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Language is a funny thing. New words, meanings, and phrases pop up seemingly out of the blue, and before you know it, people are using “Google” like a verb and talk about “tweets” in everyday conversation. If you’re new to the penny auction scene, then fear not! This article will act as your handy-dandy translation booklet as you explore the world of penny auctions, and it will help you avoid some serious penny auction faux pas.
“Stamper” and “Tagger”
These two words are synonyms. They refer to people who believe that the first person to bid on an item should win it, kind of like a first come, first served system. The only problem with that mentality is that penny auctions don’t work like that — not even remotely. That’s kind of like thinking you could go to an in-person auction and win just because you’re the first person to raise your little numbered card. Penny auctions are auctions after all, so the first person to bid may not be the last!
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Others take the mentality to the extreme and “lay claim” to an auction. They are resolved to win every auction that they tagged no matter how long the auction lasts.
“Jumper”
A jumper is somebody who jumps into an auction at the last possible moment. This is somewhat similar to sniping in eBay, where people would wait until just before the auction ends to place a bid. Jumpers use a similar strategy, relying on the hope that other bidders will have lost interest in an auction by the time they join.
Image source: PennyAuctionWatch.com
“Imposter”
Penny auction bidders love to come up with intimidating user names to scare off other shoppers. One unintended side effect of this strategy is that it tends to create a lot of overlap in user names. You might think that you’re being clever when you come up with the screen name “iwineverytime” only to soon discover that you’re bidding against somebody named “iwinevrytime.” That other bidder is your imposter… or you’re his imposter. I guess imposter-ness depends on who’s asking the question!
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“Throttling”
Throttling is when a bidder immediately places a new bid on an auction as soon as he is outbid. That way, other users constantly see the throttler’s user name as the winning bidder. It gives people the impression that other users have no chance of winning an auction because they’re up against somebody who will immediately rebid without hesitation.
“Powerbidders”
Powerbidders have been shopping at penny auction websites for so long that they actually have a notorious reputation. It’s an excellent strategy in the long run. People will eventually learn that they don’t have much of a chance of beating a powerbidder, so they avoid bidding against the powerbidder. This drives down prices on the powerbidder’s auctions and helps him save money.
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“Collusion” and “Respect”
This strategy is when two or more users agree never to bid over each other in order to keep prices low. This strategy is unethical and possibly even illegal depending on your local laws. Collusion in all of its forms is usually against a penny auction website’s terms of services, so you could face an account ban if you use this underhanded tactic.
Now that you know what all of these terms mean, you don’t have to fear them when you give penny auctions a go. City Hits is a great place to try penny auctions if you’re a bidding beginner. Step up to the penny auction plate and the only other term you’ll need to know is “Winner!”
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