Proposed Change to Lessen Manipulative Bidding/Conversation with PWCC/Input Wanted

[Exhibitman]

One thing I've noticed that certainly causes me to place small incremental bids is the eBay app. When I am on my phone and decide to bid, the small incremental bid is a single screen touch to repeat and I often find myself making several bids that would look like shill bids if the bid increment and frequency were the tests.

I think the focus has to be on unusual outcomes in eBay auctions that are spurred by bidders with low feedback and/or lots of bid retractions. I tend to be suspicious when an auction on a common card gets a flood of bids from those two types of bidders. I'll give you an example. I am currently watching a PSA 9 Evander Holyfield RC (item #351764801461) in a PWCC auction. Not picking on you, Brent, you just happen to have one going. One sold on June 11 for $241.50. Another sold on June 26 for $40.98. The VCP average reported price for the card over the last four years is $141.24 over about a dozen sales. PWCC's is at $62 and ends tomorrow. The bidding has been driven by a bidder with seven retractions in the last six months. That screams shill bidding to me, especially when a comparable card (a modern 9; really an interchangeable card) barely brought $40 three days ago.

[Leon]

Those are the kind of auctions which a few friends and I privately have lots of emails about. Maybe, If someone has more than a few (say 3) bid retractions in the last year they should be blocked, then taken on case by case basis to be let back to bidding. That would hinder the assault somewhat. It seems there is no good justification for the quantity of bidders with many, many bid retractions. And especially when they bid on a particular person/company auctions for a large percentage of their bids. Yuck and a lot of it from what I see. *And of course these comments are not meant to be aimed solely at Brent (Hey Brent) as they are across the board.

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

One thing I've noticed that certainly causes me to place small incremental bids is the eBay app. When I am on my phone and decide to bid, the small incremental bid is a single screen touch to repeat and I often find myself making several bids that would look like shill bids if the bid increment and frequency were the tests.

I think the focus has to be on unusual outcomes in eBay auctions that are spurred by bidders with low feedback and/or lots of bid retractions. I tend to be suspicious when an auction on a common card gets a flood of bids from those two types of bidders. I'll give you an example. I am currently watching a PSA 9 Evander Holyfield RC (item #351764801461) in a PWCC auction. Not picking on you, Brent, you just happen to have one going. One sold on June 11 for $241.50. Another sold on June 26 for $40.98. The VCP average reported price for the card over the last four years is $141.24 over about a dozen sales. PWCC's is at $62 and ends tomorrow. The bidding has been driven by a bidder with seven retractions in the last six months. That screams shill bidding to me, especially when a comparable card (a modern 9; really an interchangeable card) barely brought $40 three days ago.

[TanksAndSpartans]

These cards that are selling at record prices suddenly, take a Jim Brown rookie that sells for 6.5K in a PSA 8 and then sells for 17.5K the same month... I just don't think that's schilling. How many people go into an auction willing to pay 7K and then "chase" another bidder up 10K? Just doesn't seem likely to me.

I consigned a card about a year ago that I remember well - it was a $250 card that sold for around that. But there was a bidder that bid around 35 times - I can't help but think he was trying to scare the competition away.

I have no idea what's going on - but couldn't there be a small group of "flippers/speculators" trying to manipulate this? I think there are multiple problems here - sure there is opportunity to schill in eBay auctions esp. with such small bid increments, someone might be willing to pay just a little more and chase a card up or maybe set their snipe with some extra $$ in it to be "safe", but I don't think that's why we see the record setting prices in my opinion.

[ajjohnsonsoxfan]

I've been on ebay since 1999 and don't think I've ever had a bid retraction. There's no other reason to have multiple retractions other than to be schilling. Hopefully eBay will build functionality that would allow sellers to block bidders with x number of retractions which I think would put a nice dent into nefarious auctions.

[tombocombo]

Allow only three bids! Annoying and unnecessary to bid thirty times at $1.00 or $2.00. Actually pull out, even when very interested.

[CMIZ5290]

Please, nobody take this the wrong way....But I wonder, how many threads have we had pertaining PWCC and Probstein, and yet we are right where we started from many years ago?

[FirstYearCards]

Why do people worry about other bidders? Put your bid in and accept the price, nobody put a gun to your head. If you don't want your bid shilled, snipe.

Surely everyone can put their own value on a card, if not... Get what you deserve?

I've bought/sold and retained hundreds of cards for my collection/resale. I've never regretted a purchase because I don't bid more than I value the card. Pretty simple.