If you'd been a fly on the wall in my place the other day, you would have seen me squeaking with excitement and doing a geeky little dance around the living room.

Why? Because I managed to pick up a vintage typewriter on eBay - dating from the 1930s and (supposedly) in working order - for just £10. Whoo-hoo!

If that doesn't get your blood pumping, what about an iPhone? Or designer clothes? Or whatever it is that you're obsessed with? Here are five ways to improve your chances of picking up a genuine bargain on eBay...

1) What time does the auction end?

Mine was the one and only bid on that typewriter. But that's not really surprising, when you consider the auction ended at before 9am on a Sunday morning.

Many buyers still avoid automatic bid-placing tools and prefer to bid manually themselves. Auctions set to end when most people are still in bed tend to command a lot less interest - so if you're an early riser (or a midnight owl) you can pick up some great deals.

2) Bad spelling is your friend

If you're looking for a particular item, think about how a seller might accidentally mis-spell it. (For example, 'Keira Knightley' DVD is also likely to be (mis)spelt as Kiera Knightley, Kiera Knightly, Keira Knightly and so on).

Then try searching using the mis-spelt versions of the name you come up with. The majority of searchers will spell the item correctly, leaving a clearer field for you to hunt down an unnoticed gem.

3) Wait until there's a glut in the supply chain

January is usually a great month to pick up an eBay bargain, because the marketplace is flooded with unwanted Christmas gifts and so supply often outstrips demand.

4) Know your computer inside-out

I'm a big fan of really last-minute bidding, because it means other potential buyers are less likely to place a bid after you and push up the price of an item. However, to make this work you need to be very sure of your computer's speed and your internet connection!

For example, I've learned that I can place a bid with seven seconds to go (just). Leaving only five seconds I risk losing the item completely, as my internet connection dawdles along and my bid isn't recognised and confirmed until it's too late.

5) Snap up a last minute bargain

Certain websites can help you in pinpointing eBay bargains. For example, Lastminute Auction roots through eBay for you, to find items that are due to finish in under one hour, but which are still under £1.

Thankfully, the website allows you can search by category, too, so you're not left floundering in a pile of random 99p items!