I was outbid in the last 2 seconds - I am gutted.
Oh! The agony of defeat! The misery of being outbid for one's heart's desire!
Ah, me; true empathy and sympathy here, Clive, as it has happened to me -- to
all of us at one time or another with online auctions.
There's the Joy of Discovery, then the Research Phase, then the ShouldIorNot phase, then the eager anticipation of having it made it already "mine" in mind with only the apparent formality of clicking and then --
Nooooooooooooooooooo!
followed by momentary disbelief
as the truth sinks in
and, as the final stage...acceptance.
Gutted, indeed.
Well, if it is any consolation, it helps to think of these things as "meant to be -- or not". Sometimes, an even better "deal" does come through, and all the above is a mere priming of the pump so one is ready to accept the "right" one when it comes.
The opposite can also happen.
I recently dreamed up a Big Bike Building Project™ when I found a stash of tubing and lugs in my garage, then spent a good day's time prepping same in anticipation. I even trawled eBay hoping to find a good offer on mudgards for the Soon To Be -- did, then lost it when the auction was pulled. The next day, the auction went up again -- USD$68 mudguards for USD$25.89
postpaid!
Yes! So I waited till the last second and bid (the only bidder) and got them. Oh, the HappyGlow! Like Gollem and his ring, My Precious --
mine!
The joy was short-lived when I went to the garage and finished sorting the tubes sets only to find...the frame tubes' matching head tube and lug set are not large enough to accept the steerer. Now, I have 'guards coming that won't fit...anything.
Oh, well.
Best,
Dan*. (...brother in empathy, who may yet pull this off with a modified bi-laminate lug design to fit a half fillet-brazed oversized head tube)
*DanWhoReallyShouldn'tBeTakingOnAnotherProjectButIsIntrigued