[MOPO] An odd incident on this past Sunday Heritage Auction

[Jeff Herdan]

I had a very interesting experience in yesterday’s Heritage Sunday auction.

 

I bid on lot #54132 (Buck Jones ‘Desert Vengeance’ Lobby Title Card).  I
placed a bid of $260 + 19 ½ % buyer’s premium (total of $310.70). .I made
the bid with less than 1 minute to go.  The previous high bid was $80
(+premium) and when my bid was listed as the high bid, my bid was shown as
$150 (plus premium)…again with less than 1 minute to go.

 

I watched the seconds tick down and when there was literally 1 second to go,
I was still the high bidder at $150.  However, when the auction ended, it
suddenly showed a high bid of $280 (plus premium).  Somehow I was outbid.

 

I wonder how this happened….was it a fluke that someone with hands as quick
as Eli Manning just made the higher bid with 1 second on the clock or maybe
it was an ‘internal bidder’ who recognized that I was about to make a good
purchase.  

 

Frankly with all the press that is going on regarding shill bidding in
Auction houses (with Heritage being named as one who uses internal bidders
and fictitious bidders, I seriously wonder if this was just such a case….I
cannot be sure, but it certainly leaves one to pause to think.

 

I know that I will not participate in future Heritage auctions.  Any
thoughts? 

 


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