My level 1 and 2 auctions were quite nice actually and I could easily buy new players for 1 token or 2, quite often being the only bidder. So I'm not surprised to hear that a level 2 manager went into an auction with 2 tokens only. Now the demand for fresh blood is so heavy that for me there's no difference what time I check the market - it's just a slight difference between 3 bidders for an over 30 year old and about 15 bidders for the younger players
All the advice given in this thread is really helpful, and I would add only this: observe the market. Even if you're not interested in a particular player, just observe the auction to see how many tokens were spent, how many bidders took part in the auction, what quality and age was that player etc. This could help you find what time the auctions are the least crowded and how many tokens you should have in your pocket to stand a chance. In my market, the best time to go shopping is Sunday, about 1-3 pm GMC, which is kind of surprising for me.