Nice synopsis Chuck. And you are correct of course. When I take a place at my final bid on a card it is where I want to be and I usually won't go over it...unless I know I won't see it again, or for a long time. This Ruth card, at the spot I was at, is about 15%-20% over what nice ones sell for...so I was fine with that as long as that print dot wasn't there
. But that was also my last bid increment. With such common cards there is quite a bit of comparative market analysis.....and I was willing to pay a record price (or almost record) for the right card, as we have so often seen on the board. Had this card been on ebay I probably would have been in the same area on it but wouldn't have had the chance to re-bid, regardless of my mindset, as I almost always snipe too. AH's can be dangerous places to collect.
And yes, MattyC, I did think about your recent Mick purchase too.... I guess we both have similar views, though mine was on a much smaller scale on this one.