get one at $155. Use eBay bucks and affiliate program, you can save 4% off. So your take home price is $149, which is better than retail, which sells at $149 plus tax.

Note:

The price discussed above including shipping already.
Nov. 10 volume is not complete, since this study is done on this day.
The summary and chart are produced by JoyBidder Auction Analytic software, which is currently available as public beta in JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper.

JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper Pro for Mac OS X

2010-10-11T23:36:00.000-07:00

Ever since the release of Free version for Mac, I have been asked by quite a few Mac users about the status of Pro version. And I kept telling them that it is being worked on and will be ready soon. Some even paid the registration fee which I have to refund. The point of shareware is that, you try the software first,if you like it, purchase it, otherwise, delete, remove or uninstall. Although I was really encouraged by the eagerness of Mac users that want to use the Pro version, I was dismayed when I found out that I lose money every time when issuing refund through PayPal.

The Pro version for Mac starts from version 1.6.4. It has lots of changes and bug fixes over the previous version, see release note for more detail. You can go to www.joybidder.com to download the dmg file.

Here is a screen capture with JoyBidder icon sitting nicely in the dock. Enjoy while waiting for the download to complete.

JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper Free Edition for Mac is released for public

2010-09-01T22:34:00.000-07:00

JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper Free Edition for Mac is released to public. The release build has fixed several bugs. If you are currently using the beta version, please go to JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper Free Edition page to download the latest build.

You can also download from www.macupdate.com or www.versiontracker.com

Mac OS X: JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper Free Edition Beta Release

2010-08-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper Free Edition for Mac is released for beta test. Mac OS users, who don't use Firefox browser, can now snipe eBay auction for free.

JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper Free Edition is a desktop software to monitor and snipe eBay auctions. Support instant & snipe bid on 22 eBay sites with multiple eBay ID. Track item status and price with visual/audio alert. View essential information including shipping, location, seller, item activity log and photo. Extensive configurable options. Although easy and free to use, ideal for casual eBay buyers, it doesn't have the advanced features of Pro Edition

JoyBidder is officially Powered by Mozilla

2010-08-01T22:36:00.000-07:00

Mozilla.org has recently approved JoyBidder.com the use of Powered by Mozilla logo for JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper. The site is also listed in Mozilla web site.

The logo is available for individuals and organizations that use parts of the Mozilla code-base in their application or product. JoyBidder uses Gecko and XULRunner, which are the core Mozilla technology that Firefox Web Browser is also built upon.

Because the use of Mozilla technology, not only JoyBidder can run on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux (The standalone desktop version for Mac OS X and Linux are currently being developed), but also JoyBidder can employs the same features as you would find in Firefox, such as version update mechanism, secure login manager, Growl notification on Mac OS X and more.

JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper Free Edition is now Public at AMO

2010-07-19T11:37:00.000-07:00

JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper Free Edition is now Public at AMO. This is quoted text from the email AMO sent to last Friday.

Congratulations! Your nominated add-on, JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper Free Edition, has been reviewed by a Mozilla Add-ons editor who approved your add-on to be public.

Since last year, I have been revising the Pro Edition to meet AMO guidelines, so that it can be approved to be public. I even disabled auto version update alert, since extension cannot do that if it is not approved public by AMO. Today, lots of users are still using 1.4.6 because they are not aware there is new version available. I was hoping once the Pro Edition is approved public, the auto update issue will be resolved. However, in the end, I was notified that because Pro Edition is a shareware, AMO will not approve it. This is a quite shock. It might be more helpful if I was informed of this a year earlier during the first review. Now with all my efforts, it hits a hard wall.

At the time, I almost want to give up, since the newly released Windows desktop version is doing well, and I am planning to work on Mac desktop version. During the same time, browser market is not looking good for Firefox. IE8 is bundle with Window 7 holds steady. Chrome is gain popular every day. More people are buying Mac with Safari as the default browser. Inside Mozilla, there is uncertainty among addon developer community as the development of Gecko 2 and JetPack.

After much debate, I finally decide to build a free version, this is how JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper Free Edition comes into being. I consequently rename the shareware version as the Pro Edition.
Now the Free Edition is approved public, I feel I finally got a closure and will move on to other things I want to do with JoyBidder.

Here are some of them in the near term:
1. host Pro Edition on my own server, so that it can provide version update alert
2. release Desktop application for Mac

Apple iPhone 4 16 GB is sold as high as $1925 on eBay

2010-06-24T22:56:00.000-07:00

Apple iPhone 4 is released today. It is in such a high demand that an Apple iPhone 4 16 GB was sold as high as $1925 on eBay. On averaging it sells at around $800, a $600 profit from the $199 pre-order price.

This is the only thing that cheered me up today when mortgage rate hit all time low and Wall Street has suffered another significant loss due to fragile recovery fears.

How much used iPads are selling on eBay

2010-06-22T15:05:00.000-07:00

Beside just released the JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper Free Edition recently, I have also been working on an eBay Sales Data Analysis tool for a while now.

Since the tool is almost done, I wanted to run some tests on real eBay data. I am really interested to know how much used iPad 16GB is selling on eBay, so I set up a scheduled search in JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper Pro Edition. To save some electricity and mostly spare my aging computer, I have JoyBidder running in sleep mode, so it only wakes up computer every 2 hour, search eBay and import any newly ended iPad 16GB items to JoyBidder and then back to sleep. Although I only had it running two days, I am already getting some interesting results. See charts below.

used iPad 16GB Daily Price Trend

used iPad 16GB Daily Volume Trend

You will notice some interesting stuff here:

Both price and volume have a big rally during the Father's Day
Once in a blue moon, there is some incredible bargain on eBay. Some used iPad 16G were sold under $300. (This is the total price including shipping). Here is one of the link if you are suspicious of any wrong doings. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290443689687

Something useful

The eBay sales data analysis tool will be released as a separate purchasable module of JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper Pro Edition for a very affordable one-time fee.
You can use JoyBidder Pro Edition to run scheduled search to find bargain or rare items.

JoyBidder Free Edition is released

2010-06-17T01:11:00.000-07:00

The Free Edition has a much simpler user interface and only support sniping one auction at a time. Because its simplicity and free of charge, it is ideal for casual eBay buyers who usually don't snipe multiple items during the same time. Click here for more Free vs Pro feature comparison.

The most obvious reason of releasing the Free Edition is to promote the Pro Edition and www.joybidder.com web site. However, I have another reason of my own.

Most of my registered users are savvy eBay buyers and some of them are eBay sellers who makes a living by buying/selling on eBay. They understand how a good auction search/tracking/sniping software can save their time and money. Since they make money on eBay, the small amount of registration fee is never their concern. In fact, lots of my users have told me that I have priced JoyBidder way too cheap. But for casual eBay buyer who buy from eBay occasionally and only snipe one item at time, they will very unlikely use many advanced features or buy the software. The more advanced features I added to JoyBidder, the more I tailor to savvy eBay users and the further I alienate from the casual users. There has to be a simpler product for those casual users.

Compare to Pro Edition, this is much simpler, isn't it?

Schedule automated search with JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper

2010-04-16T17:57:00.001-07:00

Starting from version 1.5, you can save your search when you add items to a group from eBay search result page. You can then run the saved group search with one click or on a scheduled interval. The items found by the search are automatically added to the group. If the items are added through a scheduled search, the item description is bold typed, just like how new emails are bold typed. This is done so that you can easily spot and review them later on. You can also choose to play sound alert or send email alerts when new items are found.

Save the search

Run and schedule searches

Besides the ease of quickly re-run the search and import, there are other usefulness you might want take advantage of.

Search BuyItNow bargain:

Create a scheduled search for BuyItNow items with the price range you want. JoyBidder can find the items and alert you before the deal is gone.

Search Rare Item:

Create a scheduled search for rare items. Let the search run on the clock. When the items are found, you will be alerted.

Sales/Price analysis:

Want to know the average selling price or is the price go up or down in the last several weeks. You can create a search for completed items. JoyBidder will run the search on scheduled interval and collect information, such as quantity sold, quantity available, price sold and etc. You can then use the build-in Price Trend chart to see the trend of the selling price. You can also export the data to Excel for further analysis.

(Heads up: In the next major version update of JoyBidder, probably 1.6.x, we are planning to introduce a full suite of data analysis tools into JoyBidder)

Version 1.5 is not yet available through auto-updates or from 3rd party download site yet. If you don't want to wait, you can get from JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper web site.

JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper windows application is released

2010-02-14T14:46:00.000-08:00

JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper windows application is released. You can download it from here.

The version of windows application starts at 1.4.0, one major version ahead of the latest version of Firefox addon. Although two different installation packages (.xpi for addon, .zip for application), application and addon are the same product with the same features (well, almost the same, read on).

The major changes from 1.4.0 from 1.3.10 is embedding a web browser into JoyBidder and opening web page in user's default web browser. It also allow adding auctions by drag-and-drop eBay urls. These features are essential for users who don't use Firefox.

Firefox users can run addon or application as their choice, although addon is recommended due to better Firefox integration and much smaller installation size. The license you purchased can be applied to both addon and application, however you can not run the addon and application at the same time on one computer, and they don't share the same data files.

Because the application installation file size is almost 7MB, my current hosting service doesn't support download file of such size, so I host the file on Microsoft Live SkyDrive. (Although I don't like IE much, I am not a Microsoft hater. I do enjoy and use lots of their products and services. And SkyDrive is among the top of the list that I will recommend to others.)

With JoyBidder eBay Auction windows application, any windows users can use the software to manage and snipe eBay auctions, regardless what browsers you use.

I am interested to know if there is a need to port the application to Mac, since lots of Mac users don't use Firefox.

JoyBidder Auction Sniper wake up computer from sleep

2009-12-29T14:14:00.000-08:00

ron ice gave low ratings on Mozilla addon web site because JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper " is shareware,$9 dollars to buy,you have to keep your computer running so joybidder can place a bid! ".

Here is my comment on his comment.

First, yes, JoyBidder is not free, but it is among the most affordable among others. The financial incentive justifies my actively developing and supporting this software.

Second, JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper is a desktop software which runs on your computer so that you don't need to store your eBay password on other people's server. If you are a Windows user, you don't need to have it running all the time to monitor auctions or place scheduled bid. Latest version of JoyBidder can wake up your computer from standby/sleep mode, and place bid and go back to sleep. If you don't know what is standby/sleep mode, here is some articles.

How much electricity does my computer use?

Should You Turn Off Computer -Conserve Energy

To save the trouble of reading, the point is that modern computer's Standby/Sleep mode consumes almost the same electricity as turning off the computer. If you haven't tried run JoyBidder under standby mode, the Standby Mode is the second last button on the toolbar. see picture below.

Thanks for all the registered users who supported the software and all the trial users who had given me helpful suggestions. JoyBidder will be even better.

Happy holiday and have a wonderful new year

JoyBidder.com is moved to a new hosting service

2009-08-08T18:16:00.000-07:00

For the most part of last week, due to some yet-to-be-explained technical difficulties from my current hosting service, JoyBidder.com couldn't be accessed.

Now I moved the site to another hosting service. DNS change was made 6 hours ago. United States users should be able to access the new site already. For the rest of the world, it could be a little longer. Please restart Firefox, so JoyBidder can get version update alert from the new site.

However, Twitter alert doesn't work any more because of this change. A new version with the fix is being worked on and shall be released in the next several days.

Usability enhancements in JoyBidder 1.3.0

2009-08-04T18:58:00.000-07:00

Besides performance improvement, there are many usability enhancements in JoyBidder 1.3.0. Here are some of them:

1.Use short-cut key on the item grid.

Ctrl-A	select all items
Ctrl-C	copy selected item IDs
Del	delete selected items
Alt-A	Open Add Buy Item# window
Alt-F	Add item(s) from browser window
F5	Reload all items in view

2. "Add Items" buttons in the toolbar

In the previous version, they are under Add Item menu. They are moved to toolbar based on users suggestion.

3. One Click Item Detail report

You can now selected the items and click the Bug Report in the context menu.
This will copy item detail information into your clipboard, then you can paste them in to the support email that you want to send.
This will make the technical support much more efficient.

4. easier to add eBay ID

In earlier version, you need to enter Shipping country/zip when adding an eBay ID. They are needed for JoyBidder to calculate the shipping cost.
In 1.3.0, you don't need to do that anymore. Shipping country defaults to the eBay registration site and can be changed later if you want to. Shipping zip is optional. It is as important as shipping country since most of the eBay items use flat shipping rate. However, if you do provide shipping zip, please make sure they are accurate, otherwise JoyBidder cannot calculate the shipping cost correctly.

5. easier to add items from browser
In the older version, Add Item From eBay View Item page and Add Item from eBay search results are two separate buttons.
In this version, the two buttons are combined as Add Item From Browser. JoyBidder will perform the right action based on which eBay page you are current at.

JoyBidder gets a big performance boost

2009-07-29T22:48:00.000-07:00

JoyBidder 1.3.0 has been just released to Mozilla addon web site during the weekend. This is a major release containing lots of good stuff. I will share some of these improvement in a series of posts starting with performance improvement.

Here is the performance comparison between version 1.3.0 and version 1.2.3

Action	1.3.0	1.2.3
Reload 24 items	~14 seconds	~24 seconds
Add 24 items by item#	~14 seconds	~21 seconds
Sort title 305 items	<1 second	3 seconds

The performance gain is resulted from the following changes.
1. combine multiple XMLHttpRequests to one whenever possible
2. throttle RDF Data Source Flush calls to reduce file I/O
3. re-write the items grid using CustomTreeview

The test is performed on Pentium M / 1GB /Windows XP laptop with Firefox 3.5 and DSL internet connection.
What is the performance with JoyBidder or any other Auction Sniper/Monitor software on your computer, post your result in the comment.

Portable Sniper : running JoyBidder on USB Drive

2009-06-22T23:26:00.000-07:00

Several days ago, a user sent me an email saying that his JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper won't load or display watch list. He mentioned that he was using Firefox 3.0.11 (portable), which I knew nothing about. After a quick googling, it turns out to be a customized Firefox that can be ran on a USB drive.

I immediately thought the problem could be related to this portable version. I downloaded the portable version and installed it on a 2GB Kingston DataTraveler. To my disappointment, JoyBidder worked perfectly fine. Well, I should be happy since I don't need to fix anything to get JoyBidder to work on Firefox portable, but on the other hand, I still don't know how to fix user's problem. Without much information at hand, I replied and asking for more specific information and also told him to read the FAQ about "3rd party cookie", (which has, by far, contributed to most of supporting emails). I also instructed him on how to use Firefox Error Console to send me error logs if he sees any. I hope he is doing fine, although I haven't got his reply yet. Sometimes I really wish all users just live nearby, so that I can just drop by and fix the problem on site.

Aside from the frustration of not being helpful, the finding of Firefox portable is really useful. Now I can load all auctions in a USB Flash drive, carry it to my office and, well, you know.:)

For fellow snipers seriously thinking of doing this, I recommend using fast USB Flash drive or better yet external hard disk. My Kingston DataTraveler works but performance is slow, surfing web is fine, sniping is not.

You can read this USB Flash Drive Speed Comparison before deciding which one to use.

Unknowingly beat another sniper

2009-05-23T01:18:00.000-07:00

I won this item 2 weeks ago. Today when I read the bid log, I realized I just beat another sniper :)

Here is the JoyBidder Auction Sniper bid log screen capture.

My sniper bid fired 10 seconds before auction ended, and I was the highest bidder at $30.89 then. However the price was raised to $33.50 before the auction ended.

Reviewing the eBay bid history tells me what happened.
Here is the ebay bid history screen capture: (my bid is marked with green, my competitor's bid is red)

As you can see, another sniper bid of $32.50 came in 5 seconds later, although it didn't win. If without this final bid, I could have got the item with $3 less. Anyway, I still won the item with 7 cents less than my max bid, and beat the other sniper, not bad :)

I really wish my competitor was using a sniper program to place that last 5 seconds losing bid. Otherwise, I couldn't imaging how unhappy this guy would be after patiently watching the screen, counting the seconds and yet lost the auction to me, who was having lunch with friends then.

Sniper don't Twitter?

2009-05-16T16:08:00.000-07:00

One of the feature I built into JoyBidder eBay Auction Sniper is sending direct SMS message to bidder's Twitter ID when an auction is outbid or the sniper price is less than the minimum bid price. To enable this feature is easy, just have your Twitter ID follow http://twitter.com/joybidder. I thought it would be a useful feature, considering other sniper software (online or standalone) only send email alert. (To be accurate, there is one software does send SMS alert, but you need to install Skype and purchase Skype credit).

Here is the screen capture on configuring JoyBidder to sent alert via Twitter.

Almost 2 months after the feature was released, to my surprise, the reception is not what I expected at all. Only a few users have tried, even they don't use that much.

Why is it, could it be of the following reasons?

Most of the eBay users don't have Twitter ID?
You don't want others to know that your Twitter ID is following joybidder?
SMS outbid alert is not useful, since if you are not near your computer, you really cannot do anything with it.

What do you think?