I have to say, I never understood why anyone would place a bid as soon as an auction goes live. To me, if I can't bid over the phone during the actual auction and therefore have to leave an absentee bid, it makes more sense to wait until the last minute before placing a bid. I feel that the sooner the first bid is entered, the greater the chances are that the bidding will keep on going higher and higher for days prior to the sale. As a prospective buyer, I try to minimize such a scenario.
