Month: July 2014

You’ve heard the saying – first impressions are everything, right?
You know how when you are bidding you start to picture in your head what the other bidder may be like based on their username, avatar and status update- then you look at what they’re bidding on and you wonder how far they will go?
Everyone has a username on DealDash, but not everyone picks an avatar and uses the status message field. The status message is displayed each time a bidder bids on an item right below their user details on the auction page. The avatar is the small character/picture to the left of the highest bidder’s username.
Let’s take a look at some bidder’s and their personas, what does each one tell you about them and whether or not they will bid more? Or does it?
Usernames: can be gender neutral or can give you a feel for whether or not they may be male or female. 

 
The avatar selection offered by DealDash includes popular people/celebrities and a gnome. Among these avatars is Johnny Depp, Borat, President Obama, a professor, a soldier, captain, a rastaman, and Steve Jobs. To choose an avatar go to where it says “My Dashboard” then ->Public Profile -> there you can also write a 250 character max bidder bio. “Please don’t try to intimidate others or post misleading content, bid count, links, emails, etc.Thank you!”

You can also upload your own image if you don’t want to use an avatar. Notice on this auction for an Oster DuraCeramic Skillet this bidder “suvgal” is the highest bidder, she says, she is implied by her username, “Grandma bids to win, but ends up with “Buy it now” Good luck to all.” Well, so she’s saying she will bid and bid but if she hits buy it now she will buy it. Do you think it’s a good idea – competitively that is to tell everyone bidding that you will bid a lot but end  up using Buy it now? What comes to mind when you see a bidder’s persona and what they’re bidding on. 
This one, probably stereotyping – but this is for fun so take it light – this is an SUV loving grandma who lives in Minnesota – more accurately Minnesnowta, drives an SUV and likes to cook “hotdishes” (Hotdish is a variety of casserole which typically contains a starch, a meat or other protein, and a canned and/or frozen vegetable, mixed with canned soup.
A famous hot dish in Minnesota is the tater tot hot dish) for her family, plus based on what she said she’s a fiesty grandma who will spend $ to win, if not she will just buy it anyway.
What comes to mind when you see blockbuster bidding? Blockbuster doesn’t give us as much info as suvgal did, blockbuster uses Obama as an avatar and says “good luck to all, just have fun.” Blockbuster is bididng on the Samsung 50 Inch Class Smart HDTV. Do we know blockbuster’s gender? No – we know they’ve been a bidder since 2011 and some may assume this bidder is male based on the avatar, but he’s obviously not Obama -but he is from Illinois, hmm and if it was the real Obama well = deep pockets? Would you bid even more just to beat him?

What do you think bidder’s usernames and info says about them? Will they back down or will they keep going? Is it a good indication of what you should expect when you bid against them or do you need more information? I’d err on the side of more info is needed because a bidder like NeverGivesUp00 could intimidate and scare you at first, but then if you watch the user bid and see that they may give up a lot well, their reputation, to anyone who knows wouldn’t be what their name suggests.
Will intimidating usernames help you win. Maybe. Read our series on The Powerbidder’s Strategy to Winning on DealDash. 
It’s pretty interesting and cool to see DealDash offers the status line/bio and avatar as well as state and especially how many wins they’re at for the week.
Be sure to select your avatar and craft a clever bio! Tell us what you picked in the comments section .
Will suvgal or blockbuster  win? We’ll have to come back later and check!
 
Good luck + bid happy!
 
 

If you have been following DealDashTips’ weekly best deals of DealDash posts you probably have already seen the amazing deals on great items at DealDash. Here’s a recape of the best deals of last week on DealDash from July 17th to the 25th!
Remember  – if you have won an auction on DealDash and want a chance at winning a $500 gift card and free bids just for participating be sure to share a photo of you with your wins! See How To Get Free DealDash Bids for more details!
Did you know that DealDash has penny auctions for musical instruments?
On 7/25,  bidder jbjbbj won these metallic blue Union Drums UJ5 – 5 piece drum set valued at a buy it now price of $210 and won for an end price of $5.24. jbjbjbj had only been bidding on DealDash for just over a month and notice that this item is a one per user auction and he won it shortly after it went to “No new bidders” when it reached $5.
DealDash Tip: Bid Early! Before the $5 mark. Once it hits $5 no new bidders can enter = a better chance at winning. 

 
 
DealDash Sells Tools Too, Pink Ones at That!
On the 24th, MountainMan won this gorgeous (and btw pink is hip for guys too!) tool box: The Original Pink Box 30-Piece Pink Tool Set for $0.79.

 
 
Stay cool when the days get hot! This 14,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner by New Air allows you to cool up to 525 square feet without needing to have a window open to use it!

It was won on July 23rd after it hit the no jumper point of $5 for $15.34 by bidder alyssajade.
It hasn’t been too warm in Ohio lately, but when it gets hot this could come in handy!
 

Summer is for sun – and GRILLING! 
On the 22nd this Coleman RoadTrip LXX Propane Grill (it can also be used at home) was won by peasemaker for just $2.01! Buy it now price is $232. What a deal for this new bidder from Wisconsin! 
DealDash Tip: Be sure to bid with Bid Buddy to make sure you never miss that bid button!

 
Survival gear – do you have you bags packed and gear ready to survive for a disaster? This Gerber Survival Pack is the ultimate multitool including a flashlight and fire starter rod. The multitool has twelve components including pliers, wire cutters, partially serrated blade, wood saw, small flathead driver, bottle opener, scissors, crosshead driver, piercer, and a medium flathead driver. Won July 21st by bidder of one year lakerst05 for only $0.23! Valued at buy it now price of $93.
 

 
July 19th soul_grind66 won this brand new NETGEAR R6100 Dual-Band Wireless-AC Gigabit Router for only $0.99! Valued at $105!  July 18th chicky57 won this  26-Inch Huffy Rock Creek Men’s Mountain Bike for just a few bids and a free end price promotion brought the $0.71 end price to 0!
 

July 17th Sony VAIO 21.5-inch Portable Touch-Screen All-In-One Computer valued at $1023 was won by decent11 for bids and and end price of 0 due to the promotion DealDash was running that brought the $28.69 price down to 0!

What have you won on DealDash lately? Remember to be sure to share it on social media + a picture of you with it to get free bids and be eligible to win a $500 gift card!!!!
 
 
 
 
 

Photo Credits // flickr Mandy Jouan

With health insurance costs on the rise, dental costs are exceptionally high that’s why preventative dental care is of an utmost importance. DealDash makes it easy to take care of your teeth with deals on high-tech daily dental gear.
According to dentist Philly Burbs, brushing and flossing frequently will help you save money. He writes,

“Brush and floss frequently. This is something we dentists call home care. The work you do at home can greatly reduce the amount of treatment (and expense) you will require from your dentist. I suggest you brush at least three times a day, after eating and before bed. Brush for about 2-3 minutes, using the techniques your dental hygienist has recommended (if you are not sure about the best way to brush, just ask at your next visit). I also suggest you floss once a day, before you brush. For those who are especially cavity prone, use a fluoride containing mouthwash in addition to the fluoridated toothpaste that everyone should use.”

Have you always wanted an electric toothbrush and Waterpik flossing system, but they’ve always been way too much money for you to afford? Thankfully, DealDash can help with the cost of both of these necessities, that with regular use may help you save money on dental care in the long run!

One of the absolute best electric powered toothbrush on the market right now is the Sonicare DiamondClean Toothbrush. This toothbrush offers diamond-shaped bristles that work in sweeping motions to apply up to 31,000 brush strokes per minute to provide effective and gentle cleaning of the teeth and along the gumline. 31k brush strokes, whoa your arm would grow tired fast and you really don’t have time for that! According to SonicCare this brush removes up to 7 times more plaque than regular brushing and up to 100% more stains in just one week = whiter teeth.

The cost is a little high though, but the cost of your overall well-being and health of your teeth really is priceless. Good news if you cannot afford the $210 retail price tag – DealDash offers the DiamondClean in  penny auctions auctions and the last few have sold for $31.52, $13.61, $56.18, $10.35 and as low as $4.70, respectively, and always free shipping.

Next, flossing – a dreading thing that we all must do if we want to diminish plaque and keep our mouths and teeth healthy. If you’re tired of all the string that’s involved in flossing, and if you get scared when the floss gets snagged in your teeth, check out this Waterpik Ultra Water Flosser.
“Water jet is clinically proven to be up to 93-percent more effective than flossing Advanced control delivers a water pressure of 10 to 90 PSI with 1200 pulses per minute Removes debris and bacteria lodged deep between teeth and below the gum-line Significant oral health benefit for people who wear braces, have diabetes, and gum disease Includes 6 color-coded tips.”

The retail cost of a Waterpik Ultra Water Flosser is $67  but the last auction on DealDash ended for only $1.53! See more Waterpik flosser deals.

Tips for DealDash Bidding: 
1. Make sure you use bid buddy – bid buddy is your friend and will help you win auctions. Find out more with DealDash Bid Buddy Tips.
2. Make sure you use buy it now if you want your bids back. Learn more about DealDash’s Buy It Now.
3. Bid early, rather than late. Don’t wait until the last few seconds to place your bid – you could easily miss and the auction could end if no one else is around. This is why #1 is such a good idea.
4. Compare prices and know how much you want to spend to try to win. Again, see #2 if you don’t win so you don’t lose money!
5. Be happy and don’t take bidding too seriously!
For more bidding tips be sure to come back to DealDashTips.com daily!