There is a software program you can use called “bid-napper” (I think). In it you post your highest acceptable price and just before the auction ends it slips in your bid, which doesn’t allow someone who is just watching time to respond. As long as someone else hasn’t outbid you already, you win. Of course, it also keeps you from knowing if someone has outbid you.
You can already do that on eBay with the proxy bid. I do it all the time. I wait until the last 30 seconds, put in my proxy bid—which is the highest amount you will bid—hit enter and confirm it with only about 10 seconds to go. What happens is the bids go back and forth and whoever is on top when time expires, is the winner.
I have won many auctions this way. But usually I just do the “Buy it Now” auctions and skip bidding all together.
Sniping automatically kinda takes the fun out of it, but not everyone can be around to watch an auction end at some wierdo hour at home. (that “work” thing ya know).
I used to open two browsers at the same time, and a stopwatch. On one page I would hit refresh and watch the bidding. It’s exciting - even if it’s not a big-ticket item it is fun to outbid someone by a penny or two with one second to go. (maybe not so fun for the other guy, but hey.. lol)