When I was younger and more naive, I bid on some memory. My highest bid was just below the market price (before shipping). Fortunately someone even more naive outbid me. Since then, I've become much more careful and got some really great deals. The highlight was a cell-phone battery that retailed for $90+15% tax, which I got for $30 shipped to my door. The other thing that I did was start sniping. It is not only a good technique for avoiding bidding wars, but you also get to set how much you're willing to pay for the item and don't have enough time to go over the amount lol.