The way auctions close?

[pbspelly]

I can't stand the way auctions close like they did last night. It's incredibly annoying to see the price stay the same for several hours of extended bidding, then you go to sleep at one am and wake up to see the final price has jumped after other bidders put in very late bids (probably after losing on other auctions).

My feeling is that if you're going to bid on something, bid on it. Declare thyself. I vastly prefer auctions in which the lots close individually.

I understand the issue, though, that those type of auctions preclude someone with a set amount of money to spend, but willing to use it for any of several different auctions, from switching their target after losing out in a different auction.

One idea might be to have staggered closings. In which the lots close one at a time, but at different times, and with much more limited extended bidding. That way if you're interested in lots 68 and 89, for instance, you could wait until 68 closed before deciding whether to bet on 89, but you would still know around when both auctions were going to close, and thus wouldn't have to stay up by the computer all night.

I haven't really thought this through so there might be problems with it. But I can honestly say that I doubt I'll bid on many more auctions like the one last night. Even though I won the item I was trying to get.