"Scaling out" is inferior behavior

Discussion in 'Strategy Building' started by Buy1Sell2, Oct 18, 2006.

Do you scale out of positions?

  1. I always scale out

    113 vote(s)
    14.1%
  2. I scale out most of the time

    228 vote(s)
    28.5%
  3. Most of the time, I do not scale out

    189 vote(s)
    23.6%
  4. I never scale out

    270 vote(s)
    33.8%
  1. Buy1Sell2

    Buy1Sell2

    I have listed it elsewhere on ET. Suffice it to say, that it is profitable utilizing less trades than a scaler would use. :)
     
    #981     Mar 25, 2008
  2. Buy1Sell2

    Buy1Sell2

    By using a market order and accepting the slippage.
     
    #982     Mar 25, 2008
  3. Care to furnish us with a link? Seeing as how you engage in very few trades, surely you can spare a few moments to find it. Consider the credibility it would add to your case among those posters in this thread who doubt your one-size-fits-all logic.
     
    #983     Mar 25, 2008
  4. Scaling is superior behaviour for intraday futures trading. Enough said.

    Only for the long-term trader is not scaling out viable, although I would still scale out LT positions, since you never know what's going to happen tomorrow.

    Why not take some off at an optimal point instead of watching it go against you.
     
    #984     Mar 25, 2008
  5. GTS

    GTS

    If its an optimal point wouldn't you want to take all of it off?
     
    #985     Mar 25, 2008
  6. I agree with your logic, but not your wording. It is because we don't know the optimal point until after the fact that it makes sense to scale out.
     
    #986     Mar 25, 2008
  7. Buy1Sell2

    Buy1Sell2

    No on both counts. Scaling is inferior on all time frames. It is driven by fear,greed and a need to stroke the ego/emotional outlook with a better winning percentage(amongst other things). The math is the same and doesn't care whether you are on a weekly, daily or a one minute time frame. The scaler has put on a position that is too large for his risk level and needs to dump part of the position before maturity on any time frame. After all, why wouldn't you hang on to the full position if the charts indicated that the move was not mature yet? :)
     
    #987     Mar 25, 2008
  8. I thought you would offer that one up.

    regards
    f9
     
    #988     Mar 25, 2008
  9. Ok, we really don't know the optimal point. But we do know where we could have a probable sell zone (if we're long) What I do is take some off at this point. Now if it keeps going great, I'm still onboard, if it pulls back I want to add contracts, as long as the trend is intact and a signal is present.

    If I'm confident in the trend then I'll try to hold as long as I can, with minimal scale-outs.

    Do what you feel comfortable with. For me its scaling out.

     
    #989     Mar 25, 2008
  10. Ok...time for me to leave this thread when I see a statement like this.

    A large position regardless if it occurred all at once or a scale will get butchered via a market order if the price levels are thin.

    Newbie traders or traders that don't trade size and considering trading a lot of size if you are properly capitalize for such...

    Don't try what Buy1Sell2 just recommended when a position size is too large for what ever reasons unless you have parental guidance. :mad:

    See ya and the door has hit me on the way out. :D

    Mark
     
    #990     Mar 25, 2008