when it is still 2-3 days until the end? 
It is clear that an item in a slightest demand would attract several people and bidding early just raises the price. 
Do they bid just in case they forget, or to be involved in something, or to scare other bidders ?... It gets me every time

Some people have a budget and stick to it.  For them it doesn't matter when they bid.  Some want to be able to say, "I almost had it!" when they have a high bid of $12 on a fig they know will eventually go for more than ten times that amount.   And sometimes we get lucky and put in an early bid for what we can afford and no one else seems to notice.  I got a few premium figs that way.  :)

Bidding today = the freedom from coming back to take care of it later. In my case, I don't need to remember to come back to bid later... Which I won't... Which is why I don't really bid on eBay anymore.

when a bidder have a 1000+ feedback, and he start bidding like kid in a candy store, (it happened twice in the last 10 days)you wonder what the motivation is, when they have a 1000 feedback that mean they have a knowledge of what a last minute bid is, and how they can generate it, and create it, but their way of bidding let you think...their is a something else happening.
Mark

Lebmark as an ebay seller and buyer since 1996 when we had only dial up connection things were difficult and i lost many a Lionel model train auctions.

On another note one may think a particular person example #1 is driving up the bid when they click on the bids and see same name #1 next to a bid in a row multiple times but what actually is happening is they put in a maximum high bid (what their willing to pay) and ebay system keeps kicking up #1 bid and showing it perhaps multiple until #2 comes in and finally puts in a bid that exceeds #1 highest bid that was input originally.
Then you will see that persons scrambled screen #2 name right above it and not until then.
Course #1 can see that as well on within the ebay listing and thru automated notification via email also - <your high bid has been exceeded> and go back to auction and adjust there bid if they choose too.

Martin I have some nice pre WWII cast iron trains still work.

A while back I had an auction cancelled on me when I was the highest bidder because eBay suspected that the same person (the seller) was bidding against himself and raising the price artificially. Later on I noticed that the seller's user name was not-a-member any more. I think this was happening back in old days when more regular people were selling, before the companies realized that eBay might their source of income as well.
I agree Alan, I like the "buy it now" much better, it keeps my blood pressure in a good standing.

If there is something that I really, really, really want I use my Auction Sniper. It's my friend. I never, never, ever put that item on my watch list... if you do, then eBay spams other people that have looked at similar items and tells them that you are watching too, so they can up the ante so to speak... I hate that, and it's not to a buyers benefit anyway. So, again, I use my Auction Sniper and just check it until my desired auction ends. Works every time provided I lay enough money down to win. lol

Excuse me Greenfig.

Thanks Celt , have a decent amount of pre and post war Loco''s some dating to the teens and some rare ones in original condition but the kids now in college got bored of them even with a layout with switches and interactive things on it , even made my own trees.
The engines eventually will come of the display shelf get wrapped and go in boxes for storage.

Sometimes I bid early with a low price to have an easier time to remember it later, including reminders from eBay that an auction is ending early. Sometimes I bid high early on in hopes of discouraging others (limiting the playing field) from budding towards the end when things get fierce.  Sometimes I just bid in the final seconds.  It really depends on how much time I have and how bad I want something.  I have paid a high price for some things which I've justified either through sales of other plants or hopes of a profit one day or just a present to myself. :)

I have won many liquor auctions on ebay. And have purchased many at buy it now option too.
I set my bid limit and walk away.

Only once I was on a bidding war with another member and after a certain dollar amount I quit. Minutes or hours before the end of the auction the winning bidder retracted his/her bid and I ended up getting it for far less than my last bid.

To this day I felt I was competing with the seller in some fashion.

Too bad ebay does not allow liquor sales anymore. I built a nice collection.