Winning or losing an auction on eBay is purely a matter of bidding the first accepted higher price. Sniping is scheduling your bid to be sent later to eBay, nothing more. After you place your snipe order you can adjust your bid up or down, sooner or later, and no one can see it.
To win with a snipe bid your maximum once, very late in the auction. Bidding early simply telegraphs your intent, and attracts others to bid against you. By bidding late you do not leave enough time for anyone to react to your bid before the finish. It is the unexpected aspect of sniper fire that gives it power.
Proxy bidding system
eBay always uses a proxy bidding system, in which you specify your maximum bid amount and eBay will continue to bid on your behalf to keep you the high bidder until the bidding reaches your maximum amount, and will send you an email each time they bid. If you're outbid, they will send you an email so you can bid again if there is time. The winner of the item is the first one with the highest bid.
eBay will place a bid that is just high enough to make you the high bidder or meet the reserve price if there is one. This means you could win the item for less than your maximum bid amount. You will usually either win the item for considerably less money than you planed, or else will lose the auction to a higher bidder.
As long as you have the maximum accepted bid, it does not matter when you place your bid, you will win. To win your bid has to be higher than the current auction price by a full increment, and it must beat the first losers highest bid by one cent. When two bids are the same price, or the later bids fail to exceed the first bid by a full increment, the first bidder wins. You can have a higher price and still lose, unless you get there first.
One shot
Taking one shot, making one bid, is what snipers tactics and philosophy are all about. Successful snipers take their time in analyzing and sniping individual items in a methodical fashion with a relatively low risk of putting the price up on themselves. You should know the value of the item, and bid a bit more, late in the game.
It doesn’t particularly matter whether your bid is three minutes, or five seconds before the auction closes. Sniping makes use of their inability to strike back. The first highest bid always wins, at just above the first losers price. Since tie bids are possible, and the earliest bidder wins, it usually pays to bid odd penny amounts on any auction. A bid of $52.42 is more likely to win than a bid of $50.00, and $103.45 is more likely to win than $100.00
Completed items
eBay has all sorts of powerful search features that let you find price histories and interest levels. Be sure to use "search titles and descriptions," rather than titles only. Remember that only "completed items" represent the final prices. Auctions in progress will usually have much lower than final bids, and cannot be used to determine value. If you are right about the value, are patient, bid a bit more, then you can win.
If there is a reserve price, always ask the seller what it is. If the seller does not tell you, do not bid. A reserve price is nothing more than a selling price. Until met, it really is not for sale. Why spend time researching the item, tying up capital and realizing a winning snipe price, only get that annoying little message about how the reserve has not been met.
Back-up
It is an established sniper technique to use two teams approaching simultaneously from different directions. Gixen’s Mirror uses two servers, with two databases in different places, eliminating your chances of missing your bid because of network glitches, or computer malfunctions.
When the first bid makes it, eBay will block the second. When you delay one snipe then if the first one fails, the second one might get through. If both bids get to eBay at the same time eBay might take and show them both. Using an online back-up server has a fee, the first server is free.
The technique of sniping
My winning technique is to look at things that I want (Coup d'oeil), until I have made up my mind the most that I will pay. Then I place my delayed offer and forget about it until I get an alert. I need the first loser to bid the lowest price they think can win, without thinking of outbidding me. If there progress is smooth and good, they can be easily led into an ambush.
A sniper shoots from a concealed position exceeding the capabilities of regular bidders to see you. A good hide conceals and camouflages the sniper effectively, provides cover from other bidders watching, and allows a good shot. I get off the eBay watch lists.
With this strategy, there are only two possible outcomes: You will either be overjoyed at winning, or laughing yourself silly over someone paying too much for the item. This strategy is also utterly and totally immune to shilling, sniping, and other price building or item grabbing ploys. Your defense against being sniped, is to bid your max once, shortly before the auction ends.
How to win when you are asleep, not home, or your computer is down?
These tools on the web are free and easy to use. You just log into your eBay account through the online interface, and schedule a delayed bid, set up your alerts, and watch for your win on eBay. You can always add the back-up sniping service, after your first win, using the mirror payment link on the bottom of the page.
You can see by the other articles that, winning or losing an auction is purely a matter of bidding the first highest price. You can easily change your snipe bid at anytime before the snipe, something you cannot do with eBay. Sniping does not give you, or other bidders time to react to your bid. Using a duel server approach reduce chances of your snipes being late, or not submitted, due to network delays, hosting facility problems, or outages on the main server.
Security
People concerned with security using delayed order placement, can see that winning an eBay auction does not take money immediately out of your account. You just enter into an agreement to buy. If someone was somehow able to misuse your eBay sign in, it would not cost you anything, they would not get any of your money.
You would notify eBay, and let them handle it from there. If you have any concerns, all that you have to do is change your eBay password and start all over again. Secure access through Gixen.com for auctions, are no different than using Mint.com for money, or Wikinvest.com for investments.
Gixen - A free program to place auction bids.
Gixen Mirror - One interface controlling two separate servers and databases to execute deferred bids.
