Personally, I like to bid once. I enjoy tracking an item, anticipating other bidders activity, & yes, outbidding them in the last 6 seconds. For a long time I saw no reason in bidding on any item until the very end of the listing. However, I recently learned a lesson that gave me a new awareness & appreciation of the benefits of putting in an early bid. Once a bid has been made, a seller can't change the listing to a Buy It Now. The auction must run it's course! For instance: I find an item I LOVE, & I am watching the item, waiting till the final countdown, which obviously could take days. Someone else can see the same item, Love it, & email the seller, asking if they'd accept a BUY IT NOW OFFER. The seller is free to accept the offer, changing the listing to do so. Bam! The item you loved is GONE! Probably at a great price, too. If you or anyone had placed a bid, any bid, the seller couldn't have accepted a Buy It Now. Because Once a bid is placed, Ebay requires the listing run full term.( Barring extenuating circumstances which force a seller to END a listing). Sometimes placing a bid early on serves as an insurance policy that you will have an opportunity to bid again later, hopefully winning the item of your dreams! Buying & bidding on Ebay is FUN, but it takes strategy! The more you know, the more you'll win, & the more fun your bidding experience will be.