Thanks! When it comes to commodity goods, I never get into bidding wars on EBay, the only winning move is not to play. Basically I set a bid early that is my maximum, if it goes for $1 over that, oh well. Another one will pop up again, or even on here. I've had good luck with setting bids like $101.99. That way if some jackwagon's max bid at the end is $100, I have a better shot at winning.
I know we tend to shit on EBay here, but I've found some deals there that are even better than forum deals. There's a seller that occasionally puts up new Zupapa kits for cheaper than I paid in 2008. The MSX I got BIN was in mint condition and cheap. I wasn't even really interested in the cart, but I also got a minty Super Sidekicks 2 for like $20 shipped. Like you said, it requires a lot of stalking, but the deals are out there.