Bidding against friends

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Posted By: Frank Wakefield

Hello Bill...

I've stood in those shoes. Generally, I don't bid on something if a collector I know is going strong on it. If it is really low I have bid, it is almost like saying "Hi" to the guy. He's not going to win it at that little price anyway, and with 5 days to go the price will go up. I've emailed the bidder sometimes, if it already is at a serious price, just to say that I saw it, and thought of bidding, but didn't want to start unless he was done.

A few collectors have taken to emailing me, asking me if I thought a certain eBay lot was authentic. I'm honored that they value my opinion. And I always respond to them. A few times they've found something I was interested in but had not seen. And a couple of times I've bid on the item, after ascertaining that they were done bidding.

So what to do. It reminds me of when in younger days, one of the guys in the gang would break up with a girlfriend. Some of us would never ask out an ex of one of our buddies. A few of us figured that she'd be dating someone, and the buddy would rather see one of us with her than some stranger... I was in the former bunch in that thinking.

You bid on anything you want that I've bid on, unless it is a T210 series 6 card of Angermeier fielding or of Whitaker. Those two please stay away from. Thanks!