Depending on where you buy your chocolate (poster), it may be more (Christies) or less (eBay) expensive.
correct!
Yeah but, precious little shilling when it comes to a chocolate. Which was more my thrust....
oh c'mon Simon. stop believing that claptrap.
one auctioneer makes these accusations regularly, but NEVER backs it up with any factual data.
Considering the seller has a conflict of interest when making such claims, in attempting to stain others so that he can get a competitive advantage, and there is nothing to back it up, it is nothing more than a fallacious claim by someone looking for a competitive advantage.
furthermore, lets look at the math of shill bidding. what benefit does an auction house have when they are bidding on an item that has already gone passed it's reserve? The answer: None and here is why. Lets say an item has a reserve of $5000 (hammer price, does not include BP), their percentage of 20%= $1000 + BP= $1000 (based on 20% commission & 20% BP). so the auction makes $2000
so maybe yur auction wants it to hammer at 10,000 for some reason, what happens if the auction house bids $6000.. and there are no further bids?
Not only has the house lost it's profits, but now it is stuck with this item that is going to cost them out-of-pocket $4800. That is a $6800 swing from $2000+ to ($4800-)
the detriments of shill bidding are clearly not favorable to the auction house
Might the consignors attempt shill bidding to drive up the price?
well some try, but the same math is their fail. You have a $5000 reserve and you get $4000. yay!
Or
Your friend shill bids for you. He goes to $6000 at your request and you indemnify him from any purchase. There are no further bids, so you just bought back your item from the auction house for $7200 ($6000 hammer + 20%). You get $5000 back from the auction, so it cost you $2200 out-of-pocket, plus you lost the $4000 you would have otherwise gotten - a $6200 swing!
what's the benefit?
This has nothing to do with the house bidding up to the bid before the reserve, which is the only format that a shill is legal, because it effects nothing. It's a house bidder hoping to find the bidder who will pay the reserve.
Shill bidding is a boogie man and only practiced by the ignorant and foolish