I only bid by sniping. Why? Because I'm a self-interested consumer and determined to maximize the purchasing power of my (limited) disposable income.
Bidding your max early will likely only result in you paying more than if you bid late, as others will push the price and as a result, your cost up. By bidding late, you avoid this, and, more importantly, avoid the temptation to bid over what you have calculated as your maximum price, in case you're outbid. And, it saves you time, since you don't have to sit around hitting "Refresh" on your computer screen for 5 minutes before the end of the auction. For people as financially saavy as everyone who posts on this site, I'm surprised a) how few people snipe and how offended those who don't are at those who do.
Personally, I've used esnipe for several years and have always had good results (and since I've used it since it started, all of my bids under $25 are at no additional cost to me!).
But to each his/her own.
