# How to Bid on Several Auction Lots but Only Buy What You Need

> To bid on several lots without overbuying, link the bids. A bid group targets several similar lots and stops after you win the number you want. A bid chain links lots that belong together, a main item and its extras, and switches the extras off if you lose the main item. Plan around the closing order, because lots in one auction often close seconds apart.

URL: https://ghostnode.co/guides/bid-on-several-lots  
Section: Guides  
Published: 2026-10-11 · Updated: 2026-10-11  
Publisher: GhostNode (https://ghostnode.co)

Bidding on one lot is simple. Bidding on several at once creates two opposite risks: **winning too many** of things you only wanted one of, and **winning the wrong half** of things that only make sense together. Both have the same solution, which is to stop treating each bid as independent.

## Two different problems

| You want | Example | The risk | The tool |
|:--|:--|:--|:--|
| One of several similar lots | Any of 5 identical GPUs | Winning 3 of them | A bid group |
| A set of lots that belong together | A laptop, its dock, its charger | Winning the dock but not the laptop | A bid chain |

## Bid groups: "get me one of these"

A **bid group** is a list of similar lots with one shared goal: win N of them (usually one), then stop.

1. List the lots in the order you would most like them, or in closing order.
2. Give each its own maximum. The best-condition lot can deserve a higher one.
3. The group bids on the first lot; if it is lost, it moves to the next; once you have won enough, every remaining bid is cancelled.

A bid group works best when the lots close at different times, so each result is known before the next lot is bid on.

## Bid chains: "get me all of this, or none of the extras"

A **bid chain** is for lots that only make sense together. You mark the essential lots **must win** and the rest **nice to have**. Extras bid only while every must-win lot before them is won; if a must-win lot is lost, every unfinished lot after it is switched off, so you never pay for accessories without the item they belong to.

Example, four lots in one auction: Laptop (must win) > Earbuds (nice to have) > Console (must win) > Mouse (nice to have).

- Laptop lost: Earbuds, Console and Mouse switch off. Nothing else is bought.
- Laptop won, Earbuds lost: nothing changes; Console and Mouse continue.
- Console lost: Mouse switches off.

GhostNode has [bid chains](https://ghostnode.co/news/bid-chains) built in on eBay, ShopGoodwill, HiBid and BestBid.

## Plan around the closing order

Lots in one online auction usually close one after another, seconds or minutes apart ([staggered closing](https://ghostnode.co/glossary/staggered-closing)). When a later lot closes before an earlier one is decided, choose in advance what happens:

- **Skip it** (safest): if you do not know yet whether you have the main item, do not bid on the extra.
- **Bid only while leading**: bid on the extra if you are currently the high bidder on the main item.
- **Bid anyway**: accept the risk of owning the extra alone.

Sort your lots by closing time before you link them. The order of closing, not the order in the catalog, decides what can be known when.

## Without a tool

You can do this by hand if the lots close far apart: wait for the main lot to finish, then decide on the next. When lots close a few seconds apart, as they often do on auction-house platforms, there is no time to react, which is why linking the bids in advance matters.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is a bid group?

A set of auto-bids on similar lots where you want only one (or a few). The tool bids on the lots in turn and cancels the rest once you have won enough. It is the standard way to avoid winning three of the same camera.

### What is a bid chain?

A set of auto-bids on lots that go together, like a laptop and its dock. Later lots bid only while the lots you marked "must win" are won; if one is lost, the rest switch off. GhostNode's [bid chains](https://ghostnode.co/news/bid-chains) work this way.

### What happens if the lots close at the same time?

Then the result of one is not known when the next must be bid on. A good tool lets you decide: skip the later lot, bid only while you are leading on the earlier one, or bid anyway.

## Related

- https://ghostnode.co/news/bid-chains
- https://ghostnode.co/glossary/staggered-closing
- https://ghostnode.co/glossary/auto-bidding
- https://ghostnode.co/guides/how-to-set-a-maximum-bid

---

About the publisher: GhostNode is an online auction monitoring and auto-bidding service. It searches 8 auction marketplaces (eBay, ShopGoodwill, HiBid, BestBid, AllSurplus, K-BID, Proxibid and mac.bid) for your keywords around the clock, keeps every match in one list with its price and closing time, and can place real bids for you on eBay, ShopGoodwill, HiBid and BestBid up to a maximum you set. Plans: Scout (free), Hunter $9.95/month, Sniper $29.95/month, Ghost $49.95/month. https://ghostnode.co/pricing