UNDERSTANDING NIBBLER HISTORY
A. If the showing bid amount of the nibbler (multiple bidder) on the bid history page is increasing:
--1. Someone else has placed a higher bid (it will show up above the increasing bids), check the date and time of the higher bid (bids are sorted by amount from high to low, not by time from later to earlier as tends to be assumed):
-----a. If the higher bid was placed before the nibbler's bids, nibbler was trying to catch the higher bidder's bid (we call that "chasing a proxy"; to see the "current bids" that the nibbler saw as s/he placed his/her bids and got immediate outbid notices, click on the "Show automatic bids" link on the bid history page);
-----b. If it was placed later, the reason will be one of those that follows, but it is not always possible to tell which after other bids have been placed.
--if not 1:
--2. Nibbler bid up to and met the seller's reserve (indication of which fact is unfortunately is no longer displayed on the Bid History Page or the Listing Page or anywhere accessible to an ordinary user--the only way to know for sure that there is a Reserve which has been met is if there has been no new bid after the bid that met the Reserve and the amount displayed for that bid--the "current bid"--is more than a bid increment over the next highest bidder's maximum bid).
B. If the showing bid amount of the nibbler is NOT increasing (note that this does NOT mean the bids are for the same amount; eBay hides the full amount of any bid by the highest bidder that exceeds the calculated price by substituting that calculated price for the bid amount in the display; any new bid by a prior bidder must be at least 1 cent higher than his prior maximum bid as well as being at least 1 increment higher than the calculated price at the time it is received):
--1. Nibbler bid up and up but did not meet the reserve (look for "Reserve not met" back on the Listing Page as it's no longer on the Bid History Page; and/or
--2. There was an earlier higher bid that was retracted or cancelled that nibbler was trying to beat (look at bottom of bid history page for retracted/cancelled bids, but be aware that multiple bids by a bidder that are cancelled or retracted before the last 12 hours will only show as 1 bid, so the actual bid that nibbler was chasing might not show up, e.g. if the bid being nibbled at was earlier but the other bidder then placed a new bid but then retracted it, the retraction display will reference only the later bid); and/or
--3. Nibbler is trying to intimidate future bidders by saying, look how much I've bid above the current bid, don't bother bidding you can't beat me; or doesn't realize you can just place one bid and thinks you have to go up by increments to it, or that you have to place a "minimum" or "regular" bid before you can place a "maximum" bid; or is just very indecisive about his/her maximum; or can't understand why the current bid isn't going up to his/her maximum so keeps trying and trying and trying thinking this time it will go up; or is bidding up by a penny or other small amount at a time to take advantage of the "can't raise your own bid" loophole to win by less than a full eBay bid increment; or his/her circ*mstances have changed and s/he has more money and/or more need for the item; or is trying to reassure the seller that his/her bid is more than the showing amount so the seller is less inclined to pull the listing because s/he is dissatisfied with the "current bid"; or made a lowball bid early to kill a BIN or restrict the seller's options and placed his/her true maximum bid later before anyone else bid more than the lowball bid; is trying to kill a BIN in a "sticky BIN" category and doesn't realize it can't be done without another bidder; or is a cat pawing at the keyboard; or has multiple personality disorder and really is bidding against him/herself; or has some other unique reason.
