The free software is Gixen.com. I love it.

The main thing I use it for is to make sure I don't miss any bargains. If I see something I think might be a good buy, like a mis-marked razor, I'll set a pretty low snipe bid. The other day I got three DEs for $2 plus $2.50 shipping, because they were marked as "straight razors." Or I might set a $10 or $15 snipe on a razor that looks like a good newbie blade. If I don't get it, that's OK because that's the most I was willing to pay.

Charles, I had the same experience as you when I was bidding early. I'd end up losing by $1 or less, and it's infuriating. If it helps, the winning bidder probably put in a much higher max bid, and a bidding war would just have driven the price up $5, $10 or $15.

I agree that bidding early just contributes to a higher final price. Whenever I've done that, someone almost always outbids me in the final day, and then things get ugly...

Just my experience,
Josh