ARGH!! So close!!

It's not at all unappropriate to contact the seller or the winner of the auction you wanted. It's possible the winner wanted to get it to re-sell anyway. It's possible the seller has another cel in this same sequence that might ease your pain. I've lost out on cels the same way and because we are passionate collectors...the pain never really goes away. LOL. Maybe you'll find something better and forget you ever wanted this cel. Again, I think your best bet is to ask the seller if they have a simular cel. Good Luck!!!

WOW!!

Thank you to everyone who's given me some really great advice.

The winner did send me an email back and said that if I could find a cel from a specific series, we could definately talk about a trade (so guess who's been burning up the net here at work searching? *heh*)

I don't know why I didn't think of messaging the seller directly (which I am SOOOO doing after I post this!), silly me! What a great (and obvious) idea!! Thank you! :)

Thanks also for the really great and sweet words of support and understanding...I tried to explain this to my boyfriend yesterday in the car and how frustrating it was, and all I "went" through (contacting winner, posting here, etc)..

He gave me a funny look and said "You know, you're scaring me with how obsessive you are about this."

*snort* He OBVIOUSLY doesn't get it, of course :p

Thank goodness for all you RS'ers out there who DO get it!!!

And thank you, honestly and sincerely, for the words of encouragement and the suggestions...I appreciate it alot (even though I'm still a newbie as compared to some of you experienced hands!)...

Thanks! :)

I think the experience that you described is pretty common to most of us. I'm sure all of us have missed out on an auction we wanted on YJ due to not understanding the time difference or oversleeping....

So, no worries. It's hard to get over sometimes(especially if it's something you *reeeallly* wanted).

You can always send the winner a friendly note saying that, if the event ever comes where they plan on selling the cel, that you'd be interested in it. I know I have names written in my "private" section on RS of people who have sent me emails concerning cels I've won that they wouldn't mind purchasing if I decided to sell them. Some people take it better than others when they receive these emails, and I can say that I've had some nasty emails from collectors who give you this "I WILL NEVER EVA SELL THIS CEL! MWAHAHAHA!" thing. It can go either way.

I find that when I miss out on something, generally something else that I want will come up in the next month or two. Money has a way of burning through my pocket ^_^'

I used to have that kind of thing happen to me but I changed my bidding behavior to avoid it. Whenever there's something I want I just put in a bid. Its never my max bid, just a bid. That way if I get out bid (at least on ebay) I get an email to remind me. That way also, if no one else bids or no one else bids higher and I miss the end of the auction I still get it. Also it makes me feel that at least I tried - nothing sting worse than missing it and having done nothing!

I never understand why people get so weird about always waiting till the very end to bid. To me it's well worth the reduction in stress. And not putting in your max still allows you to semi snipe if you really can't live without sniping! ^__^

[quote](ps-love your gallery...spent most of my morning today prowling it *g*) [/quote]

Thanks so much for those kind words! *sends more hugs* I sent you an email, but I just now realized I never replied in here. *sweatdrop*

As for horrid behavior ... well, I have a hard time understanding it, too, but it seems to happen quite a lot in this hobby. Perhaps because collecting is so competitive, combined with the fact that people seem to say or do things online that they would never say or do in real life. I guess this combo just brings out the worst in some people. *shrug*

So, any news on the possibility of your trade happening? Or, perhaps you've found a sequence mate? I know I've been trying to keep an eye out for one for you. I really hope it works out for you. ^.^