I love eBay, you can find some incredible deals on there (for example, once I got a first edition of Kenneth Grant's "Cults of the Shadow" for a scarce $30). However, I'm always very careful not to go overboard and bid too much.
Still, sometimes I go against my better judgement and go nuts. Tonight was such a night. Kenneth Grant's "Outside the Circles of Time" was on the block for $120 (sans dust jacket). I've been looking for this one for quite awhile so I thought, "h'mm, 120 bucks ain't that high for a book that usually goes for $240. I'll go for it, but I won't pay anything past $140." With 2 minutes left the price was at $135 or so. Suddenly someone else bid and the price jumped up to $140. I quickly put in $145. s/He put in $150. I put in $155. By this point I had no intention of buying it so I thought "Well, let's see how high I can get the price up to make this person pay more" (which was very mean-spirited and selfish of me... I usually try to avoid such behaviour). Eventually I totally lost it and put in $190, intending to stop there, with a minute left, positive the person would do a final bid. As the minute ticked down no more bids happened, to my horror. The minute ended and I was the winner with the highest bid.
I decided to just accept it. Obviously I was being taught a lesson for trying to make the other person pay so much, so I guess now I'll just have to grin and pay up. Either way I still got it for less a price then it usually goes for, and now that I have it that's one less rare occult book I have to obsess over... Once I get this out of the way I can save up for stuff I'll actually get practical use of... Like an apartment... Or a new computer to replace the primative outdated 7 year old jalopy I use now. Heh. |
