Sniping 101:

1. You have to do it in the last 10 seconds of an auction so that no one else has a chance to place a bid after they've seen yours. (I've gone down to 3 seconds, but that's hairy.)

2. Have two windows open to the item. You will use one to keep refreshing until you get to the last 10 seconds, and the other for placing your bid. You should have your maximum bid already to the second level ("confirm bid") so that you will actually place the bid with one click.

3. Keep refreshing on the other page until you see there are only about 20 seconds left. Count to 10, then place your bid.

This is the ONLY way I've found to get the stuff I want, and without others bidding the price up first. You have to be prepared for the prospect that someone may have outbid you, but there's no way to find that out until it's all over but the shoutin'.

Good luck!