Beat by a Computer on eBay

Boy am I really ****ed off. I have been trying to buy a particular
edition of a book for a year. Finally I saw one listed on eBay. So, on
July 8, 2008 I placed a most generous bid of $150.03 for the book.

The book is Bobby Fischer's Games of Chess, published by Simon &
Schuster.

The auction was expiring just now, at Jul-15-08 15:57:30 PDT.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=320272393065

Because I knew that there might be a last minute bid I was sitting
here counting down the seconds until the auction was over. I kept
hitting the refresh key.

Finally, with just ten seconds remaining in the auction, someone
outbid me. I rushed to place a higher bid but my computer is not that
fast and just before I got my bid in the time was up.

I am aware that there are computer programs to enable a bidder on eBay
to place a bid just seconds before the time is up. That is obviously
what this person did because it would be almost impossible for a human
to time a bid so perfectly as to come in just ten seconds before the
end. A normal human could never do that.

The bidder is named bookforlove
http://myworld.ebay.com/bookforlove/

He is probably sitting there laughing his ass off that his computer
program beat me by ten seconds. He probably does not even care about
the book. He probably plans just to flip it to somebody. Meanwhile I
really need that book.

But I am going to get that guy. I am going to find out who bookforlove
is. He thinks this is a big joke. I am not joking. He is no better
than a chess player who uses a computer to cheat at chess.

Sam Sloan

samsloan wrote:

Beat by a Computer on eBay

Boy am I really ****ed off. I have been trying to buy a particular
edition of a book for a year. Finally I saw one listed on eBay. So, on
July 8, 2008 I placed a most generous bid of $150.03 for the book.

The book is Bobby Fischer's Games of Chess, published by Simon &
Schuster.

The auction was expiring just now, at Jul-15-08 15:57:30 PDT.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=320272393065

Because I knew that there might be a last minute bid I was sitting
here counting down the seconds until the auction was over. I kept
hitting the refresh key.




What you really need is a book on how to bid on eBay.

The winner likely used a snipe program, but you have no idea as to when
he placed that bid or what his highest bid was. It could have been
placed before yours and was likely much higher than the final bid.

Hint - bid the maximum the item is worth to you (maximum bid = maximum
price you are willing to pay less S/H), late in the auction (last few
minutes is best or if a small fee is of little importance, subscribe to
a sniping service). You either win the item at or less than your
maximum bid or you can sit there laughing your ass off that the other
bidder paid way too much.

clams_casino wrote:
samsloan wrote:

Beat by a Computer on eBay

Boy am I really ****ed off. I have been trying to buy a particular
edition of a book for a year. Finally I saw one listed on eBay. So, on
July 8, 2008 I placed a most generous bid of $150.03 for the book.

The book is Bobby Fischer's Games of Chess, published by Simon &
Schuster.

The auction was expiring just now, at Jul-15-08 15:57:30 PDT.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=320272393065


Because I knew that there might be a last minute bid I was sitting
here counting down the seconds until the auction was over. I kept
hitting the refresh key.




What you really need is a book on how to bid on eBay.

The winner likely used a snipe program, but you have no idea as to when
he placed that bid or what his highest bid was. It could have been
placed before yours and was likely much higher than the final bid.

Hint - bid the maximum the item is worth to you (maximum bid = maximum
price you are willing to pay less S/H), late in the auction (last few
minutes is best or if a small fee is of little importance, subscribe to
a sniping service). You either win the item at or less than your
maximum bid or you can sit there laughing your ass off that the other
bidder paid way too much.

http://www.tinaja.com/glib/ebaybuy.pdf

For most bidders most of the time on most items, it does not matter in
the least whether you bid three minutes or three seconds from close.

Especially if you value your time or there are several items closing.

--
Many thanks,

Don Lancaster voice phone: (928)428-4073
Synergetics 3860 West First Street Box 809 Thatcher, AZ 85552
rss: http://www.tinaja.com/whtnu.xml email:

Please visit my GURU's LAIR web site at http://www.tinaja.com

samsloan wrote:


Boy am I really ****ed off. I have been trying to buy a particular
edition of a book for a year.

Finally, with just ten seconds remaining in the auction, someone
outbid me. He is no better
than a chess player who uses a computer to cheat at chess.

Sam Sloan



Is that like using a book to cheat at chess, but in the 21st century?

On Jul 15, 8:08*pm, samsloan wrote:
Beat by a Computer on eBay

Boy am I really ****ed off. I have been trying to buy a particular
edition of a book for a year. Finally I saw one listed on eBay. So, on
July 8, 2008 I placed a most generous bid of $150.03 for the book.

The book is Bobby Fischer's Games of Chess, published by Simon &
Schuster.

The auction was expiring just now, at Jul-15-08 15:57:30 PDT.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...e=STRK:MEBIDX:....

Because I knew that there might be a last minute bid I was sitting
here counting down the seconds until the auction was over. I kept
hitting the refresh key.

Finally, with just ten seconds remaining in the auction, someone
outbid me. I rushed to place a higher bid but my computer is not that
fast and just before I got my bid in the time was up.

I am aware that there are computer programs to enable a bidder on eBay
to place a bid just seconds before the time is up. That is obviously
what this person did because it would be almost impossible for a human
to time a bid so perfectly as to come in just ten seconds before the
end. A normal human could never do that.

The bidder is named bookforlovehttp://myworld.ebay.com/bookforlove/

He is probably sitting there laughing his ass off that his computer
program beat me by ten seconds. He probably does not even care about
the book. He probably plans just to flip it to somebody. Meanwhile I
really need that book.

But I am going to get that guy. I am going to find out who bookforlove
is. He thinks this is a big joke. I am not joking. He is no better
than a chess player who uses a computer to cheat at chess.

Sam Sloan

Hmmm. Our Sam recently told us he's living in poverty in a dreadful
neighborhood. Presumably, one or more of his children are too. Yet he
is willing to spend $150 on a chess book? Strange priorities.
Or is this yet another FSS post?

On Jul 15, 8:08*pm, samsloan wrote:
Beat by a Computer on eBay

Boy am I really ****ed off. I have been trying to buy a particular
edition of a book for a year. Finally I saw one listed on eBay. So, on
July 8, 2008 I placed a most generous bid of $150.03 for the book.

The book is Bobby Fischer's Games of Chess, published by Simon &
Schuster.

The auction was expiring just now, at Jul-15-08 15:57:30 PDT.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...e=STRK:MEBIDX:....

Because I knew that there might be a last minute bid I was sitting
here counting down the seconds until the auction was over. I kept
hitting the refresh key.

Finally, with just ten seconds remaining in the auction, someone
outbid me. I rushed to place a higher bid but my computer is not that
fast and just before I got my bid in the time was up.

I am aware that there are computer programs to enable a bidder on eBay
to place a bid just seconds before the time is up. That is obviously
what this person did because it would be almost impossible for a human
to time a bid so perfectly as to come in just ten seconds before the
end. A normal human could never do that.

The bidder is named bookforlovehttp://myworld.ebay.com/bookforlove/

He is probably sitting there laughing his ass off that his computer
program beat me by ten seconds. He probably does not even care about
the book. He probably plans just to flip it to somebody. Meanwhile I
really need that book.

But I am going to get that guy. I am going to find out who bookforlove
is. He thinks this is a big joke. I am not joking. He is no better
than a chess player who uses a computer to cheat at chess.

Sam Sloan



what? that book? we got two editions here in our library and a old
book seller has one in their store.


huh?


why $150?

On Jul 16, 11:21*am, wrote:
On Jul 15, 8:08*pm, samsloan wrote:





Beat by a Computer on eBay

Boy am I really ****ed off. I have been trying to buy a particular
edition of a book for a year. Finally I saw one listed on eBay. So, on
July 8, 2008 I placed a most generous bid of $150.03 for the book.

The book is Bobby Fischer's Games of Chess, published by Simon &
Schuster.

The auction was expiring just now, at Jul-15-08 15:57:30 PDT.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...e=STRK:MEBIDX:....

Because I knew that there might be a last minute bid I was sitting
here counting down the seconds until the auction was over. I kept
hitting the refresh key.

Finally, with just ten seconds remaining in the auction, someone
outbid me. I rushed to place a higher bid but my computer is not that
fast and just before I got my bid in the time was up.

I am aware that there are computer programs to enable a bidder on eBay
to place a bid just seconds before the time is up. That is obviously
what this person did because it would be almost impossible for a human
to time a bid so perfectly as to come in just ten seconds before the
end. A normal human could never do that.

The bidder is named bookforlovehttp://myworld.ebay.com/bookforlove/

He is probably sitting there laughing his ass off that his computer
program beat me by ten seconds. He probably does not even care about
the book. He probably plans just to flip it to somebody. Meanwhile I
really need that book.

But I am going to get that guy. I am going to find out who bookforlove
is. He thinks this is a big joke. I am not joking. He is no better
than a chess player who uses a computer to cheat at chess.

Sam Sloan

* Hmmm. Our Sam recently told us he's living in poverty in a dreadful
neighborhood. Presumably, one or more of his children are too. Yet he
is willing to spend $150 on a chess book? Strange priorities.
* Or is this yet another FSS post?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -



listen, it's a usenet group.. you already know that answer.

On Jul 16, 1:25 pm, "white, fat and fugly"
wrote:

what? that book? we got two editions here in our library and a old
book seller has one in their store.

huh?

why $150?

No, you do not. No library in the world has this book. I already
checked. Also, your old book seller does not have one either.

What they probably have is "Bobby Fischer's Chess Games" which is a
different book.

http://www.amazon.com/Bobby-Fischers...dp/038508627X/

Sam Sloan

"samsloan" wrote in message
...
On Jul 16, 1:25 pm, "white, fat and fugly"
wrote:

what? that book? we got two editions here in our library and a old
book seller has one in their store.

huh?

why $150?

No, you do not. No library in the world has this book. I already
checked. Also, your old book seller does not have one either.

What they probably have is "Bobby Fischer's Chess Games" which is a
different book.

http://www.amazon.com/Bobby-Fischers...dp/038508627X/

Sam Sloan


Telegraph Books in Berkeley, CA has a copy.

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Book...%3D12%26y%3D12



** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

On Jul 16, 2:42 pm, "Jim Menning" wrote:
"samsloan" wrote in message

...



On Jul 16, 1:25 pm, "white, fat and fugly"
wrote:

what? that book? we got two editions here in our library and a old
book seller has one in their store.

huh?

why $150?

No, you do not. No library in the world has this book. I already
checked. Also, your old book seller does not have one either.

What they probably have is "Bobby Fischer's Chess Games" which is a
different book.

http://www.amazon.com/Bobby-Fischers...dp/038508627X/

Sam Sloan

Telegraph Books in Berkeley, CA has a copy.

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Book...8602&searchurl...

** Posted fromhttp://www.teranews.com**

Right. Exactly. That is Moe's Bookstore on Telegraph Avenue in
Berkeley. I called them several times over a period of a month about
this book and spoke to Lawrence there but I could not convince them to
come down from their price of $225.

Also, what they have is the British Edition. The one offered on Ebay
was the American edition. I do not know what the difference is between
the two books.

Sam Sloan