What is the difference between Proxy and Direct Bids?
Proxy Bidding is the most commonly used method of bidding on online auctions. It takes your bid amount to be the highest amount you are willing to pay for an auction, while making the minimum possible bid it can when the bid is initially placed. Then, as other users attempt to outbid your current bid level, the proxy system will kick in and immediately outbid the other user IF their bid is lower than your maximum. This helps eliminate “sniping” by allowing you to set a maximum bid level that other users do not know, and therefore can’t outbid in the last few seconds of an auction. It also provides a sort of safety barrier so you only need to place one bid for the maximum you are willing to pay on a piece, and not worry about having to manually outbid other users to that price. Each time a proxy bid is made for you, it will be in the lowest acceptable bid ABOVE the last bidder’s attempt. Often times other bidders will attempt to work your proxy up to its limit until they barely outbid y
