A more important factor on whether a card is getting an unfair push in an auction is who the consigner is. An auction house may not bid on their own lots creating a fake hidden reserve, yet their consigner may be employing a myriad of accounts to push up the price of a lot. We’ve all dealt with collectors who think their cards are worth 3-5x market value and treat their cards as if it was their only asset in the world. Cards like that aren’t going cheaply or even for fair market value at an auction. When I see someone pushing a card on Net 54 in the most ridiculous manner, I’m certain to stay away from bidding on it at auction. Some people just can’t bear for the market to determine true value. If they're using sock puppet accounts here to fabricate interest or doing YouTube interviews or getting hobby publications to write about their card, you can be sure they’re getting their card hit fraudulently in the auction.
Also, if the consigner is listed in the Mastro indictment or shill bidder list as a fraudster, that may shed some light too.
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