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First thing is, just like in gambling, never bid more than you can afford to lose. Do a sanity check before you bid: If nobody is bidding on something, or the bid seems too low, chances are there's a reason. It could be that something doesn't jive: maybe the seller claims the object is located in the US, yet they're located outside the country, something's fishy. Check out the seller's rating, past feedback, etc. Many times you can get a good deal because other buyers are wary of the seller. Sometimes you will pay extra to buy from a seller with a very high rating. Always check out the shipping charges. If they are high or aren't specified, reduce your bid accordingly. Many sellers make their money on shipping charges; otherwise there's no way you can sell an item on eBay for a buck come out ahead. "Sniping" (waiting until the last minute to bid) is a bit overated. Yes, if you time it right you can probably get it cheaper than if you bid the day before. What happens is that if there's a lot of interest in an item, people will think it's worth more than it is and bid the price out of sight. But I just bought a fairly expensive item last week by bidding about ten minutes before the auction ended. The seller told me that he received a call after the sale from another buyer who wanted the item if I backed out. He had planned to bid 300 bucks more than I paid, but he waited too late to bid and missed out. Sniping is pretty much out of the question if you're on dialup, unless you pay to use a sniping sevice. I say bid when it's convenient to you. If the auction ends at 2 am and you go to bed at 9, bid what you think it's worth before you go to bed. If you didn't get it, then it went for too much money. Last point: Have FUN!
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