Using a sniper simplifies the whole process of eBay bidding, and saves you a  tremendous amount of time.  Snipers place bids FOR you, up to your maximum, in the last few seconds of an auction, so fast that a manual bidder can't enter a bid fast enough to beat it.  Unless another sniper is waiting in the wings with a higher price, you are most likely to win the item.  And your computer doesn't even have be on - it's all done for you, at a ridiculously low cost.

First, use a reputable sniper.  You will be giving them your eBay password, which is safe 99% of the time,  and you can set your own limits in terms of pricing.  I'd avoid low-balling too much, as people tend to know what they've got, and if you are contending with collectors, many of them use snipers routinely as well., particularly on higher-end items.

Sniping charges are pennies on the dollar, and you are given 3 free snipes to try (with the sniper I use) before you sign up.  You are billed monthly through a credit card.  I consider using a sniper when I REALLY want something and don't want to bid myself.  Bidding yourself can easily drive the price up, as others try to beat your bid, so in essence you are bidding against yourself.  With a sniper, your name NEVER appears until the auction's end, so no one will know you're bidding it'll be a surprise, and most often, a happy one for you.  Good luck and happy sniping!.