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Aaron M.The same thing happened on the 1948 Bowman basketball wax pack. Likely the same guy placed an immediate bid shooting it up past $7,000 from it's $1,500 minimum. All three of the major vintage unopened basketball lots have had the same pattern.
Either, yes, it is a strategic bid from an interested bidder (I've followed Jeff Mullen's vintage basketball website in the past and there are indeed a few advanced collectors who are willing to pay enormous premiums to get rare items) or one of the consignor's buddies are trying to circumvent Mastro's policy of low minimum bids by creating a higher reserve.