I will bid on an item just to get a placeholder at a low price, like opening bid price plus a couple bucks.
I don't check eBay constantly, nor do I use a snipe service.
I can't say I have won many auctions lately using this method, but realistically I don't expect to win every auction I bid in...(maybe others do?)
If I am paying attention towards the end of the auction I might bid again at a price where I think its near my comfort level...even a few times to see where it's at.
If I lose track of it, no big deal.
Now those are cards that I wouldn't mind having, but they aren't critical.
For cards that are critical...(well there really is no such thing
) I try a little harder.
For the other AH bids, I just throw a bid at the items I like, no matter the start or end time...it's usually 75- 80% of my top bid. Then if I have time on the day the auction ends, I start to look them over and see which ones I still am in play on, and pick ones to get serious about.
There is no shortage of inventory, nor any shortage of places to buy.
EBay is my least favorite of them.