How often do you kick yourself for not placing a higher bid...

[JasonL]

you said: "...and I factor in just about everything into what I bid"

We should exchange our valuation models!
How do you factor in the differential between the ambient air temperature in the target item's location, and the following week's humidity and pollen forecasts for your hometown? I've found there to be an inverse relationship between that differential and the amount of cat hair I usually find within the packaging upon opening, but I have great difficulty measuring the magnitude with any predictive power of significance.

[Rich Klein]

And count shipping; who the person is;.....

And stay with a plan

I kick myself everday for 2 cards I had the balls not to just get and tried to get it at the cheapest. About 1 1/2 yrs ago on a Addie Joss T205 in grade 5 Missed it by $1 and some change( sold for $746 I think at 1am), and the most sickning of them all a T205 PSA 4 Cobb w/ an American Beauty back. POP 1 sold for $1383 or close to that. Another mid night auction I missed by a few $. So the answer is ALL THE TIME

[Kawika]

How often do I kick myself? Just once in a while. Sometime the card kicks me. Like f'rinstance every time when Jeff L posts that gobsmacking, jawdropping and utterly cool Boston Garter Sepia Chase which he won from Legendary when it was still OK to bid on their auctions and for which I was the underbidder and for which I was unclear on their extended bidding rules and for which I was having an afternoon nap while the auction ended with a quiet whimper.

[Anthony S.]

I only kick people with subpar foot speed.

[Jim VB]

Here's my bidding philosophy:

I factor in everything I can think of, just like Rich.

I bid the maximum amount I am willing to pay for the item and set a snipe.

If I win, no matter how ridiculous the price is, I rationalize that I only paid one bidding increment more than the other guy was willing to pay. (Ignoring the fact that, on that given day, I was willing to pay more than anyone else in the world for that item.)

If I lose, and am the underbidder, I convince myself that the winner obviously overpaid for the item (Obviously! His bid was higher than my "maximum", so he was too high. Right?)

If I lose , and 3-4 people outbid me, then either I really didn't want that card (sure) or, more likely, the whole world has lost their mind for this auction.

I'm not quite at insanity, but it's a short bus ride and I don't need a transfer.