The One That Got Away!

Always be willing to bid one tick above your max -- it helps avoid that "what if" feeling (sometimes).

I've had a few in my specialization that got away, but I made sure the other person paid dearly . There's always someone with more money than you -- or someone more willing to overpay than you -- so all you can do is know a piece's value to you and pursue it to that end.

I'm sure I'm not the only person who was an underbidder who picked it up later for a cheaper price!

Funny way to put it, but true.

I know this is not the right forum for it but I thought I would just mention I lost out on an unlisted Japanese early Meiji pattern yen during the Norman Jacobs collection. I was willing to bid above the estimate but the bids just kept going higher and higher and it was just too rich for my blood.
I also lost out on an ebay batch lot of old 5 franc coins that included what I suspected was an 1861 proof which would have completed my Napoleon III series :( That was heartbreaking because it included a bunch of other rare ones so whilst I could have just about justified the expense of the proof alone, the cost of the other coins meant I just couldn't pull the trigger... I know I could have sold them later but anyway it was just too much for coins for me :(