Any tricks to winning auctions on eBay?

Deliberately search for misspelt items.

Ah, thanks, loli.

Many.

One is to bid an odd dollar amount. Say the item starts at $9.99, and usually sells for around $15.00. I’d bid $15.87 if I wanted to win.

Like @ragingloli said, misspellings are another way.

Use the tools they offer on ebay. If you really want a good deal on something that’s harder to come by, add it to your “favorite searches”. I have about 15 favs right now. It’s helped me save dough on book titles & more. That way, if someone lists something as a Buy-it-now at a good price, you’ll be one of the first to get a chance at it.

I also save favorite sellers. They often list things in a favorite style or subject of mine.

Do not start bidding until just before the end of the auction. Otherwise it will just drive the price up.

Very true @ragingloli.

Another great tip: Bid to win on holidays.

Thanksgiving, X-mas day, 4th of July are all light days on ebay, where you can truly win things at bargain prices.

Some people use apps to bid for things at the last moments. I don’t have one, but maybe someone will chime in about how those work.

What do they call it—sniping?—when someone times their final bid to win just before time runs out, when you have no time left to counter it? I don’t know how to beat that. I lost something I really wanted that way.

And I made up my mind that the next time I saw something I was that eager to have, I would (a) search for the very same item on Google and see if it was for sale at a set price anywhere else (it was, as I learned too late—and for a price less than I was bidding), and/or (b) purchase it outright if that option exists.

auctionsniper.com

As @ragingloli has written, it works. Also, I’ve had a lot of yesses when I offer to buy an item, paid for immediately at a price I offer, regardless if the listing is an auction or Buy It Now- it doesn’t hurt to ask.

If I want something bad enough, I just Buy It Now and be done with it…