I can be a real terror with bidding, but I spend a 
lot of time backing off on cels.

If a friend bids before I do, I won't bid.  Though 
if someone jumps in after me I'll come back to 
outbid. ;)  I tend to go by a "first spotter" 
system more than anything else.  If a friend has a 
#1 series and I won't DIE if I don't get a cel 
from it, heh, I'll check to see if they're after 
the cels before I bid (at least if it's on YJ and 
they're going through Celga).  And there have been 
times when I have found out after bidding that 
someone absolutely must have a cel (whereas I 
moreso just want it), so I've backed off on those 
occasions as well.

Of course when I'm broke it's great, because there 
can be reason to back off from just about 
anything. ;)  Helps quell the temptations.

Right now I'm bidding on one of my wish list cels 
for a friend, one that's also on her wish list.  
Feels more'n a bit weird, but it'll wind up being 
a trade for another cel I want.  So it'll work 
out.  I've let friends have more painful cels in 
the past anyway, and this one was a simple case of 
me not spotting it first.

Of course by backing off I mean I won't bid, or I 
won't bid higher.  I haven't ever retracted a bid, 
and I don't plan to start.

What I'm NOT good at is letting people have cels 
once they're mine.  The moment it becomes official 
that I got one, the clinginess settles in and it 
would often take many weapons of mass destruction 
to pry them away from me. ;)  By which I mean 
"Trade me a bunch of weapons of mass destruction 
for this cel, and maybe you can have it!" ;)