Well, I'm almost out. Paddle8 is interesting to put it mildly. You put in a max bid (which you can't later reduce even if unused) and then the site automatically bids up to that max amount as necessary to keep you winning when competing bidders enter a bid - that's pretty normal. But then the site will tell competing bidders what they need to bid to be in the lead if they bid more than once on an item and haven't yet bid enough to take the lead. So, I've been bidding on two steel bikes and over the last couple days have had a few people test the waters to see my max, which the site then bids for me. I can increase my max, but then people can see it again, so the process repeats. I think it's pretty clear people are just positioning with a plan to swoop in with a minute or two left and win the item.
That's all well and good I suppose as it's for a good cause. But once you consider the +20% buyer's premium and mandatory $350 for shipping, a 4k winning bid results in a total cost of $5150. For that kind of money, I can get go get my own custom Waterford or Independent Fab and build it up the way I actually want it.
Again, it's for a good cause and I never expected a used price deal. It would be cool to have one of RW's bikes, especially since they were are not garage queens and he's one of my favorite actors. But the way Paddle8 deals your cards face up is a bit disappointing and pricing has now reached the point that it doesn't make much sense unless you are buying as a fan and/or using some of your annual tax deductible charitable contribution budget to stay competitive.
Oh well. It's been fun. I'm still leading on one bike, but my max has been revealed again. I'm not going to increase again no matter how much bourbon I drink tonight.