MLB/team shilling?

[gorilla777]

Re: MLB/team shilling?

I was going to add I quit looking at items due to bidding by NEWYORK25 and MTC and others, so sorry maybe I'm wrong.
Then I gave up long ago on NFL Auctions, think the name was like Steadynitenson? I was run up by 45 plus bids on a Niners jersey and saw it happening on all the other team players, but that was a year plus ago.

[sherbal15]

Re: MLB/team shilling?

Thought this thread could use a renewal -


Cardinals auctions on mlb

I don't know if anyone else has noticed but Cardsgurl16 bids only on items that have a reserve on them. The bidder is always ending their bidding just under the reserve. They have done this multiple times. Don't believe me? Watch the stephen piscotty jersey currently up for auction. You can also be sure to see the wacha coming up go the same way. This bidder NEVER wins and NEVER bids on anything without a reserve.

If I were anyone bidding on cardinals stuff I would stay away from anything attached to a reserve.

[sherbal15]

Re: MLB/team shilling?

Thought this thread could use a renewal -


Cardinals auctions on mlb

I don't know if anyone else has noticed but Cardsgurl16 bids only on items that have a reserve on them. The bidder is always ending their bidding just under the reserve. They have done this multiple times. Don't believe me? Watch the stephen piscotty jersey currently up for auction. You can also be sure to see the wacha coming up go the same way. This bidder NEVER wins and NEVER bids on anything without a reserve.

If I were anyone bidding on cardinals stuff I would stay away from anything attached to a reserve.

You can also watch the kolten wong helmet currently up for auction. Cardsgurl16 currently is in the "lead". The reserve must be close...

[yanks12025]

Re: MLB/team shilling?

You can also watch the kolten wong helmet currently up for auction. Cardsgurl16 currently is in the "lead". The reserve must be close...

I don't see the big deal because there's a reserve already on the item. It's not like they're running the price up on people because technically no one is winning the item.

[sherbal15]

Re: MLB/team shilling?

I don't see the big deal because there's a reserve already on the item. It's not like they're running the price up on people because technically no one is winning the item.

I disagree. Without the bids by cardsgurl16 most, if not all, all of these items wouldn't even come close to the price they end up at. All the reserve is doing is ensuring that cardsgurl16 will never win. Creating a false interest in an item through fake bidders is shilling, reserve or not. Taking it one step further - normally you point to a recent auction sale price to benchmark the value of an item right? What better way to justify CRAZY prices to customers than point to your own shilled auction?

[seanbaseball]

Re: MLB/team shilling?

Shill bidding at any auction is wrong, period. It creates a falsely inflated market

[sherbal15]

Re: MLB/team shilling?

Shill bidding at any auction is wrong, period. It creates a falsely inflated market

Totally agree. And for the record these prices are not getting this high because it's charity. The cardinals auctions on mlb auction are absolutely for profit. Let's not confuse Cards Authentics with Cardinals Care (the not for profit). These are two completely separate beasts

[danesei@yahoo.com]

Re: MLB/team shilling?

I disagree. Without the bids by cardsgurl16 most, if not all, all of these items wouldn't even come close to the price they end up at. All the reserve is doing is ensuring that cardsgurl16 will never win.

But what difference does it make what price the item "ends at" if it never gets sold? The reserve ensures that the items don't go for less than the organization wishes to sell for.

As for the charitable aspect of bidding, there are two things which may drive prices in league sponsored auctions:

1) The assumption that the proceeds, at least in part, go to charitable purposes.
2) The items have more legitimacy coming from a primary source.

Personally, I can see both sides of the "shill" argument. It does drive up the market price, but it also shows what an individual is willing to pay for an item. If you don't want to pay a high price, stop bidding.

On the flip side, people inherently feel betrayed or defrauded when shill bidding occurs. This is thanks to eBay. I know larger auction houses have been accused of doing it, but eBay's form of it is idiotic and blatant.

My view is that shill bids will remain a problem, so long as the individual selling the item has a vested interest in the outcome. Auction houses have a vested interest in garnering the highest possible sale price for their clients, since that maximizes their profits, as well. However, that's still a better venue (to prevent shill bids) than having a "marketplace" where all bidders are anonymous.

[sherbal15]

Re: MLB/team shilling?

But what difference does it make what price the item "ends at" if it never gets sold? The reserve ensures that the items don't go for less than the organization wishes to sell for.

The items are shilled to the point where the next bid triggers the reserve price. The items are getting sold at an artificial price

Personally, I can see both sides of the "shill" argument. It does drive up the market price, but it also shows what an individual is willing to pay for an item. If you don't want to pay a high price, stop bidding.

I hope this was meant to construe that you are understanding the reasoning behind shilling and the way it comes across. It comes across as if you believe shilling is "ok" sometimes.

[GoCrazyFolks76]

Re: MLB/team shilling?

Has anybody bothered to notify MLB about this practice? I think they would be interested to know about illegal activities that are taking place on their websites.

[yanks12025]

Re: MLB/team shilling?

Has anybody bothered to notify MLB about this practice? I think they would be interested to know about illegal activities that are taking place on their websites.

No one has given 100% proof that the teams are shilling bidding their own auctions.

I still think there's nothing big about someone bidding up a reserve(no reserve is different story). And no one should use mlb auctions as a go to for prices because most items go over market price anyway.

[sherbal15]

Re: MLB/team shilling?

No one has given 100% proof that the teams are shilling bidding their own auctions.

I still think there's nothing big about someone bidding up a reserve(no reserve is different story). And no one should use mlb auctions as a go to for prices because most items go over market price anyway.

The only people using mlb auctions as the "go to" for market value is the teams store. So when you call about buying something they can point to the their latest auction prices as justification. So when you say "that pete Kozma jersey is not even worth $175" the response you'll get is "check our latest auction". The great koz just brought $585!

Reserve or not, the practice of shilling is dishonest. Not sure if it technically is illegal or not. Again, if I were a cardinal fan bidding on anything I would stay away from anything with a reserve. The reason it even made it to auction is because no one in the "regular customer" list wants to pay the quoted price, which is most likely the reserve price on the auction. Since nobody wants to pay the price it goes to auction and is shilled to point of "just prior to" going over the reserve price. This justifies the price to the "regular customer" and creates a false market for the item entirely.

[danesei@yahoo.com]

Re: MLB/team shilling?

I hope this was meant to construe that you are understanding the reasoning behind shilling and the way it comes across. It comes across as if you believe shilling is "ok" sometimes.

Take what I say however you want. I can't control how you interpret my comments any more than the board can convince you that there's no proof anything is being shill bid.

[seanbaseball]

Re: MLB/team shilling?

Take what I say however you want. I can't control how you interpret my comments any more than the board can convince you that there's no proof anything is being shill bid.

So your comment is open to any interpretation anyone wants to make. Wouldn't it be easier to just clarify your position on shill bidding of any kind at any location?

[sherbal15]

Re: MLB/team shilling?

Take what I say however you want. I can't control how you interpret my comments any more than the board can convince you that there's no proof anything is being shill bid.

Just to clarify - I'm not asking the board to convince me of anything. I'm trying to alert people and make them think twice before plunking down hard earned money on items with prices that are artificially inflated. If Cardsgurl16 or Terms actually exist as real bidders than I would gladly apologize to them and own my mistake. I honestly believe they exist to run prices up on unsuspecting real bidders who probably don't know better. They also exist to create a benchmark for items to be sold later.