i find the item i want then place a "watch" on a few of the same item , take note of how much they go for and place the average bid (or a little below) as my maximum bid....... around the last 20 or 30 seconds.... (depends if you have a quick connection)
OH YEAH ... know the store prices before you go to ebay...... and WATCH THE POSTAGE PRICES... thieving ****** !