The Mystery at MLB.com Auctions: Prices Going Down, Not Up!

[frikativ54]

I've noticed something very curious about George Springer's items on MLB.com Auctions. First of all, his debut lineup card, Memorial Day cap, and Memorial Day jersey, were all relisted. It was my understanding that, in order to bid on MLB.com Auctions, that you have to have a valid credit card. Unless someone was bidding on an expired card, I don't see how someone could get away with not paying for an auction.

Second of all, from last night to this morning, the relisted auctions all went down in price, some dramatically. I've never before seen this happen on MLB.com Auctions, as there is no way for a bidder to retract a bid. Here is a screenshot of the way my computer looked last night:



Here is a screen shot from this morning:

.

In all my time following MLB.com Auctions, I've never seen items relisted, bids retracted, and prices going down on the site.

Has anybody else seen a similar scenario?

Any ideas as to what's transpiring?

I'm perplexed.

[frikativ54]

Here is a link to the current auctions:

http://auctions.mlb.com/iSynApp/allAuction.action?sid=1101001&rc=25&pgmode1=teamsi te&pgcust2=brandHome&qt[0].type=openbrac&qt[0].name=&qt[0].value1=&qt[0].value2=&qt[1].type=openbrac&qt[1].name=&qt[1].value1=&qt[1].value2=&qt[2].type=fieldmatch&qt[2].name=panname_partnername_s&qt[2].value1=mlb&qt[2].value2=&qt[3].type=operor&qt[3].name=&qt[3].value1=&qt[3].value2=&qt[4].type=fieldmatch&qt[4].name=panname_partnername_s&qt[4].value1=team&qt[4].value2=&qt[5].type=closebrac&qt[5].name=&qt[5].value1=&qt[5].value2=&qt[6].type=operand&qt[6].name=&qt[6].value1=&qt[6].value2=&qt[7].type=fieldmatch&qt[7].name=panname_teamname_s&qt[7].value1=astros&&qt[1].value2=&qt[8].type=closebrac&qt[8].name=&qt[8].value1=&qt[8].value2=&pgcust1=astros&=.

The previously closed auctions:

Memorial Day Camo Jersey.

Memorial Day Camo Cap.

MLB Debut Lineup Card.

[Dach0sen0ne]

You need a valid credit card on file, but they don't know your credit limit. Normally they will do a $1 merchant hold to verify the card is active. You can bid all these items up and possibly win, but when it's charge time it will be declined. I believe this happens more than you think, but items aren't relisted just offered to the second highest bidder like ebays second chance offer.

[BamaHater]

I noticed that the bidder who one the previous auctions is no longer bidding on the re listed items. Maybe a case of shill bidding if there is such a thing on the MLB auctions? He might have bid without the means to pay for it, or did it as a joke.

[BamaHater]

Bidder Rilles won all three original auctions at crazy prices.

[gingi79]

Good eye Les.

I've never heard of it before but I agree with others, must have been a case of bidding up the items with no intent to pay.

The two reasons that come to mind would be a) someone owns some of his other game used material and wanted to inflate value in order to possibly sell or b) doing it as a prank or just to be obnoxious.

The cynic in my who experienced having b) done to me on an item I really coveted tends to think that's the reason.