The good old days on eBay

[bobbyw8469]

Yea..not bidding on items to artificially keep the bids down is called BID RIGGING. It is just as wrong as bid shilling and should not be allowed....

[ethicsprof]

i do miss the good ole days on ebay and the good ole days in so many categories!!!
we must be getting old.
best,
barry

[thekingofclout]

Originally Posted by bobbyw8469

Yea..not bidding on items to artificially keep the bids down is called BID RIGGING. It is just as wrong as bid shilling and should not be allowed....

You must be joking.

So it's wrong that my closest friends and I (all of us collect TYPE I photos) discuss prior to an auction which photos we're interested in?

If two or more of us want a particular image, we simply take turns and go in order rather then compete against each other.

We have also in the past purchased a number of photos on ebay as a joint venture and twice a year, we conducted a draft in order to split them up fairly.

How is what we do anywhere related to shill bidding?!

Not to mention, if we just went against each other, that will put an incredible burden on our friendships (or anyones for that matter).

I guess if your a dealer you might think badly of it as you think you're entitled to more money for your goods, but any seller with a fair amount of common sense knows that in the long run, he's much better off with the buyers doing as we wish.

Also of note, this might be another reason that the ebay BIN's are so high. So parties interested can negotiate on an individual basis. E.g. my friends and I have never gone partners on BIN auctions. Whoever wants it, buys it.

Regardless, I strongly disagree and resent your statement of lumping us in with shill bidding.

Sincerely, Jimmy

[Leon]

Originally Posted by thekingofclout

You must be joking.

So it's wrong that my closest friends and I (all of us collect TYPE I photos) discuss prior to an auction which photos we're interested in?

If two or more of us want a particular image, we simply take turns and go in order rather then compete against each other.

We have also in the past purchased a number of photos on ebay as a joint venture and twice a year, we conducted a draft in order to split them up fairly.

How is what we do anywhere related to shill bidding?!

Not to mention, if we just went against each other, that will put an incredible burden on our friendships (or anyones for that matter).

I guess if your a dealer you might think badly of it as you think you're entitled to more money for your goods, but any seller with a fair amount of common sense knows that in the long run, he's much better off with the buyers doing as we wish.

Also of note, this might be another reason that the ebay BIN's are so high. So parties interested can negotiate on an individual basis. E.g. my friends and I have never gone partners on BIN auctions. Whoever wants it, buys it.

Regardless, I strongly disagree and resent your statement of lumping us in with shill bidding.

Sincerely, Jimmy

I wouldn't call the friendships of folks, and their discussions to lay off of things, shilling or rigging. Those are harsh terms. I would politely say it does hold a price down a bit and that is just the way hobbies are. That being said we (Matt and I) need to make the experience for sellers AND buyers as good as possible. Everything Matt and I do will be with keeping those 2 things in mind. Not one, not the other, but both. Believe me, as a passionate collector I am not immune from asking a friend to lay off of something that I gotta have. Just being honest here.....

[nolemmings]

but deliberately laying off an item so that someone else can win is indeed a form of bid rigging. More particularly it is bid suppression, and can also be called bid rotation, but these latter terms are just forms of bid rigging. It might be hard to prove and I wouldn't expect law enforcement to come down on you for a few instances of it in collectibles auctions of modest dollar items, but it is what it is. Just as a buyer should expect to pay only a truly competitive price for an item, a seller should expect to receive a truly competitive price also.

It's a difficult issue you face Leon, as to whether/how to show bids, but I like the idea of posting all actual bids and bidders only AFTER the auction is complete.

Best of luck on the venture, by the way.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by nolemmings

but deliberately laying off an item so that someone else can win is indeed a form of bid rigging. More particularly it is bid suppression, and can also be called bid rotation, but these latter terms are just forms of bid rigging. It might be hard to prove and I wouldn't expect law enforcement to come down on you for a few instances of it in collectibles auctions of modest dollar items, but it is what it is. Just as a buyer should expect to pay only a truly competitive price for an item, a seller should expect to receive a truly competitive price also.

It's a difficult issue you face Leon, as to whether/how to show bids, but I like the idea of posting all actual bids and bidders only AFTER the auction is complete.

Best of luck on the venture, by the way.

Todd- of course it is what it is, but like I said, those terms sound so harsh . Thanks for the well wishes.