FAQs
Buying
What is Item Watch?
Item Watch notifies you when someone bids on the auctions that you have added to your Item Watch list.
How do I pay for an item?
If you are the highest bidder when an auction closes, the item is yours, and you will need to pay the seller according to the terms of the auction.
You will receive an email notifying you of your winning bid. The email will contain contact information for the seller, as well as button so that you can see the total due (shipping, handling, etc.)
In some cases, sellers may opt to do calculated shipping rather than charge a flat rate, in which case you will need to contact the seller for a total amount due.
Most sellers will require payment either by PayPal or via Money Order.
Sellers are not permitted to request cash payments under any circumstances. If a seller requests cash, please report them immediately at abuse@hobby-bid.com
Bidding Basics
Buying is easy on Hobby-Bid! Start by using the Search feature to find what you're looking for, or just browse the categories.
To bid on an auction, first make sure your are registered and have logged in, then click the Bid button to enter your maximum bid amount.
Remember, that this is an auction, and you can always be outbid, so be sure to add the item to your Watch List and check it often.
IMPORTANT: By placing a winning bid, you are entering into a binding contract with the seller to purchase the item. Non-paying bidders may have their accounts suspended or they may be permanently banned from Hobby-Bid.
What is Buy It Now?
Some auctions may offer a Buy It Now option, which means you can purchase the item for a specified amount, without bidding.
How does the auction clock work?
Or Why doesn't the time displayed on an auction match my local time?
First, it is important to note that all stated times at Hobby-Bid.com are Central Time. Please adjust for your time zone accordingly.
The current time is stated in the upper right-hand corner. The time remaining in the auction is located in the auction description.
To see the most current state of the auction you must refresh your browser.
If you are the high bidder on an item and you are watching the end of the auction, refresh your browser occasionally to update the auction clock and to see if anyone else is bidding on the item.
All auction beginning and ending times are Central Time.
How do I retract a bid?
Hobby-Bid doesn't currently have a mechanism for retraction. You will be asked to confirm your bid, so please take that opportunity to double-check your bid amount.
Remember that if you are the winning bidder you are obligated to follow through with the transaction.
If you believe that the description of an auction item has changed significantly since you placed your bid, you are encouraged to contact the seller directly to resolve the issue.
If you are unable to come to a resolution, contact us at info@hobby-bid.com
Why did I get outbid at the last second?
Bidding at the last second is common in all online auctions. Many bidders will wait until the last possible moment to place their bid in an effort to protect them from becoming involved in a "bidding war."
We don't encourage last second bidding, or "sniping," for the sole reason that if your timing is off, or there is some type of delay in your information being sent through the Internet, your bid may not be placed before the item bidding time ends.
The best strategy for a successful bid is to use proxy bidding.
That is, enter the maximum amount you are willing to pay for an item. When another Bidder has posted a higher bid, Hobby-Bid's proxy bidding will automatically bid for you, up to the maximum amount you have entered.
What is a Reserve Price?
Sellers will occasionally set a Reserve Price that is above the minimum starting bid, in an effort to make sure that they do not sell an item for less a specific amount.
If a reserve price is in effect, then the seller does not have to sell the item unless the high bid meets or exceeds the reserve.
Auctions with a reserve price will be noted in their listing, describing whether the reserve has been met or not. The actual amount of the reserve price may or may not be revealed to bidders in the auction description.
When you submit a bid on a reserve price auction, one of three things might happen:
(1) If the reserve has already been met, then your bid will be submitted at one increment above the next highest competitor, in the same manner as an auction without a reserve price.
(2) If the reserve has not been met, and your maximum bid is also less than the reserve, then your bid will be entered at one increment above the next highest competitor.
(3) If the reserve has not been met, but your maximum bid is enough to meet the reserve, then your bid will be entered at one increment above the next highest competitor and at that point, the item will sell to the highest bidder. If your maximum was above the seller's reserve, then Hobby-Bid proxy bidding will defend your bid, up to your maximum.
If you are the highest bidder at auction close but the reserve was not met, then seller is not obligated to complete the transaction.
What is a Dutch Auction?
Dutch Auctions are a format for selling multiples of the same item. Bidders can bid as much as they are willing to pay for as many of the available items they want.
Winners are determined through a combination of the high bids and the available number of items.
Here's an example of how it works: Seller has 10 widgets and wants to sell with an opening/lowest price is $5. Bidder 1 bids for 3 of them at a price of $25 Bidder 2 bids for 4 of them at a price of $15 Bidder 3 bids on 4 of them at a price of $15.75 - Bidder 3 is forced to bid at least another increment higher, in this case, $15.75.
So the lowest bid in the dutch auctions raises the new minimum bid. Bidder 4 bids on 4 items at a price of $10.
Here's how the winners pan out: Bidder 1 gets his 3 and pays $25 each Bidder 2 gets his 4 for $15.00 each Bidder 3 gets 3 of his 4 bid on (10 limit reached) for $15.75 each.
Bidder 4 gets nothing since his bid wasn't high enough to compete for the 10 available items.
With Dutch auctions, the system will not bid up for you ("proxy bidding") and what you bid IS your bid.
How do I view auctions that I'm bidding on?
First, click on My Hobby-Bid in the main menu at the top of the page.
Then click on the Buying tab, and you will be able to see any items you are watching or bidding on.
Item Watch notifies you when someone bids on the auctions that you have added to your Item Watch list.
How do I pay for an item?
If you are the highest bidder when an auction closes, the item is yours, and you will need to pay the seller according to the terms of the auction.
You will receive an email notifying you of your winning bid. The email will contain contact information for the seller, as well as button so that you can see the total due (shipping, handling, etc.)
In some cases, sellers may opt to do calculated shipping rather than charge a flat rate, in which case you will need to contact the seller for a total amount due.
Most sellers will require payment either by PayPal or via Money Order.
Sellers are not permitted to request cash payments under any circumstances. If a seller requests cash, please report them immediately at abuse@hobby-bid.com
Bidding Basics
Buying is easy on Hobby-Bid! Start by using the Search feature to find what you're looking for, or just browse the categories.
To bid on an auction, first make sure your are registered and have logged in, then click the Bid button to enter your maximum bid amount.
Remember, that this is an auction, and you can always be outbid, so be sure to add the item to your Watch List and check it often.
IMPORTANT: By placing a winning bid, you are entering into a binding contract with the seller to purchase the item. Non-paying bidders may have their accounts suspended or they may be permanently banned from Hobby-Bid.
What is Buy It Now?
Some auctions may offer a Buy It Now option, which means you can purchase the item for a specified amount, without bidding.
How does the auction clock work?
Or Why doesn't the time displayed on an auction match my local time?
First, it is important to note that all stated times at Hobby-Bid.com are Central Time. Please adjust for your time zone accordingly.
The current time is stated in the upper right-hand corner. The time remaining in the auction is located in the auction description.
To see the most current state of the auction you must refresh your browser.
If you are the high bidder on an item and you are watching the end of the auction, refresh your browser occasionally to update the auction clock and to see if anyone else is bidding on the item.
All auction beginning and ending times are Central Time.
How do I retract a bid?
Hobby-Bid doesn't currently have a mechanism for retraction. You will be asked to confirm your bid, so please take that opportunity to double-check your bid amount.
Remember that if you are the winning bidder you are obligated to follow through with the transaction.
If you believe that the description of an auction item has changed significantly since you placed your bid, you are encouraged to contact the seller directly to resolve the issue.
If you are unable to come to a resolution, contact us at info@hobby-bid.com
Why did I get outbid at the last second?
Bidding at the last second is common in all online auctions. Many bidders will wait until the last possible moment to place their bid in an effort to protect them from becoming involved in a "bidding war."
We don't encourage last second bidding, or "sniping," for the sole reason that if your timing is off, or there is some type of delay in your information being sent through the Internet, your bid may not be placed before the item bidding time ends.
The best strategy for a successful bid is to use proxy bidding.
That is, enter the maximum amount you are willing to pay for an item. When another Bidder has posted a higher bid, Hobby-Bid's proxy bidding will automatically bid for you, up to the maximum amount you have entered.
What is a Reserve Price?
Sellers will occasionally set a Reserve Price that is above the minimum starting bid, in an effort to make sure that they do not sell an item for less a specific amount.
If a reserve price is in effect, then the seller does not have to sell the item unless the high bid meets or exceeds the reserve.
Auctions with a reserve price will be noted in their listing, describing whether the reserve has been met or not. The actual amount of the reserve price may or may not be revealed to bidders in the auction description.
When you submit a bid on a reserve price auction, one of three things might happen:
(1) If the reserve has already been met, then your bid will be submitted at one increment above the next highest competitor, in the same manner as an auction without a reserve price.
(2) If the reserve has not been met, and your maximum bid is also less than the reserve, then your bid will be entered at one increment above the next highest competitor.
(3) If the reserve has not been met, but your maximum bid is enough to meet the reserve, then your bid will be entered at one increment above the next highest competitor and at that point, the item will sell to the highest bidder. If your maximum was above the seller's reserve, then Hobby-Bid proxy bidding will defend your bid, up to your maximum.
If you are the highest bidder at auction close but the reserve was not met, then seller is not obligated to complete the transaction.
What is a Dutch Auction?
Dutch Auctions are a format for selling multiples of the same item. Bidders can bid as much as they are willing to pay for as many of the available items they want.
Winners are determined through a combination of the high bids and the available number of items.
Here's an example of how it works: Seller has 10 widgets and wants to sell with an opening/lowest price is $5. Bidder 1 bids for 3 of them at a price of $25 Bidder 2 bids for 4 of them at a price of $15 Bidder 3 bids on 4 of them at a price of $15.75 - Bidder 3 is forced to bid at least another increment higher, in this case, $15.75.
So the lowest bid in the dutch auctions raises the new minimum bid. Bidder 4 bids on 4 items at a price of $10.
Here's how the winners pan out: Bidder 1 gets his 3 and pays $25 each Bidder 2 gets his 4 for $15.00 each Bidder 3 gets 3 of his 4 bid on (10 limit reached) for $15.75 each.
Bidder 4 gets nothing since his bid wasn't high enough to compete for the 10 available items.
With Dutch auctions, the system will not bid up for you ("proxy bidding") and what you bid IS your bid.
How do I view auctions that I'm bidding on?
First, click on My Hobby-Bid in the main menu at the top of the page.
Then click on the Buying tab, and you will be able to see any items you are watching or bidding on.