Hey Blu... that happens to me so many times that my middle name is second-place.
Seriously, most of the time, a high bidder sniper does bid very substantially so their high bid is not likely to be simply 1 bid-increment higher than yours. When you change your bidding habits to bid-to-win, you will win a lot more auctions but just keep in mind that you will be paying more for your goods. Sometimes, it's just a little higher. Sometimes, it can be waaay higher than you planned. BUT you will win!
Anyhow, the point is that what you are experiencing is nothing unique and happens often enough to the rest of us. If there is 12 bidders, only 1 is gonna win. The rest are runner-ups.