e bay experts help me out here

I think you have to wait until the auction is over.  If it sold, you HAVE to sell it to the eBay bidder.  If there is no one bidding, you may end the auction early by "revising" your ad, provided it is more than 12 hours to end time. 

Sold or not, you'll still have to pay eBay the "insertion" fee. 

Hope this helps. 

You can end an auciton at any time. If you end an auction, you have to give a reason and that reason will be displayed for all to see.

If I'm selling an item outside of e-bay as well (like if I offer it here on BT as well), I'll put a note in the ebay listing saying I reserve the right to end the auction early, as the item is also for sale locally. 

Ok, if I didn't put that note on it but I give that as my reason for ending the auction early does ebay somehow hold it against me?

I think if you demonstrate a pattern of ending lots of auctions early, potential buyers may hold it against you. And if people complain, ebay may then hold it against you. 

You actually can end auctions at any time. If you go to your "My EBay" page, under the "Items I'm Selling" section, there will be a pull down menu under the "Actions" column. There, there is a link for ending the auction. It lets you do it whether or not there are bids. 

This would only be the second thing, I think, I've sold in many years of being an ebay member so I'm not worried about that.

I don't like it when people hold things against me.....

(Scout, do with that comment what you like)

Thanks for the advice.

That has the makings of a country song all over it.....

{country song flashback over}