Jonathan- if Heritage bids so low that they virtually never win anything, why conduct this practice at all? On the positive side you win virtually nothing and accomplish little; on the negative side you create a great deal of suspicion and a boatload of bad will, since nearly 100% of your customers would likely hate this practice.
I believe you when you say it is done a week before the auction closes, and I understand the distinction you make between placing early bids and shilling. But how could Heritage risk the reputation it has built over decades, with the only thing to show for it is a few stray lots that slip between the cracks?
Sounds like the risk far outweighs the reward.
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