I didnt start this

I never said you did... but you WERE the one who threatened to make an issue of it.

We seem to be trying to establish whether 'shill bidding' or bidding on ones own goods is ethical, and whether perhaps the club has any stance on this and how we should treat it 'between members'

First, you're equating "shill bidding" with "bidding on ones own goods." I'm no expert, but I always think of shill bidding as an activity that is proscribed by law, custom, or specific auction rules, none of which is the case in the Bruce Landau Memorial Auction. I wouldn't want to speak for the club, but I doubt it has any position on the bidding activities in the Auction, and I don't think we need to "establish" anything.

Mr Follis kindly pointed out this with regard to the club auction "Auction is only between Club members (who are to abide by a Code of Ethics)"

Seems to me you are saying the club feels shill bidding is acceptable, or are we ONLY saying that for the club auction? That I can agree with, but

Again, while the club may have a stance on "shill bidding", none of the behaviour that has taken place at the Club Auction has been proscribed and thus there is no issue.

I will point out that whilst someone winning their own lot pays out 20%, he also gets 80% on the lots he doesnt win whilst the club only gets 20%.

Yes, that's the essence of the auction in a nutshell.

No need to discuss the club auction any further as you said. How do you feel about shill bidding on ebay or any other auction?

As for my personal feelings, I think that shill bidding is both heinous and unnecessary. After all, if you have a $25 Hard Rock chip (as is the case in one example in this thread) that you would not part with for less than $25, why in G-d's name would you start the auction at 99 cents? This makes zero sense to me, and anyone caught shill bidding should be castrated.

BTW - I didnt quite understand what you meant by "Another difference between the Bruce Landau Memorial Auction and many others (particularly on eBay), is that for lots valued at less than $1,000, the seller is unable to protect himself (or herself) with a minimum bid"

Do you mean the minimum reserve you can set is $1,000? If thats the case then I suggest a whole bunch of people that were bidding in the club auction did not know that

Yes, David... I believe that everyone knows that the minimum reserve you can set is $1,000. Do you actually know anyone do did not know this... and, a better question, how would this effect anyone's bidding behavior?