Archie,

In my VERY humble opinion, calling that example "shilling" would be a stretch. Your example is individuals simply stating a personal taste or opinion as to the cosmetic appearance of a specific item.

"Shilling" is the act of intentionally forcing a higher, inflated price to be placed on an item, under the "pretense" of offering to pay that higher price for the item , without any actual intent to purchase. Whew! <g>

Roger