Bill,
Of your three examples, I think the 8.5 and 9 are sharpest. I would probably buy the 8.5 if it was markedly lower than the 9. That represents value for the CARD. The grades look pretty accurate. I'd say the 8.5 is best, because I like his clean image (no cheek blemish), the centering, and whiter borders. But that I concede is a subjective call, as others may prefer the better edges and corners of the 9.
So the hair is very fine between the 8.5 and 9. How much is that hair worth? To me, not much. And I won't pay a big price difference for a small card difference. But to some guys, maybe the half grade up is worth much more, whether they need the 9 for their Registry GPA or just want to say they own the "better grade."
However it shakes out, what matters is that the winners are happy with their cards. If they are, all good.
When it comes to the bidding shenanigans, sniping is an amazing tool. It renders everything a best offer or card show scenario. You make you best offer and either it wins or it doesn't. I think retracting and shilling is bush league, but because I can't talk sense to those people, I won't be the dog barking at the bird. I will snipe and win what I want for my collection, namely undergraded classics, like THIS BAD BOY...
