But if you bid higher than all the snipers, you will go faster than they can react, no?

Seems like a good and smart policy to bid what you would maximally pay and be happy with, and close the laptop. Snipers can fire away, and you won't get carried away in a last-minute emotional bidding war with a sniper. I've won a few Ebay auctions using this, and I checked to make sure I didn't overpay by watching several identical items at the same time - it actually worked out perfectly - I paid exactly what the mean price was. That's why I can't understand why someone would go thru the trouble of sniping.