Greg,

There is no reason why shouldn't bid against other members but keep in mind a few tips:

1) Bid late in the auction and enter the highest amount are willing to pay. Many people don't understand the proxy bid system and when you enter your bid early in the auction they will come back and out bid you, but since they didn't enter their highest proxy bid if you bid late in the auction (I like to bid with 6 seconds left) they will not have time to enter a new bid.

2) READ THE AUCTION TERMS AND DESCRIPTIONS CAREFULLY. there is nothing worse than winning an auction and then noticing the ridiculously high shipping charge.

3) READ the feedback of the seller. Don't just look at the number. There are sellers out there with very high feedback but very many complaints against them.

4) If in doubt ask. Email the seller and ask any questions about the item you might have before you bid. Save the emails.