[PoisedWoman]

I live out in the boonies, and am a big fan of eBay. Used buy-it-now feature only once. I like that last minute thrill-of-the-chase bidding.

I've found terrific buys on eBay for new items like shoes that sell for $120 at Nordies I won for $12.50; $130 sunglasses I got for $30. Designer clothes outlets list new DKNY and other brands with no reserve and bids starting at $5. It wouldn't be half as much fun with buy/sell.

I'm tracking a Qi Gong video at this very minute. And then there's that Armani suit....My kitchen timer is set for last-minute bidding war if necessary.

I wonder whether buy-sell feature would necessarily include state tax. Few sellers charge any kind of tax now.

[monkeyshine]

I live out in the boonies

So then why do you want to wear $120 sneakers and Donna Karan suits? :-)

[Silly]

I agree that the auction does lend a certain amount of fun to it. Sometimes I even hope someone will outbid me!

[Catspaw]

I bought my Pocketmail on EBay for under $15 when it was retailing for around $100. I almost had a breakdown waiting for that clock to tick down.

And now I'm looking to upgrade it before we go on vacation this winter. I've seen one of the sellers use the "Buy It Now" feature on EBay, and even so, it's about $50 less than retail. If there's on around in a couple months, I may be tempted to use the Buy It Now feature.

[Mark Turbo]

I've found terrific buys on eBay for new items like shoes that sell for $120 at Nordies I won for $12.50

I thought I did good with shoes on eBay. I got a pair of Doc Martens in January for $50 including S&H.

[ladyinred]

Oh PW, you are tempting me with that post! I get in so much trouble on EBAY! Designer shoes and clothing at those prices makes me crazy!

I usually only buy for my antique business, but once in a while I drift off course, and what you are talking about would be the current that could send me over the waterfall!

[300winmag]

I'm tracking a Qi Gong video at this very minute. And then there's that Armani suit....My kitchen timer is set for last-minute bidding war if necessary.

I suggest you use an online bidding service, like www.phantombidder.com. It's eBay-legal, and is a good way to get in last-second bids, and escalations, without having to sit by the computer.

You fill in your final price, and any bid escalations, and their online system places the bids at the last few seconds of the auction. I use it when I see something I really want, but don't want to let anyone know how anxious I am by placing an early bid. Or if there has been only a bid or two for a while, I can get my bid in, even at an ungodly early morning hour, without tipping off other bidders by my interest.

I really use it only on high-value (for me) items. You buy a package of 20 bids via PayPal for $6, and are charged only for winning an auction. So far, PhantomBidder was won about 72% of the auctions I've used it on.

It takes out a lot of the excitement, but also a lot of the anxiety. And I don't have to be glued to my PC when the auction is closing.