Morals in the hobby - would you still bid?

[hairyangryfella]

I'm a big Thunder fan, and I really like Thabo Sefolosha. When I saw in the new Immaculate product that he was on a triple card with KG and Westbrook I was excited.

I saw a triple patch on ebay, but it looks shilled -
http://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBids&_trksid=p2047675.l2565&rt=nc&item=301016167837

88 retractions by the 2nd-highest bidder, including once he took the bid lead.

This made me wonder - what would you do if either a) you were the highest bidder and saw this activity or b) you wanted the card but hadn't bid

Would you retract your bid? Would you not place a bid? Or would that not affect you and you'd just bid what you were prepared to pay?

Personally, I would not bid on this because of the seemingly blatant shilling.

What would you do?

 

[muzikandme]

It's always hard to decide, to me I would only bid if the chances of getting the card else where was really low.

 

[lilreddevil]

/10, I'd let it go and wait for the next one.

 

[hsv006]

Ill be bent over and shafted before i give my hard earned cash to a shilling scumbag !!

 

[Verse1]

I try not to look into auctions that much anymore. If you want something have a bid at what you're willing to pay. If you sit there and over analyse every auction you'll end up finding something shady in everything and never buy anything you want.

 

[GarnettFan4Life]

If I bid and then seen it I would retract my bid

 

[Jaames]

I'd just bid my max and don't care what else happens.

 

[nichj99]

I had this happen recently. The card I went for 9 straight times unsold at a starting bid of $8. Half an hour after I bid I get outbid to a price of $100, then retracted to my max of $10.50. Reported it to eBay who then found he was guilty of it and adjusted me amount to be paid to my initial bid of $8. So he lost out in the end after it later uncovered the same activity on many other auctions. They won't win in the long run.

 

[MJ23BULLS]

I look at it like this, nothing in this world is free, so I don't expect to win a card for less then a person wants to sell it...

I don't care how other people bid, I bid to what I want to pay and that's it...

It's not like we can do anything about it anyway...

 

[hairyangryfella]

I look at it like this, nothing in this world is free, so I don't expect to win a card for less then a person wants to sell it...

I don't care how other people bid, I bid to what I want to pay and that's it...

It's not like we can do anything about it anyway...

Yes but that's what a reserve is for... not a free market auction like this. It is ethically wrong and against ebay terms to inflate your auction using another account. Because I have strong moral beliefs, I would therefore not bid on this card.
Based on your reply, you would.

That is fine, I respect your opinion and was just wanting to see what everyone thought.

 

[MJ23BULLS]

Yes but that's what a reserve is for... not a free market auction like this. It is ethically wrong and against ebay terms to inflate your auction using another account. Because I have strong moral beliefs, I would therefore not bid on this card.
Based on your reply, you would.

That is fine, I respect your opinion and was just wanting to see what everyone thought.

I have been shilled plenty of times unknowingly and knowingly, my morals are my own, I don't care what other people do with their auctions one bit...

I don't see how I could buy any of the kind of cards I buy without getting bid up by shady people...

Sure, I would love not to be shilled, but I expect it, so I bid accordingly...

 

[West Oz Cards]

I still think that is a really decent buy at $73 for a Prime /10

 

[hsv006]

If your happy giving your cash to theives then good for you !!!

 

[Fleer57]

I'd just bid my max and don't care what else happens.

i second this. Decide on what you're happy to pay, set your max and ignore the rest.

 

[drob50]

The problem is "bidding the max you are prepared to pay" is that is what some of these guys rely on!!

Why should you always pay your "maximum" for a card? You should be able to win auctions for any amount UP TO your max bid, WITHOUT being manipulated by false bids! If you just accept that you will pay your max all the time, these guys win!

The only problem is that in many cases, it may not be the seller that is manipulating the auctions. It could just be another person with a 'vested interest' in the type of cards. Or it could be that they want to scare away other bidders??

I think as a seller, you should be the one to cancel/block these bids. I had around 70 listings up recently and had 1 bidder place and retract bids on 3-4 items. I blocked him instantly and messaged him to say "bid retractions is a great way to get yourself blocked".

 

[hairyangryfella]

Oh look... that same seller with the Thabo triple... who "sold" this card to a zero feedback bidder -

http://www.ebay.com/itm/301016171091?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

Has relisted it... for more...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/301022171934?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:VRI&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2661

Nothing at all dodgy there.........