Interesting and coincidental bidding patterns......
 

I always find it interesting in the 500 or so auctions I seem to bid in that you can be going right along, high bidder on a lot of items, and then on the last day (or sometimes any day in the auction run), sometimes in rapid succession sometimes as little as seconds of each other, you are suddenly outbid on 3-4 items which are extremely different from each other. Not to call names, and it's a phenomenon I've seen from more than one auction house. I understand if I'm bidding on 4-5 items from a single set that another collector could bid those up in succession, or for very similar items such as sets from the 1960's, but for that to happen say with an autographed card, 1960's set and a mini bat all within a 3 minute period........borders on what I might consider odd. Not identifying any big conspiracy out there....but.....just odd. Anyone else witness similar patterns of bidding out there that kind of make you go HMMM.................?

That used to happen with some regularity to a friend of mine who bid with one of the major AHs.

Many people apparently use sniping services that automatically rapid fire bid for you in closing seconds. I've never tried.

I don't think that's what the OP is talking about.

Nothing to see here Tom, move right along......................

I think a lot of this happens early on in auctions when guys click through just putting placeholder bids down on anything they think they'd like to have at the cheap price it is currently listed at. Just my theory though.

Not ebay.....big AH's (or mediums).....and again, I can see that if they're consecutive lot #'s or similar items. It's just odd........

HR.........Nothing to see here........these aren't the droids you're looking for.............

Depends which auction houses. Some have it in their rules to raise bids during the auction up to hidden reserves. But then, you already knew that...

As you are inferring, I think some of my hunches were correct quite some time ago with those kind of bidding patterns, when it happened to me. Some of the people in those hunches are not having pleasant days right now.

you may not be bidding high enough as well

....or they all raise up within one increment of your maximum bids.

If you're suggesting the AH is out bidding you themselves on several different lots in rapid succession on the last day of the auction I find that hard to believe. Now if they bid you up to your "secret" Max bid in the same manner I would be much more concerned.

Can anyone figure this bidding out?
 

Hi Guys:

Take a look at this bidding list and tell me if you can make sense of the times. Not saying anything is fishy.

I have no problem at the top with my bids. I understand someone put in a max bid that I did not top thus the auto update of his bids.

Where I am confused is for example on June 1 at 8:43:54 AM EST someone bids $1477 and the same time it then goes to another $1477 because someone had bid that already. But then again AT THE SAME TIME it is bumped up to $1625 the next bidding increment. In all other auctions I know the first bidder gets it when there are identical bids. It seems here that the original bidder is bumped up to the next increment even though he has only been "tied". Should this be the case? Or am I reading this wrong? There are other examples on May 26 and 28.

Or could it be a bidder is going up two increments and the system bids the first increment, and when it is matched then jumps up to the next increment??? Maybe I just answered my own question, but am interested in others take on this.

$2933.00 Thursday June 2, 2016 1:29:18 AM EST
$2666.00 Thursday June 2, 2016 1:29:18 AM EST * Your Bid
$2423.00 Thursday June 2, 2016 1:28:09 AM EST
$2202.00 Thursday June 2, 2016 1:28:09 AM EST * Your Bid
$1967.00 Wednesday June 1, 2016 11:47:36 AM EST
$1788.00 Wednesday June 1, 2016 11:47:36 AM EST * Your Bid
$1625.00 Wednesday June 1, 2016 8:43:54 AM EST
$1477.00 Wednesday June 1, 2016 8:43:54 AM EST
$1477.00 Wednesday June 1, 2016 8:43:54 AM EST
$1220.00 Wednesday June 1, 2016 2:03:41 AM EST
$1082.00 Tuesday May 31, 2016 12:48:17 AM EST
$983.00 Saturday May 28, 2016 5:24:15 PM EST
$924.00 Saturday May 28, 2016 5:24:15 PM EST
$924.00 Saturday May 28, 2016 5:24:15 PM EST
$630.00 Thursday May 26, 2016 8:07:32 AM EST
$572.00 Thursday May 26, 2016 2:02:27 AM EST
$520.00 Thursday May 26, 2016 2:02:27 AM EST
$520.00 Thursday May 26, 2016 2:02:27 AM EST
$240.00 Sunday May 22, 2016 1:35:40 PM EST
$218.00 Monday May 16, 2016 2:15:05 PM EST
$198.00 Friday May 13, 2016 9:15:19 PM EST
$180.00 Monday May 9, 2016 8:00:28 PM EST

Double increments, as you said, could be the answer.