Posted By:
Kenny ColeI am astounded that this question was asked I presume that it was only to elicit a response. Shill bidding has nothing to do, and does not relate, to buddies deciding that they will not bid against each other with respect to a given card or lot.
The problem with shill bidding is that it is dishonest from the get go. When a shill bid is lodged, the presumption is that the bid is real. However, it is not. That is, by definition, FRAUD. It is an intentional attempt to deceive other potential buyers about the value of the card and elevate its value. If friends decide not to bid on a card because another friend wants it, there is nothing legally wrong with that, although the seller might not be happy. That is far different from having a seller seek to inflate the value of a card by having a proxy try to bid the card up.
I hope that your question is for purposes of information only. There is no comparison. If you don't see the difference between deciding not to bid in order to consciously let a friend get a card he/she wants, and having a buddy who has no intention of buying a card bid it up so that you can make more money than you would have otherwise, you really need to re-think your moral values.