Disturbing.......

[glchen]

From the information provide, the following auction house is outed:

Vintage Authentics: Link

[YankeeCollector]

In my opinion, I dont know if this is possible but there has to be a way where Auction Houses do not what the ceiling bids are on their items.

[wonkaticket]

Why not just say the name of the auction house and provide details if you're troubled with this. Put your full name in the post and all is good and you let folks know.

Why all the cloak and dagger stuff that seems just as odd to me.

I'm with Doug if you're going to start a thread like thi sand have no info short of vague inputs it really doesn't draw attention or leave anything for discussion.

John

[YankeeCollector]

Originally Posted by wonkaticket

Why not just say the name of the auction house and provide details if you're troubled with this. Put your full name in the post and all is good and you let folks know.

Why all the cloak and dagger stuff that seems just as odd to me.

I'm with Doug if you're going to start a thread like thi sand have no info short of vague inputs it really doesn't draw attention or leave anything for discussion.

John

My point was whether this was normal? Im new to the pre-war hobby? Im not looking to report a crime. I just think its disturbing that auction houses know ceiling bids!

[Matt]

Originally Posted by glchen

From the information provide, the following auction house is outed:

Vintage Authentics: Link

That site seems to be using the same software that many of the other auction sites use; granted, the others don't send the email, but should we be uneasy that the software lets the auction owners see the max bids?

[YankeeCollector]

Originally Posted by Matt

That site seems to be using the same software that many of the other auction sites use; granted, the others don't send the email, but should we be uneasy that the software lets the auction owners see the max bids?

I dont think they should be allowed to know the ceiling bids!

[sb1]

Brockelman & Luckey uses Create Auction's software and have no ability to see ceiling bids, nor if a ceiling bid is even in place by a bidder, for all we know there may be 1 or 100 or none. Create Auction's is NOT the software of the auction house in question. Other auction software may be different.

[calvindog]

First off, Vintage Authentics is run by Steve Jensen who was arrested at the National, no?

[Zach Wheat]

Jeff, good catch. I think you are right.

Zach Wheat

[atx840]

Yep

Vintage Sports Authentics - Steve Jensen arrested

[doug.goodman]

I bid with the assumption that the auction house DOES see my ceiling bid, and that they will be honest with how they use that info. If I feel that there is a chance that they will NOT be honest with that info, then I do not give them a ceiling bid.

Ultimately, I know what I am willing to pay for an item. If the bidding goes above that, I stop. Prior to that number, if I think that I am being shilled, it's a case by case basis, I may stop, I may not.

That's just me.

For me, if an auction company were to come right out and say "the bidding on this item stopped at $X and we shilled it to $Y" I might treat that like a reserve. If it's still under the $Z that I am willing to pay, well why not?

That's just me.

I assume people are honest, it works for me, even though it's often a stupid thing for me to do. When I get f'd (oops, sorry, thanx for the edit Leon), I take it as part of the cost of doing business, find whatever glimmer of a silver lining that I can to cling to. Denial isn't always a bad thing (insert smiley face here).

It's a HOBBY

It is (supposed to be) FUN

For those of you who it is a business for, my way doesn't work, I get it.

On my way to place the only kind of ebay bid I know - a snipe.
Wish me luck,
Doug

[steve B]

Since I'm usually chasing cheap stuff I'm ok with an auction knowing my max bid. It's no different than leaving a left bid for a live auction or bidding in a mail auction.

I have seen a few odd things with live auctions. One antique auction the auctioneer really disliked left bids. He'd start at the starting price,announcing that there was a left bid if the bidder left instructions, and would announce the left bid limit during bidding if the bidding was falling short. If there were no instructions he'd often start at the max of the left bid. (After a few visits I never considered leaving a bid)

I also had one live auction respond to the question"How close was I on X" with the info that I'd been right at the limit of the left bid and I could have the item for one increment more. I declined as this happened during checkout, and I didn't want to cause them problems if the winning bidder had friends in the audience. Plus I'd already spent the ammount I'd budgeted on some later items.

Steve B

[Ronnie73]

Any internet auction house that has access to the auction website database file such as a SQL or Access file, can look to see what the so called secret max bid is. Wether they do that or not, only they would know and would never admit to it. It's the database that does the automated proxy bidding so the information is in there along with all your personal info when signing up to the site. It's basically a giant complex spreadsheet of info. Me personally, don't think they should see your max bid. It becomes an ethics type of issue with a potential for possible fraud.