If I were really serious about getting particular items, and if I weren't having so much fun with "white knuckle" bidding, I'd consider that. With over 10,000 cookbooks offered at any one time, I'll probably have other opportunities in due time. I'm waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay behind digesting current purchases anyway.

Just won a Bulgarian cookbook, but against no other bidders (unusual because somebody puts an initial bid against most ethnic cookbooks to collect it in case nobody else bids). Anyway, if Bulgarian food is anywhere near as good as their sheep cheese, I'm interested (I understand it's related to Turkish, and I know that's good).

I did go up against a bid engine just recently on a German cookbook. Played with it a bit just out of curiosity (and forced the guy a lot higher then he probably expected to pay), but I think that's the only one I've hit.

For big dollar items like cars - I'd say it might be a necessity. I'll keep it in mind for future reference.