Auction Buying Tips Sleuth out the going rate for what you're shopping for. Check final bids for similar items in archived auctions. Visit Tias.com or WorthGuide.com to see prices for collectibles. Check a seller's history for positive comments. Online auctions are self policing with buyers and sellers offering feedback on each other. A seller's name will be followed by the number of auctions he or she has held and a satisfaction rating by the bidders. Provide feedback on other sellers to encourage them to do the same for you. Take a deep breath before you fire off an inflammatory negative review. These reviews are permanent and may reflect poorly on you. E-mail the seller with any questions, and if anything about the seller seems dubious, don't bid. Read the item description carefully: some sellers bury negative information in confusing language or small print. If the size of an item isn't included and is important, e-mail the seller for it. Remember -- photos can be deceiving. Find out the cost of shipping beforehand. If it's not listed, ask the seller. Some sellers overcharge for shipping to make extra money. Use proxy bids, which let you make an initial bid and set a maximum one. Your bid then gets automatically increased against competing bids, until you win the auction or someone outbids your maximum. Most sites let you know via e-mail when you've been outbid. Add pennies to your offer to sneak above other bids. For example, if someone has a maximum bid of £75 and you bid £75.07, you'll beat them with only 7 pence. Be a sniper. Bid at the very last minute before an auction ends to "snipe," or snatch away an item from another bidder. There are web sites that will do the sniping for you for a fee. Use a credit or debit card if possible. These cards provide protection to you as a buyer that checks and money orders don't. Only send cash if you feel comfortable with the seller.