At the simplest level, if there's a scenario where
- A buyer would pay up to $150,
- The seller wants at least $100, and
- No other potential buyer would bid above $50
... then how is the transaction that the first two parties want to take place actually going to happen? (I'm leaving out max auto-bidding and other fancy stuff, just focusing on the base concept.)
Lots of different hairs getting split in this thread, but I'm not seeing a net loss, regardless of how the reserve gets hit. The auction house is also supposed to get the most for the consigner, so if the extra motion draws a few more fish – I know, I know, or whales, which are mammals – then they're fulfilling that.