Am I Crazy???

[CollectGU]

Eric,

The finger should be pointed back at yourself as you started this with your "innuendos" of strange bidding..Did you call the auction house and speak to them first?

[G1X]

Eric,

I am by no means an attorney, but I would think that as long as you are strictly stating facts and not making accusations, there should be no harm in naming names. It seems from reading other posts that you are not alone in seeing this type of activity. I have heard others bring this same point up in private conversations with me.

If there is the belief that something unfair is taking place, then you might want to start a forum topic where collectors submit information each time they win an item with their ceiling bid. They would simply state the facts - the item and item number, amount of their ceiling bid, time their ceiling bid was placed, the bidders name, and the name of the auction house. It would be nothing but facts. No accusations could be made - just the facts!

To do this right, insisting on a copy of the invoice before any information could be entered onto the site might be necessary as this would keep folks from reporting inaccurate information. It would mean a little extra work for everyone involved, but it would be a useful tool for the collecting community. Keeping records that are accessible to collectors would be beneficial in pointing out where there may be trends. This would not prove whether or not anyone is guilty or innocent of anything (nor should it), but it would provide track records that could be viewed by all.

Mark Hayne