5 Proven Strategies to Get Cheap Hunting Gear on eBay

Sometimes buying hunting gear is almost as addicting as hunting itself. There is always something we wish we had to make hunting easier, more fun, safer, or maybe even more challenging. When it’s not hunting season, I can spend hours shopping and dreaming about what items will help my next season be a success.

Everyone knows eBay is chock full of great deals on cheap hunting gear, just waiting to be snatched up, but how can you make the most of it? Most people just place a bid when they see something they like, or just skip the hassle and use ‘Buy It Now’ to get what they want immediately. Here are 5 proven strategies that will help you stretch your hunting budget, without a lot of extra effort.

Sniping is the #1 Strategy

The best way to get cheap hunting gear on eBay auctions is to use the method commonly referred to as “sniping”. Sniping is the term used to describe making a last-second winning bid before another buyer has a chance to increase their maximum. I’m not exactly breaking new ground here, but sometimes we need a reminder that a little extra effort can result in saving a lot of money. This strategy is particularly effective if the auction ends at an inconvenient time, like in the middle of the night or during a holiday celebration. Who buys a used Lone Wolf tree stand in the middle of the Super Bowl? You do, that’s who.

Of course, no one wants to sit at their computer during the Super Bowl or 3:00 AM, waiting for an auction to end, so I have your solution. There are automatic sniping services, available for free, that will place your bid for you within the last 15 seconds of an auction. One popular service is at http://www.gixen.com. There are several others that can be found with a Google search. These bidding services will need to have your username and password in order for them to bid for you. Most have been around for years, and are generally considered safe. But to avoid potential problems, make sure your PayPal and bank account passwords are not the same as eBay.

Make your Maximum Bid First

Small incremental bids are a waste of money. I’m not going to get into details here because I could fill three pages with formulas. Basically, eBay functions as a second price auction, which basically means bids must beat the previous high bid by specific increments. The first person to bid a specific amount holds an advantage because the next bidder must beat it by a set amount. Studies also show you are more likely to bid higher for an item if you haven’t set a specific price limit. Sometimes it’s difficult to determine your maximum price for cheap hunting gear. One easy way to find your maximum is to use your imagination to increase the current bid. If the used Sitka Fanatic Jacket you want was currently $94, would you bid $95? If it was $95, would you bid $96? You get the idea.

Try the Shotgun Approach

If you aren’t looking for anything specific but you have some money to spend, you can low-ball a bunch of cheap hunting gear until you win something. The advantage of this strategy is that you don’t need to be sitting in front of your computer when the auction ends, ready to snipe. You have no emotional attachment to these items, so chances are, you won’t even know the result of the auction unless you win. One good item to do this with is trail cameras. You can never have enough trail cams, especially when they are bought at a bargain price. Three cautions: make sure you know what the item is, pay attention to shipping costs, and don’t overextend yourself. You don’t want to win several unexpected items and find you’ve blown your budget.

Take Advantage of the Best Offer Option

Speaking of low-balling, many Buy It Now auctions have an “or best offer” option. Never pay full price for these. The seller wouldn’t choose this option unless they were willing to go lower. Unless it’s a rare item that you really want, don’t be afraid to make a low offer. The worst the seller can do is reply with an email cursing you for being cheap. Who cares? More savings means more cheap hunting gear. That being said, it helps to be civil about it. You can include a friendly comment about how you plan to use the product or why they should take your offer. One helpful tool in making your offer is found at Goofbid. This tool will give you the offer history from a seller, including what offers were successful and what offers were not. It’s a well-known fact that the person with the most information usually wins a negotiation.

Lazy Sellers are Your Friend

Sometimes sellers have no idea what they are selling and are awful at describing it. Sometimes they don’t even take the time to proofread an ad before posting it. How can you take advantage of this? Don’t choose a category when you search for an item. A quick search just turned up a Gorilla Treestand Harness auction under business and industrial equipment.

Misspellings are also an easy way to find a hidden gem. Fat Fingers is a website designed to help find misspelled listings, which could result in a great deal. Type in “tail camera”, “trail camer”, or “trial camera” until you find spelling mistakes and typos in eBay auctions. If you don’t jump on these cheap hunting gear items, either someone else will, or they won’t sell. You are doing the seller a big favor by taking something off their hands that they obviously don’t have time to deal with.

Summary

eBay is the flea market of times past. If you know what you are looking for, and can sift through all the clutter, you can find cheap hunting gear at a fraction of its value. And if you buy your gear right, you should be able to sell it for a profit when you are ready for an upgrade. I hope you can use these strategies to get more bang for your hunting buck and help your next season be a success!