I think it a secret desire of most eBay sellers to find the Golden Egg! I would be willing to bet that within a couple of days, if not already, the seller no longer has possession of this item. It was a bold face lie to retract the auction thinking that value will increase exponentially beyond what it has already in a couple of years.

And of course the reality there is that in a couple of years time, a box or 2 could turn up!

In general, I find it highly unethical to offer something For Sale and then renege on the offer!

Within the specific eBay marketplace, I also consider it to be unethical for eBay'ers to make offers of early termination of an auction, as their eBay membership includes a provision that they will not act in that fashion.

I'm sure that at times in can be hard to act in the right manner, and I hope that I can always make the correct decissions myself!

I do NOT know any of the participants in this situation, but I agree with you about it not being acceptable behavior, and this type of thing just strikes a chord in me.

Jim