OK, let's say for example Hagane SNES, it's been selling for crazy money lately but sometimes you can get it for less. Now here is an auction that began at 99 cents, decide what's the maximum amount of money you're willing to pay for it but don't bid yet, make a low bid, like a 3rd, it will swap away all the flies and just keep the real interested ones who might eat you already by a few dollars, let it go, don't worry about it, once you hit the last 20 seconds place your maximum bid and then right after it place another for 2 or 3 dollars more, just do it, if you win, you got the game for what you wanted to play plus 3 bucks more 'cause you beat competitors that tried sniping your max bid to begin with, it's just a decoy, if you didn't win no harm done, you will find another using the same method. Sniping is the second (last 20 seconds secondary bid with the 3 or so bucks increase on top of your already max price bid), sniping is not the first bid nor the max bid but in fact the last possible bid in the last amount of time allotted to make a bid. One shot! Not one bid! Comprende?!
Maybe I'm not explaining it right but it has worked for me faithfully over many years without having to pay more than what I intended to (2 3 bucks isn't gonna make me loose sleep) I've been doing this for a long while, I've gotten everything I have wanted, you just have to make a conscious decision as to how much is your max and don't deviate. Again, if it goes over your max before sniping time then forget it, let them fools overpay. It's no rocket science man, pretty easy if you ask me, now don't you fuckers go doing this to me 'cause I'll find you!
You've got this down to a formula. I really don't see any other way to bid except to snipe, or BIN. I will watch an auction I am interested in, if the price goes over what I am willing to pay, then I don't even have to worry about sniping; I just move on. However, if the price is still in my range, then I will snipe with my max bid with 5-10 seconds remaining and then let the cards fall where they may.
The only time I will place a traditional bid is if I want to get rid of the BIN option for others.
Like I have said before, my gripe with ebay is that there are far less auctions and much more BIN, so there is not as much of a chance to snipe as there was in the past.