This and the following page provide information to help you buy and sell online.  Any ideas and contributions would be most welcome.

TOOLS TO HELP YOU BUY:  When we're talking about buying, we're really talking about sniping.  At their basest level, sniper programs allow a bidder to submit their bids within seconds of an auction close, thereby preventing someone from bidding you up and/or outbidding you in the hours before an  auction closes. While the bidder who is prepared to ante up the most $$$ is always going to win the auction regardless of when the bid is placed, sniper programs can remove the emotion from auctions and that leads to cheaper glasses.

On a practical side, sniper programs free you from the need to sit glued to the computer monitor until the wee hours of the morning to watch an auction close --  the sniper does this for you.  Snipers can also be useful for watching and logging large numbers of auctions.

Several excellent sniper programs or servers that will snipe on your behalf are available:

Programs the Reside on Your Computer:
The following programs all get installed on your computer's hard drive and then use your dial-up connection to place a bid.  The advantage is that these programs give you total control, but a big disadvantage is that the computer must be left turned on and the phone line free. The other disadvantage is that every time eBay makes a significant change in its web site (which happens often), the program has to be updated.  Assuming that the program developer is keeping pace with the changes and that fixes are actually available, you may miss several auctions before you realize that there is a problem.

• Auction Sentry: Available from www.auction-sentry.com.  The program downloads for free but requires an annual fee of $12.95 if you decide to keep it.

• Auction Sleuth: Download from http://www.auctionsleuth.com and use it for free for 15 days, then purchase for $19.95.  There is an annual renewal fee of $11.95, or a lifetime use fee of $24.95.

Programs that Reside on Someone Else's Computer:
The following programs are resident on someone else's computer.  There are three big advantages to using them.  First, they snipe regardless of whether your home computer is turned on or your teenager is tying up the phone line.  Second, they can be accessed via the internet from literally anywhere, an especially big plus for those who travel extensively.  Third, someone else has the responsibility of keeping pace with changes at eBay.  While these folks may not necessarily be faster at adapting than the programmers mentioned in the section above, you may miss several from your home computer before you actually clue into the fact that something is 'not quite right'.  Several online sniper services are available: 

• Bidrobot:  Service can be ordered from www.bidrobot.com.  Charges run $3.95 for 3 weeks unlimited use, $19.95 for 6 months unlimited use, $34.95 for 12 months unlimited use.  My only gripe with this service is that it takes their server some time to process an entry, but Bidrobot snipes at 7 seconds before the auction close which will leave your competition cursing the day you were born.  A delicious feeling!

• AuctionStealer: This service is free to anyone who limits themselves to 10 snipes a month, then there is a sliding fee for more active bidders.  Never tried this one, but it can be  checked out at www.auctionstealer.com.
  They provide 5 snipes per week for free, and there is a sliding fee scale for users who have terminal glass-lust.

• AuctionSniper: You get 3 free snipes then you pay fees based on usage.  Could get expensive, but depends how bad of a habit you have..  Order service at www.auctionsniper.com.

• Auctiontamer: offers buyer and seller service at www.auctiontamer.com.  Sniping alone costs just $24.95 per year.

Summary

• www.auctionbytes.com maintains a summary page listing and comparing various sniper programs and services.  It's incomplete but you may find additional and up-to-date information on their site.