Why eBay Does Not Portray Perfect Price

As I read through "Of PEZ and Perfect Price," written by the great Nathan Scott Epley, I was provoked to think that eBay does not portray the "Perfect Market" or the "Perfect Price." Many factors that go into the culture of eBay hinder this state from emerging although many aspects of eBay are accommodating to it as well. Nevertheless, like the text suggests, I believe that the actions of its users prevents eBay from achieving a perfect market or perfect price. I have encountered a number of these user habits in my own eBay experiences. For example, there is the fact that users often do not merely submit their maximum bid like suggested by eBay. Instead, they engage in a competitive, more live-auction-resembling 'race' for the item up for bid. EBay has realized this too as it has been portrayed in some of its latest television advertisements (comparing auctions to football and racing). Many practice the art of "sniping," or bidding at the last second to "steal" an item. These widely-utilized strategies undermine eBay's original purpose of selling items at the price which correlates with demand. Users swoop in and buy items at the lowest price possible instead of bidding at a price that they see as fair or fitting. This also points to a theme of this class that those who are the most knowledgeable of computers and software are gaining power rapidly in this society, but that is another topic for another day. Another thing to consider in the scope of perfect price is the fact that eBay's auctions are limited to its users. In order to really get an accurate representation of what the "perfect price" would be for an item, one would have to include a majority of those interested in purchasing it. Although its popularity has boomed, I think it would be safe to say that a fairly small percent of the population uses it on a regular basis. As a result, I believe that the prices one finds on sites such as eBay are actually lower than the "perfect price" for an item.