Let me chime in....seems charles is getting ripped on for seemingly no reason -- although I think it is clear everyone's intentions are good.
You're new to eBay Charles -- so what people are trying to do here is just help you out with a good strategy.
When you find something you want, the best strategy for eBay is to save it to MyEbay so you can monitor it. Do not bid on it yet. Just watch it.
When you get very close to the ending time (we're talking munutes/seconds) -- check the price again. If it what you're willing to pay -- go ahead and bid the MAXMIMUM amount you wish to bid on. By the time you;re done bidding there should be little to no time left for someone to react to your bid. Either your manixum will be the winning maximum bid, or you may get beat because some else had a higher maximum.
The point of doing this is twofold.
1 -- it keeps you within your own set maximum so you won't be tempted to keep upping the bid and getting into an Ebay frenzy/fever.
and
2 -- msot importantly -- it helps keep the total price of the item down. I have seen many, many items get run up to a ridiculous level several days vefore the auction's ending because two hardheads kept battling each other on bids. There is no need to do this. It is better to simply swoop in at the last minute, make your play, and let the chips fall where they may. I have won MANY high value items this way for dirt cheap prices because I refused to challenge the existing bid until the last minute.
Make sense dude? This is a strategy you will find that most eBay verterans use.
Good luck with the bass -- I was checking it out myself until I saw all the activity on it. Someone will be happy with it.
