Add one more Californian to the mix.
The other two folks live within 50 to 200 miles from me and are having the same kind of experience I do. Crowds have gone down from 6 months ago (sometimes 100 at an auction) to 25 to 40 in my area at least. The prices are a little better as there are few newbies spending wildly (they have learned their lessons), but as was said...if it's a good locker, watch out.
There are half a dozen to 10 "committed" regular buyers where I attend, and depending on how many of them are at any given auction, it can get nasty. Many of them go further afield than I do, and we DO have some sharing going on among some of us (they know I like smalls almost exclusively) and that I don't buy as many as they do....so sometimes I feel they are giving me a shot when they could go ahead and buy one I am interested in.
The other day a fellow didn't bid against me...and let me know it...and I did the same for him not a day later. We were both happy. BUT there are a few who want to buy EVERY LOCKER...I bid them up and have no qualms about it when I finally stop bidding.
SO, yes there can be high prices but more importantly....the lockers are SELDOM as good as those seen on the tv shows. I have always said about 1 in 50 meets those standards and I think that's about right. You might get two in a row that are great (at whatever price) and then the next 48 will be average (or hopefully above average) with the occasional loser mixed in.