I have enjoyed the posts on the sniping subject.  The bottom line is
that an auction is an auction and there has to be an end to the sale.
Someone will always try to figure out a way to "con" ( for lack of
a better expression) on an auction.  In regular auctions, one has to
beware against shill bidding (the seller has people raising the bid),
bidding against "the house" and or an auctioneer who will raise your
own bid.

When it comes to an auction, generally, the most dangerous buyers are
the newbie collectors.  Dealers and established collectors generally
have a more realistic idea of what the item is worth and they will back
off unless it is something really rare that they want for a personal
collection or they have a fast sale.  Even then, experienced buyers
know when to say no.  There are buys every day on eBay and there are
people who get stung or pay too much.  That is just the way that any
auction works.  I believe that eBay does everything in their power to
keep their site honest.

If someone is going to use a sniping program, they need to be prepared
to pay the maximum that they enter as there may be someone else out
there who is playing the same game.  We have all heard horror stories
in terms of high and low prices with auctions.  The bottom line is know
what you are bidding on, be a well educated buyer and you are less
likely to get stung.

If there is one thing that eBay is teaching us, it is that there is
more out there and available for sale than what we may have previously
thought.  Typically, if they made one of something, they made two of it
and the other one may be a far better deal if you are willing to hunt
it down.  I have never used a sniping program but again, as per the
post yesterday, "let the user beware."

Randy Hammond