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Originally Posted by spiral
When I realised people followed my bidding in earlier days, I bid on several junk kukris, They went for loads of money to familiar names, who then were upset when they realised they were junk & had been ripped off, one even accused me of shill bidding! 
Spiral the unscrupulous.  |
I used to go to live antique auctions and buy furniture and whatever. I first went to antique galleries and memorized dealers' faces. Not being sure what an item was really worth I would bid slightly over the dealers because I knew that they were buying to resell, so I would get a good price if I bid a few dollars over them.
One night in the middle of the furniture auction they brought out about 20 French muzzle loaders. I had little interest in them at the time but had taken a look before the auction and some of them looked really good.
I am also aware that there are waves of bidding in live auctions. An item will come up and everyone goes wild bidding. Often the next item, though a good piece will not receive the bidding it is due.
Up come two dueling pistols. I was near the back of the room, but I noticed they were having a hard time getting a hundred dollar bid. Previous pistols had sold in the thousand dollar range. I perked up and bid a hundred dollars for the pair.
I dealer raised my bid a few dollars. I bid again. He raised. I bid. Finally I got them for only six hundred dollars! Hot damn!
Now I had never even held these particular pistols, but the others were really good. The auction house wrapped everything and I paid and took my spoils home.
Opening everything on my dining room table I unwrapped the pistols. My heart sank. They were so bad. Something that Pier 1 would have shunned.
Well, the nest day I took them back to the auction house. The auctioneer pointed at the "all sales final" sign. I told him that the other pistols were quality antiques, but he did not distinguish these as being modern repros. He point at the other sign that said, "Examine carefully before you bid."
The bottom line was that he did take them back. I was a regular customer.
But the next time I saw the dealer! He had the biggest grin!
So I got caught! I learned a few good lessons about auctions! I held no hard feelings about the dealer. I got exactly what I deserved.