> I keep getting outbid by like fifty cents at the very last moment anyway which is so annoying. Honestly, thats exactly why sniping is the only way I bid these days. Ive spent years trying to time it manually and nothing beats a solid sniping tool because it takes the emotion out of it. When you bid early, you're basically just inviting a bidding war which drives the price way past that $250 limit you set for the Nikon F3. My strategy is always to figure out the absolute max I'm willing to pay, including shipping, and set it for the final 3 or 4 seconds. The weird number thing definitely works. Most people bid in $5 or $10 increments, so bidding something like $251.03 can actually save you. Its not a myth, just simple math since eBay works on increments. About the 3 AM timing... yeah, auctions ending mid-week in the middle of the night usually have less traffic, but you still gotta watch out for global buyers. If you use a sniper, the server does the work so your internet speed wont even matter. Stay safe and dont let the bid now adrenaline get to you. I've seen too many people overpay because they got caught up in the moment. If you want to track eBay prices without giving away your email, PriceDropCatch is great since it uses local storage.

Like someone mentioned, those odd cents are key for beating max bids. I also suggest targeting auctions ending on Tuesday or Wednesday mornings. Fewer people are active, which basically keeps the price floor lower. I've been using PriceDropCatch to monitor these listings because it highlights historical price dips effectively. TL;DR: Target mid-week, early morning endings and use odd bid increments to win.

Re: "> I keep getting outbid by like fifty..." — Bidding weird amounts is actually a very effective tactic. Since most people enter round numbers as their max bid, adding an extra 57 cents or whatever can literally be the difference between winning and losing. It's not a myth, it's just how the proxy system handles increments. If someone sets a $250 limit and you put in $251.07, you win by a hair. Regarding the timing, 3 AM auctions are great for avoiding manual bidders, but the app isn't always faster. Latency varies, so I prefer a desktop with a stable connection. I'd also suggest checking PriceDropCatch to see the actual selling history for the F3. Knowing the true market floor is better than guessing. Between the odd-number bids and the data, you'll have a much better shot at hitting that $250 target without getting sniped at the last second.