Created by Tiptie
These true bid histories are taken from the files of eBay. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent?


First, look for the earliest date. Look at the minimum bid required to start the auction. Be aware of the bid increments and start building a sequence based on time and the bid increments.

On Jul 1, at 17:56.27, MAEVE entered the first bid with a proxy of $4.75. The current bid would have shown as: $0.50 (the minimum, first bid)

On Jul 3, at 22:04:30, LOUISE entered a bid with a proxy of $3.00. Immediately, she would have received an outbid notice. MAEVE's proxy beat hers and the current bid would have shown as: $3.25 (one bid increment over LOUISE's maximum proxy)

On Jul 6, at 21:28:35, DIERDRE entered a bid of $3.50, the minimum increment required. She immediately saw an outbid notice, again by MAEVE's big proxy. The current bid would have shown as: $3.75 (one bid increment over DIERDRE)

On Jul 6, at 21:28:46, DIERDRE entered another bid, but again, only one bid increment that was required, which was $4.00. She was again, immediately told that she was outbid by MAEVE. The current bid would have shown as: $4.25 (one bid increment of DIERDRE's)

On Jul 7, at 09:23:05, KATY entered a proxy bid of some unknown amount. The winner's maximum proxy is never known if the end result is a full increment over the second place bidder's proxy.

The current bid which won the auction was: $5.00 (one bid increment of MAEVE's proxy, which had held up against all attacks since Jul 1)

I have received a few questions regarding Maeve's bid and why it did not stay at the bottom because Maeve's bid was the first. Well, eBay does not sort that way.

There are a few things to watch.

1. The bids are always sorted by the dollar amount.

2. The date that the bid was entered BY THE BIDDER always remains the same, regardless of how many times that particular bid is increased BY EBAY when eBay is using more and more of the bidder's proxy.

3. Therefore, Maeve's bid was shown at the bottom when Maeve's bid was the only bid. BUT as other bidders were bidding, Maeve's name and bid amount "floated to the top" as more and more of her proxy was used by eBay to keep her on top.

4. If Maeve would have entered another bid, there would have been two date stamps. But because Maeve had only entered one bid, that one bid's time stamp, floated to the top.

And here is another one with a different twist. A sniper came along, but the earlier bidder has a chance to reclaim the lead but bids a measly, single, 50 cent increment and loses.

Again, look for the earliest date and then work your way up in time and recreate the dollar amounts remembering the increments. So here is how this one went.

This whole auction started out with the first bid by JACKIE on Jul 18 with a proxy bid of a very nice even $15.00. Newbies love to bid nice even numbers. The bid that showed at that time was $9.99 by JACKIE.

Then ERIN came in the next day, the 19th, with a bid of $11.05. She was immediately outbid by JACKIE's proxy and the bid stood at a full increment over hers, or $11.55 with JACKIE still in the lead, but bidders were nibbling at her proxy by this time.

Clock is ticking and keys are clicking.

Then on the 24th at 20:09:56 DAPHNE made a proxy bid of $14.00. Again, JACKIE's $15.00 proxy beat hers and good ole DAPHNE had to do something quick!!

The current bid at that time was one increment over DAPHNE's proxy of $14.00 which made JACKIE top dog at $14.50. This is with a little over a minute to go!!!!!

DAPHNE makes another bid of $16.00 at 20:10:03. JACKIE was outbid for the first time all week! DAPHNE was now in the lead with a bid of $15.50!

The amazing thing is that JACKIE still had time and did make another bid. She was the last bidder. She had the time to beat DAPHNE. Her mistake was bidding too low!

She only bid one increment over DAPHNE, $16.00. She could have bid a little bit more, but chose to bid one single increment, 50 cents, over the shown bid of $15.50!!!!!

DAPHNE's earlier proxy bid was the same as JACKIE's last bid and therefore she lost because DAPHNE's was earlier.

JACKIE was the LAST bidder, she could have beat DAPHNE! But she went way too low with a 50 cent, one increment bid.........and lost.

Moral?......bid your most, your most, your MOST, Especially during the closing seconds.

And one more. This one shows how early proxies can beat out later proxies. It also shows that when two proxies are the same amount, the earlier one wins. It also gives some advice on how a single PENNY could have WON an auction.

Again, look for the earliest date and then work your way up in time and recreate the dollar amounts remembering the increments. So here is how this one went.

LISA was holding the lead on Jul 30 with a proxy bid maxed at $250. Earlier, KELLY had pushed LISA's proxy to its limit by bidding the same amount. Then on Jul 30 at 16:35:27, ELF entered a proxy bid of $285. We know that is the maximum because his proxy fought with CLAIRE's proxy later and ELF's won ONLY because of the earlier date.

Anyway, back to ELF's bid. He took the lead on Jul 30th at 16:35:37 and remained the top bidder until the end of the auction.

The dollar amount on Jul 30th at 16:35.36 was $255 with ELF as "top dog".

On Jul 31 at 05:26:09 CLAIRE made a proxy bid of $275. She was immediately told on an eBay page that she was "outbid" and to enter another bid of at least $285 which was one bid increment over ELF's current, shown bid which beat out CLAIRE's maximum proxy of $275 and became $280, current bid.

The dollar amount on Jul 31st at 05:26:09 was $280 with ELF still showing as "top dog".

On Jul 31, at 05:27:18, about a minute later, CLAIRE made another bid, this time, the one increment bid of $285. However, again, she was notified that she was outbid and to enter at least one bid increment over the ELF's shown $285 bid.

That was never done.

The current high bidder at 05:27:18 was ELF. He stayed top bidder until the auction closed three hours later. No other challenges. And, his proxy was maxed out.

Had CLAIRE bid even one more PENNY in her bid at 05:27:18, she would have been the top bidder.

Yep, one PENNY would have done it. $285.01