I have to ask, why the heck does it matter if 
someone shoots their wad all at once and bids 
their max from the get-go or bids in itty bitty 
increments across the life of the auction? So 
long as *I* win an auction, I could care less if 
someone bids in many 100 yen increments or one 
single 10,000 yen increment. A loss is a loss 
(and conversely, a win is a win), however it 
occurs. What annoys me if that they beat me. Not 
really how.

I'll be frank, I rarely bid my max at once, 
primarily because I'd prefer a bid not to be run 
up early and possibly artificially by someone 
testing the waters. I wait and see how brutal the 
bidding's going to be before weighing in with my 
true max, if necessary. I rarely get sniped -- I 
tend to get pounded into the ground a few hours 
before the auction's end. ^_~