Did I get probed?

[kailes2872]

Tried to buy a '59 PSA Campy card last night as it is one of my last two upgrades on my '59 set. Price got jacked up at the end by a bidder:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/371050013337?_trksid=p2055120.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT#ht_996wt_1042
i**a
0% positive
Total Bids: 27
Items Bid On: 3
Item Activity with Seller 92%
Bid Retractions: 0
Bid Retractions Last 6 Months 0

It was actually won by a guy who just sniped me at the end. He had a ton of feedback and only 1% with Rick. With the post on the main board, I am a bit paranoid right now and wasn't sure if this was just a coincidence and someone new who really wanted Roy or if I should be a bit perplexed at how it climbed so much from $25 to $79 in last hour.

I had my heart set on getting this card and it is now back to the drawing board, so I am probably just sulking but if this is the kid of activity that many are speaking about then I will know to avoid in the future.

[ibuysportsephemera]

Tried to buy a '59 PSA Campy card last night as it is one of my last two upgrades on my '59 set. Price got jacked up at the end by a bidder:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/371050013337?_trksid=p2055120.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT#ht_996wt_1042 (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?campid=5336861720&customid=NET54&toolid=10001&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fitm%2F37105001333 7%3F_trksid%3Dp2055120.m1438.l2649%26ssPageName%3D STRK%253AMEBIDX%253AIT%23ht_996wt_1042)
i**a
0% positive
Total Bids: 27
Items Bid On: 3
Item Activity with Seller 92%
Bid Retractions: 0
Bid Retractions Last 6 Months 0

It was actually won by a guy who just sniped me at the end. He had a ton of feedback and only 1% with Rick. With the post on the main board, I am a bit paranoid right now and wasn't sure if this was just a coincidence and someone new who really wanted Roy or if I should be a bit perplexed at how it climbed so much from $25 to $79 in last hour.

I had my heart set on getting this card and it is now back to the drawing board, so I am probably just sulking but if this is the kid of activity that many are speaking about then I will know to avoid in the future.

While the middle bidding might look shady, the ending looks like a typical eBay auction with all of the real action taking place in the last minute or two. What should this card have sold for?

Jeff

[bnorth]

Looking at bid activity can be misleading.

This is what the new general rule seems to be. If Probstein has a bidder with that activity it is a shill. If a member on here that sells tons on eBay has bidders with way worse looking bid activity it is not shilling just weird/very loyal bidders.

It is sad but I am starting to think like the younger guys do on shilling. It is ok because it is the same as using a reserve and nobody is going to fix the problem anyway.

[ALR-bishop]

Ben...do I detect sarcasm or even cynicism ? :) Some of the old guys do not think it is ok, just inevitable

kailes--good luck on getting your last two upgrades. What is the other card you need ? ( this is a benign probe). Have you done any of the variations in the set ? On cards 199-186 do you know what your ratio of white to gray back is ? This was the first set I ever completed and I am currently a few cards away from finishing that series in both white and gray back

[kailes2872]

Ben...do I detect sarcasm or even cynicism ? :) Some of the old guys do not think it is ok, just inevitable

kailes--good luck on getting your last two upgrades. What is the other card you need ? ( this is a benign probe). Have you done any of the variations in the set ? On cards 199-186 do you know what your ratio of white to gray back is ? This was the first set I ever completed and I am currently a few cards away from finishing that series in both white and gray back

Al, my last two upgrades are the symbol of courage Campy card and the #564 Mantle All Star. I bought it last fall as a complete set but it was pretty rough especially with the stars. I had to upgrade 124 cards do far - including most of the stars into PSA 6 or PSA 7 holders. Some stars were in really rough shape. Mays and #10 Mantle looked like they had been in bicycle spokes. Anything that had even a surface wrinkle was replaced. I bought the set for 1250. I am now about 4 grand into it but it is very uniform with all stars slabbed. The Mantle AS has a scratch on the card and could probably pass thru but I have put so much into upgrading it that it feels like I need to have this one needs. Holder as well. Campy has a small surface wrinkle on the right side of the card. It has been a labor of love. I took solace in knowing that the set was complete and I was just upgrading as I went along. 67 was built card by card and I lost some cost discipline with some high numbers as I completed it. I am trying to stay disciplined and buy right. I have done so thus far - just need to with these last 2. Robert Morris show is in Pittsburgh in 2 weeks but I am not holding my breath on finding value there. I will just keep checking my saved searches.

I will have to check on variations. I haven't been intentional on the different backs so it is a mixed bag in my album.

Kevin

[Volod]

Thread got me wondering if UFO aliens collect anything interesting...besides cattle parts.

[ALR-bishop]

"If aliens from outer space ever come and we show them our civilization and they make fun of it, we should just say we were kidding, that this is not our real civilization, but just a gag we hoped they would like.Then we tell them to come back in 20 years and we will show them our REAL civilization. After that we start a crash program to come up with a new and better civilization. Either that or we gun down the aliens while they are waving good bye"....Jack Handey

Kailes---what is your favorite card in the set. Here's mine

http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj555/Bishop539/img376.jpg

Which Spahn DOB do you have. And which Sullivan copyright ?

http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj555/Bishop539/img305.jpg
http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj555/Bishop539/img306.jpg
http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj555/Bishop539/img474_zpsd1a28e43.jpg
http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj555/Bishop539/img034.jpg


The 2009 national had some neat 59 cards that never were

http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj555/Bishop539/dedf67bc-ea54-41cd-a3a9-b845038c0543_zps28c20990.jpg

[kailes2872]

Al,
My favorite card in the set is Woody Held - only because I am a juvenile 15 year old trapped in a 42 year old body and I think it is my all time favorite funny sports name. I have the Spahn 1921 in the slab. The rough one is 31. I will have to check on Sullivan.

[Zach Wheat]

Tried to buy a '59 PSA Campy card last night as it is one of my last two upgrades on my '59 set. Price got jacked up at the end by a bidder:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/371050013337?_trksid=p2055120.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT#ht_996wt_1042
i**a
0% positive
Total Bids: 27
Items Bid On: 3
Item Activity with Seller 92%
Bid Retractions: 0
Bid Retractions Last 6 Months 0

It was actually won by a guy who just sniped me at the end. He had a ton of feedback and only 1% with Rick. With the post on the main board, I am a bit paranoid right now and wasn't sure if this was just a coincidence and someone new who really wanted Roy or if I should be a bit perplexed at how it climbed so much from $25 to $79 in last hour.

I had my heart set on getting this card and it is now back to the drawing board, so I am probably just sulking but if this is the kid of activity that many are speaking about then I will know to avoid in the future.

No I don't think you got Probed. Most of the last minute bidding activity is pretty normal. In fact to avoid being influenced by shill bidding I snipe most of the cards I really want. I search for cards I want set a snipe and forget it unt il auction end.

This seems to be the way to go.....


Z Wheat

[ALR-bishop]

How are Woody and Roger Maris connected ?:)

[kailes2872]

Traded Cleveland/KC in '58?

[nolemmings]

I do not believe you lost that auction to a shill, and that if it was your intent all along to place the bid you made then you still would have lost at that price. I also see from Card target that the sale price was not out of line with other auction prices for the card in that grade.

I do believe there was a shill in this auction though: the zero feedback bidder who bid a dozen times in the last six minutes with more than half of those in the last ten seconds and with what may have been multiple snipes--a fairly complex strategy for a zero feedback "newbie" (he bid two dozen times or so in total, all on the last day). To me that looks like someone trying to prop up their card to a hidden reserve. This is different than the type of shilling that tries to create a frenzy or artificial interest, as again the bids were so late it did not really give time for reaction. Had this bidder not participated, I believe the card would have gone for the same price, but it still is worth your scrutiny. Also note the bidder who made six bids in the last minute, all in one, two or three cent raises. That is just bizarre, although I have been told that tapatalk on cellphones allows you to bump by such small increments with the touch of a key, but why bother if that is all the farther you are "moving the chains"?

[4reals]

Kevin,

I recently upgraded my own copy and have this one for sale. PM me if interested.

[kailes2872]

Kevin,

I recently upgraded my own copy and have this one for sale. PM me if interested.

Joe,
I really appreciate the offer. Being two cards away from a total upgrade, it is tempting - however, I am going to wait and get the cards as a PSA 6 or 7. Nearly all of the stars in the set are now in holders (around 45), so I want to get this and the Mantle AS in a slab as well to keep it consistent.

Thank you again for thinking of me.

[D.P.Johnson]

There's nothing worse than getting Probed by a Johnson (unless, of course, you're the type of person who enjoys a little Hanky-Panky once in awhile...)...:)...