From Bruce:
Before the auction closed, he emailed and said he would rather pay the commissions and get the poster back than have it sell for that amount.
No auction can stop this, because he could have instead easily had any friend bid "for him", and accomplish the same thing (and I am sure that happens a lot, especially in the vast majority of auctions that hide their bidder IDs). But because he is an honest and honorable man, he did it openly, with no subterfuge. However, he DID make a mistake in consigning the poster in the first place, when the rules were so clear.
He will get the poster back, but pay the full selling commission. And he will be told to never send any consignment again if he can't accept that it will sell to the highest bidder. If he can't accept that, he can't consign again.
Compare the above to other auctions that not only allow their consignors to bid on their own items, but also regularly make deals with them where on items they "buy back" they are charged greatly reduced commissions, and sometimes zero commissions. That is auction sanctioned shill bidding.
I want no consignors who can't accept the no reserve aspect of our auctions. That is why a number of people don't consign to us, and I am fine with that.