Very well said Nechesh.
Sadly, the very design of ebay leaves sniping as the most effective way of winning an item and winning it at the best possible price. The best strategy is to come in as late as you can, indeed so late that you will not have time to rebid, pre-emptively with your top offer.
Just as the Moderators team has found it necessary, for legal concerns, to restrict all discussions of open auctions, I would also like to remind members that 'ringing' an auction is a crime in many jurisdictions. The term 'ring,' I gather, derives from a group of dealers who decided which among them would bid upon which items in poorly attended rural auctions insuring a low price for the seller, and later holding a second private auction in the pub. But the laws on auction 'rings' are often more broadly written to prohibit any sort of collusion or conspiracy on bidding.
I also have largely come to stay away from the auction marketplace and to buy from dealers, largely for the prospect of examining an item closely before purchase or being able to return it if it disappoints.
If I do venture into ebay, I will do so as a sniper. As per discussions years ago in the forums, if I recognize an acquaintence or fellow forum member as the leading bidder, I will limit my actions to either 1. Not bidding and not consulting with anyone about this decision or 2. Advising the acquaintence to expect me to snipe, giving them the option to raise their maximum.
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