AUC v. BIN
I think you have to look at both ends of the equation -- if you want something, you'll do searches in both worlds. I do agree, however, that if I am casually looking to pick up something, I'll often flip it to just a straight auction format.
However, I second the notion that good deals can be had via BIN on ebay, though it is somewhat rare. Just today, I picked up this beauty for what I thought was a solid price:
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