Any type of auction (eBay, auction houses) can drive you mad if you give too much thought to shill bidding. Sniping certainly does aid in giving it less thought. Without the assistance of sniping, I can't imagine how often we'd all have to pay our max bids. If we can't trust all auction listings to be run honestly, then why shouldn't we have software which helps us keep things as fair as possible?
With any auction, I simply don't think of them as actual, legitimate auctions. I just imagine them as a sale, with my max bid being the highest I'd be willing to pay if I saw something for sale at a show or elsewhere. If I have to pay the max, that's just fine. Should I miraculously get something for less than that, all the better. Thank you, sniping software! Perhaps this is easier for me because I'm strictly purchasing for resale. I'm not interested in setting any new record sale prices, nor do I keep bidding due to an insatiable collector craving to fill a hole in my collection. If there's no room for the profit margin I'm looking for, someone else can have it. It doesn't matter.
All of this "15 minute rule", "two minute rule" stuff has always been BS from a buyer's standpoint. I can't stand it. No, I'm not staying up until 2:00 a.m. for the sake of your auction. It's ridiculous. Here is what amounts to my maximum offer, tendered a few minutes before your rule starts. Take it or leave it. I'm going to bed.
