Auction Houses and blind bidding

[Leon]

Originally Posted by TNP777

The very people you so smugly ignore are among those who have been attempting to have a rational conversation with you. The biting comments and sarcasm come after some (me included) become exasperated when you so obstinately refuse to accept that others simply don't agree with you.

There has never been a doubt in my mind that you are honestly trying to make the hobby better. However, when you refuse to accept that others may have taken an honest look at your ideas and made an educated decision to stay their own course, you set yourself up for ridicule.

Sadly, the only way you'll be able read my comments are if someone you haven't blacklisted quotes me in entirety. If you hadn't done so you would understand that I (and others) really are after the same thing - a hobby free from greed, corruption and thievery. And once again, I have never invested in any auction house so I have no financial dog in this fight you're involved in.

I accidentally responded to the wrong post so deleted my post and am responding the same message here....

Well said. He can't blacklist me so he will see your statement. I too think Paul (Hi Paul) has great intentions. I was at lunch with a major auction house executive today discussing this thread. Everyone agrees the intent is a great one. That being said most people, and myself, disagree with Paul for various reasons, none of which are personal. And to think Ebay is safer than an auction house is to bid in means you don't really know the hobby that well. And to date I have never seen a suspected shill situation at an auction house with 79-80 Topps cards.

[tiger8mush]

Originally Posted by Leon

And to date I have never seen a suspected shill situation at an auction house with 79-80 Topps cards.

Imagine being a horrible shiller and getting stuck with a $2k Paul Molitor LOL LOL LOL

[lsutigers1973]

Just for full transparency:

[billwaltonsbeard]

thank God those shorts aren't transparent

Leon,

ebay provides systems that AHs can and should try to mimic.

The reason why AHs don't is because they wouldn't make as much money if they did.

The reason why ebay does is because they know the general public wouldn't stand for the kind of vulnerable position that AHs put their buyers in, as they do with blind bidding and payment without protection.

There's clearly no perfect system, there are simply things people can do to try and make the situation better. I hope that AHs start doing these things, and frankly think they will eventually be forced to as recent rulings have indicated.

It's for the good of the hobby.

[yankeeno7]

For someone who is so vocal about the complaints, I have yet to see any suggestions how to make it better.

Shilling will never be stopped. No AH can stop a friend/relative from bidding on an item...maybe the friend/relative really wants it. Maybe they are shilling. No way to prove it and no way to stop it.

Ebay is a place where both buyers and sellers can do underhanded things with auctions. Unless ebay changes rules, nothing can be done about that either.

I can absolutely see the appeal of AH over ebay. At least with the AH you can decide if you want to trust them or not. From there, you decide if you wan to do business or not. With ebay, you are dealing with a lot of unknown sellers and relying on a feedback which is probably not overly accurate anyway.