In all fairness, the prices he pays are only
marginally more than the runner-up bidder
You don't understand how E-Bay works. If you bid $5 and I bid $100, I win
the item .... for $6. And the fact that I had bid $100 is never even seen,
by anyone.
If you are going to play the E-Bay game, it is very important to understand
the intricate details of the bidding system completely.