Or why I became a sniper. Early on in my eBay experience I was always loosing by fifty cents or one dollar and it seemed to be right at the last.
One day I was bidding on a silver strike that I had pursued for quite a while. I had to go to work. I knew it would close before I could get to work and get to my laptop. The bid stood at about sixty five dollars. The average price was seventy five to ninety dollars. I really wanted that strike! I placed a bid of one hundred and twenty five dollars so I could gurantee my win. When I got to work and opened my laptop I found that another bidder had bid sixteen times to go over my bid by one dollar. I have never again placed a out of sight bid. If I really want the coin I am a lurker and nail it in the last ten to fifteen seconds so no one can respond. I don't always win because there is a lot of competion in the sniping racket. If I can not be by my computer at the close of auction I will have a buddy do it for me. This is the way it works and will stay this way unless the rules are changed to the five minute rule which in MHO will kill a lot of auctions.