let's say on ebay the seller is selling something at $800 and you can see there are 25 people that have bid on this item, How in the world are you supposed to get an idea of what to bid , does this make any sense to anyone?
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You know, the best advise I can give you is use your head! Bid the max you are willing to pay for the item. If it goes higher, so be it.The person that overbid your snipe, paid too much! In my experience, another will come along soon on Ebay that you can buy for less.
THANK YOU MRS>MMMMMMMMM
You are very welcome!! Good luck and enjoy! 
Mrs. M. gave you sound advice. I have had great luck with auctionsniper because I wait until near the close of an auction to put in my snipe. I collect antique prints of a certain kind, and I draw fire and suffer price increases from my competitors, if they see a bid from me on an item. So I remain invisible, follow the pattern of bids in the history (to see who folded when and who put in a monster bid that has held against all comers.) If I really want the item, I put my snipe in for 100-150% more than the current high bid five to ten minutes before the end of the auction. Then I sweat it like everyone else. If you are a collector, your purchases are scrutinized by other collectors, who may share the same taste in theme or color or artist. That's why it's important to remain invisible in the process. I tested this theory by bidding on a couple of items that I didn't really want, and several of the people who have lost to me in the past took the bait and paid too much. Avoid bidding wars that start days in advance of an auction close, too. As Mrs. M. says, the same item will turn up again soon. I learned that the hard way, but at least I enjoy looking at the print.
Good luck and make the most of the wonderful service before everybody finds out about it!
Good luck and make the most of the wonderful service before everybody finds out about it!
to our A S forum! Hope you will post with us often! 
Furry Lewis, Hi and 
to the forum.
You're right about it being a good idea to remain invisible, but...
The most difficult part of using AS is entering your Max bid amount. To be a 'successful' sniper you should never pay to much for a win. Try not to let OTHERS determine what an item is worth to YOU. I'm referring to the *100-150% of current price* idea. Determine for yourself what max you are willing to pay, enter that amount, and don't look back till the auction has ended. If you will do that, there is no need to be at your computer 10 minutes before each auction ends.
I must admit to changing my snipe amount from time to time, but that should only happen when you have reconsidered what the item is worth... not because the current price has changed or who the other bidders are.
Hope to see you post agian!
to the forum.You're right about it being a good idea to remain invisible, but...
The most difficult part of using AS is entering your Max bid amount. To be a 'successful' sniper you should never pay to much for a win. Try not to let OTHERS determine what an item is worth to YOU. I'm referring to the *100-150% of current price* idea. Determine for yourself what max you are willing to pay, enter that amount, and don't look back till the auction has ended. If you will do that, there is no need to be at your computer 10 minutes before each auction ends.
I must admit to changing my snipe amount from time to time, but that should only happen when you have reconsidered what the item is worth... not because the current price has changed or who the other bidders are.
Hope to see you post agian!
Cool 'welcome' Mrs.M... (I don't say that often.)
I can only add one thing to what the others have said and I think it is often overlooked by us collectors in the quest to add to our "investments"
What was a "rare" find in the antique shops of ten years ago, is no longer so. Unless the item was handmade and the person susequently died, most goods from the Victorian era onwards were made in hundreds, if not thousands.
Ebay is a worldwide (thats the important point)marketplace of 19 million items each day. What you want will turn up sooner or later, but it is a random thing - you may have to wait a year and then three appear!
This has happened to me, a very rare camera made in penny numbers, because the manufacture of it broke the firm, had only appeared twice in three years (Both times $200+). I thought this was excessive, so when one appeared last year, I was well pleased to win it for $80 (AS again!).
This year another came up for sale and I was practically the sole bidder at $35 (wrong description again!) Last month another came up and it didn't reach its reserve and after some correspondence I paid $90.
So I now own three (OK, OK, thats the question my wife asks!) Hopefully they are an investment - come off it now, what else can be fetch twice its value instantly? NO, thats not a`silly argument - misdescription and poor description are the reasons many goods don't reach their proper value.
Good hunting - be patient - never ever be influenced by other bidders to join a bidding war, walk away if you have to!
As a simple test of the veracity of this statement. Choose any scarce object you know about - look at the bidding patterns. It is only those with low feedback that pay excessive prices (as a general rule, I might add!)
What was a "rare" find in the antique shops of ten years ago, is no longer so. Unless the item was handmade and the person susequently died, most goods from the Victorian era onwards were made in hundreds, if not thousands.
Ebay is a worldwide (thats the important point)marketplace of 19 million items each day. What you want will turn up sooner or later, but it is a random thing - you may have to wait a year and then three appear!
This has happened to me, a very rare camera made in penny numbers, because the manufacture of it broke the firm, had only appeared twice in three years (Both times $200+). I thought this was excessive, so when one appeared last year, I was well pleased to win it for $80 (AS again!).
This year another came up for sale and I was practically the sole bidder at $35 (wrong description again!) Last month another came up and it didn't reach its reserve and after some correspondence I paid $90.
So I now own three (OK, OK, thats the question my wife asks!) Hopefully they are an investment - come off it now, what else can be fetch twice its value instantly? NO, thats not a`silly argument - misdescription and poor description are the reasons many goods don't reach their proper value.
Good hunting - be patient - never ever be influenced by other bidders to join a bidding war, walk away if you have to!
As a simple test of the veracity of this statement. Choose any scarce object you know about - look at the bidding patterns. It is only those with low feedback that pay excessive prices (as a general rule, I might add!)
Some excellent advice here--this is a good thread.
Some excellent advice here--this is a good thread.
Sometimes the value to us is sentimental and we must decide to put a value on that. I collect certain things and sometimes pay more than what would be considered "market value" (whatever that means) because I am willing to pay for the happy memories, sentimentality, etc. But this is still something that I must decide in advance. Rarely do I ever change my snipe amount and the few times I have it is, as someone suggested, a reflection on the item's value to me, rather than current bidd amount.
Sometimes the value to us is sentimental and we must decide to put a value on that. I collect certain things and sometimes pay more than what would be considered "market value" (whatever that means) because I am willing to pay for the happy memories, sentimentality, etc. But this is still something that I must decide in advance. Rarely do I ever change my snipe amount and the few times I have it is, as someone suggested, a reflection on the item's value to me, rather than current bidd amount.