[barrysloate]

Peter has cited something which seems so obvious about this entire discussion. Nobody is suggesting in any way that all lots in any auction are shilled. Even Mastro Auctions, which was clearly involved in shilling, perhaps manipulated 5% of any given auction (this number is a guess). Only certain lots in any auction will be targeted, such as:

1) lots with high ceiling bids
2) lots bid on by certain collectors who the auction house know well, and also know will keep bidding to any level until they get the lot. Those kind of bidders have been targeted and shilled for a very long time; it is not a recent phenomenon.
3) lots that appear to be going too cheaply and the auction house will gladly buy them at those levels.
4) lots that may have secret reserves.

So in any scenario, even the most egregious, we are only talking about a small number of targeted lots. Posters have come on this thread stating they consigned three lots and got paid, or left a ceiling bid and won a lot for less than their max. That is fine, but the fact is those posters are entirely missing the point of this discussion.

I have no idea what goes on in a Goodwin Auction, I have never participated. But to turn a blind eye to some of the outrageous results appears shortsighted.