Everyone complains about ebay, but I win a lot of stuff without breaking a sweat. I'm looking every few days, bicycle stuff, camera equipment, motorcycle parts, certain sports collectibles. I have 2 approaches.

1) When I see something I'm interested in, but not wild about, I throw out a bid of what its worth to me: 50 bucks, 100 bucks, 10 bucks, doesn't matter. Sometimes I win, sometimes I don't. Thing is, I don't spend big bucks or concern myself too much about it.

2) When I see something I REALLY want, I bookmark it and keep an eye on it, knowing most bids come in the last 2 minutes. If I happen to be sitting at the computer as it comes to close, I'll get interested and follow it down to the wire. Many times I'm not, but what the heck. Anyway, I decide what I want to pay in the last minute. If at the last minute an item is at say, $140. and I know its worth 350., with 45 seconds to go I'll bid 365. Everyone else is bidding 150., 165., 200., 225. and they're all chasing my bid. Sure, they bid it up, but I end up winning at 325. or so, within my "worth" price. It doesn't always work, because there maybe someone who thinks its worth 400. is doing the same thing at the last second.

One thing I've learned about ebay, unless its the holy grail, in a week or two, the exact same thing is going to be on there, and its going to sell for less than this week.

And I'm not into holy grail stuff. That's for rich people!