... >>And maybe put in a knockout punch at the same time.<<

To knockout what, Jim? So someone else won't remove the chip from the market where you'll never get it? Or so the dealer can jack up the price on you at the last minute?

There is a difference in what >>I'm really willing to pay on each lot.<< I want to know, is this what the DEALER thinks it's worth, or what other COLLECTORS think it's worth. This goes hand-in-hand with Archie's price guide argument. A price guide isn't the only way to determine value. There's HONEST COMPETITION!

I'm going to say this one more time, and then I'm going to do something else with my holiday. A reserve auction is a legitimate tool with clear rules and an easily understandable process. Bidders can choose to play or not. Many people choose not to bid because the hidden reserve price puts them at a disadvantage.

A shill bid is a dishonest practice. It puts the real bidder at a similar, and worse, disadvantage without any of the clear rules. I say worse because the reserve must be set up front, but the shill can play the bidders depending on the action and other knowledge of who they're dealing with. An intelligent bidder will shun the entire auction site that permits shills faster than he will shun a reserve auction.

I agree if it's clearly permitted, that it's obviously not illegal. It's still a damn bad way to run an auction.