Which is better, being at the bottom of the first page or at the top of the second page? That is the question being asked in a thread in the WebmasterWorld Supporters Forum (paid registration required). The thread seems to lean on having the top result on the second page is much better then having the last or second to last results on the first page. The reasoning is that as a person scrolls down the page, that user is already in the mood of clicking the next button. The user is in skim mode already, but when they click that next button they are back in click mode. So the top results on each page, the user is in click mode - but when viewing the bottom results, they user is in skim mode.
I know people who say otherwise, and would pay big buck to have position 10 over 11. Their Web analytics show a higher click through when they are in position 10 versus 11. They have more sales when they are in position 10 versus 11. I wish I personally had more experience with that 10 versus 11 spot.