Double the Minimum Increment Method
In the last 2-3 seconds, you double the minimum increment, in case someone does the Newbie Method.
item C, value 3000, increment 100, 5 seconds left
bidderL 2400np
bidderE 2000np
bidderO 1950np
You could use the newbie method, but why? Chances are, someone will outbid you, someone like me, using the Double the Minimum Increment Method. (You can also do a Triple the Minimum Increment to be safe. You are more likely to win, but it costs you more).
You could probably bid 2950, and win easily, cause no one would outbid you. However, you would only make 50np on the deal, not to good huh? These are always the hardest to determine what to bid. Like codestones and bottled faeries. You want to win, but you don't want to bid too much (cause the more you bid, the less your profit margin is).
Remember this though. The profit margin on an auction that you don't win is always zero.
What I would do in this case, while counting down in my head, bid at 2 seconds, double the minimum. I would bid 2600, beating out the newbie who bids 2500. Even if they manage to bid 2500, you win, cause your bid is higher. This is the foundation of the Sniper Method, explained later. The following is the result:
item C, value 3,000, increment 100
This auction is closed, you cannot place any more bids!
Me 2,600np
bidderO 2,500np
bidderL 2,400np
bidderE 2,000np
bidderO 1,950np
Here, bidderO bid 2500, as predicted, a Newbie Bid and since you went a lot higher, you have beat him. He got too greedy. This will happen a lot, cause a lot of people will just do a newbie bid to save money. Their greediness is your financial gain.
This method only works with small items, or items with high increments.
Here's another example, this one the item is expensive, but there's a high increment, so it applies:
item Q, value 12,000, increment 500, 11 seconds left
bidderB 9,000np
bidderE 8,500np
Ok, this is the situation, 10 seconds left, lots of time. But wait, look what happens:
item Q, value 12,000, increment 500, 9 seconds left
bidderS 9,500np
bidderB 9,000np
bidderE 8,500np
Someone bid. Ok, so someone else is interested. Don't panic, you aren't the only one watching the auction board. But what do you do? Well, you wait it out. Generally, since it's worth 12,000, they aren't going to be bidding it up with the 500np increment. So you wait it out and no one else bids. Now it's down to 5 seconds, what do you bid?
item Q, value 12,000, increment 500, 5 seconds left
bidderS 9,500np
bidderB 9,000np
bidderE 8,500np
I would go for the Double the Minimum Increment. (Maybe add an extra 50 or 100 to be safe). Chances are, if this one guy bid, someone else will too. Since they are greedy, they probably will only go the minimum to earn an extra 500np, or maybe they aren't greedy, they just know how to do the simple Newbie Method. So count down in your head, type in your number, and hit the "enter" button at 2 seconds. Of course I wouldn't see what the bid is at 2 seconds, because if you refresh till you get to 2 seconds, you won't have time to enter a bid.
item Q, value 12,000, increment 500
This auction is closed, you cannot place any more bids!
Me 10,600np
bidderJ 10,000np
bidderS 9,500np
bidderB 9,000np
bidderE 8,500np
It seems there was another bidder. And you beat them with the Double the
Minimum Increment Method. The reason I would go 10,600 rather than 10,500
is because of the seng44 001 Block Method,
which I will go into shortly. Going 10,500np would be a great bid too
though. And even if there wasn't bidderJ, and you cost yourself 500np by
not going 10,000 yourself, it doesn't matter. Let's say there was no other
bidder:
item Q, value 12,000, increment 500
This auction is closed, you cannot place any more bids!
Me 10,600np
bidderS 9,500np
bidderB 9,000np
bidderE 8,500np
You bid that extra 600np for nothing? Possible, but it was worth it. You may have just bid faster than someone doing a Newbie Method. They tried to bid 10,000, but you bid first. Even if there was no other bid (unlikely), you shouldn't be afraid to bid a little extra, to make sure you win the bid.
Sure, you would earn an extra profit by bidding lower, but how much do you earn from an auction where you don't win? Exactly, nothing. Might as well earn 500np or 600np less, cause here you still earn 1,400. I would rather earn 1,400 guarantee, than maybe winning 2,000 . . . maybe . . . hoping I do the Newbie Method before anyone else, but not so fast that someone else doesn't do the Newbie Method after me.
Pros:
Can beat the Newbie Method, without spending a lot.
Cons:
Can be blocked by seng44's 001 Block Method,
or a sniper. Usually not though, especially if the item isn't worth a
whole lot.