Well now what you do is set up another account on eBay, when you find something you want you submit an outrageously high price!! so high that anybody beginning to bid will never have their bid is accepted as the winning bid and they would get put off very quickly. Now on your original account you place a very modest bid, with the last few seconds of the auction you withdraw your high bid, the item then goes to the next highest bidder, probably yours with your very modest bid!!
Easy!!
Never tried it and I wouldnt want it done to me, but I think it would work, you would probably get banned after you done it a few times!!