Interesting thread on the non-sports board

[iggyman]

Calvin, so if my wife advertises that she is going to cheat on me, does that make it right? Am I going to admire her honesty (for the record, just in case she reads this one day....."honey, you know I'm only kidding"...........)? Am I so naive to believe that other auction houses don't shill bid? Of course they do, there is just too much $$$ at play. But, I will give them the benefit of doubt until proven otherwise. At the end of the day, this debate is simple for me; is it right for an auction house to shill bid? For me, the answer is No and it is unconditional. Does that mean I better stop bidding in all auctions (from REA on down...)? I would hope the answer is no.

Lovely Day...

[PolarBear]

Good explanation from Heritage but even if it's all done honestly, it still gives the perception of a conflict of interest, and it absolutely helps their bottom line by insuring lots sell for a minimum amount, which maximizes their fees.

Just my opinion, but no auction company should be allowed to bid in their own auctions and in today's highly regulated environment, I'm surprised it's still legal. If the company wants to buy the material outright from the consignor prior to the auction, then do that. Don't play games by bidding on your own auction lots.

[iggyman]

Barry, I'm not sure about the spelling but I believe this is the proper technique....

Lovely Day