At 08:22 PM 10/28/2009, Matthew Snook wrote...
>if you follow this principle, you don't even need to watch the
>auction or use a sniper;

The idea behind sniping is to prevent others from irrationally bidding
more than the true worth. Those you're bidding against often become
emotionally involved, even it you don't. If you use an automated
sniper, and bid the same amount as you might otherwise bid directly,
your odds are increased (subjective, based on experience).