Suspected shill bidding

rhedden · March 11, 2013 8:34AM

I noticed this seller listed a bunch of cleaned coins last week, and they immediately had 7 to 12 bids in the first day. Well, a week later, this obviously cleaned XF 1857 quarter, which is worth less than $75 fair retail, has apparently sold for more than $600. I know my Seated quarter varieties, and there's nothing obvious here. No surprise: all the bidders are private. Many of his other completed listings look the same. I'd hate to have to pay the seller's fees on those, if they sold to shill accounts. Anyone else have a better explanation besides shill bidding?

link to 1857 quarter auction

LanceNewmanOCC · March 11, 2013 8:39AM

<< I'd hate to have to pay the seller's fees on those, if they sold to shill accounts. >>

cancel transaction for whatever reason refunds/cancels FVF
.

LanceNewmanOCC · March 11, 2013 8:40AM

<< I'd hate to have to pay the seller's fees on those, if they sold to shill accounts. >>

cancel transaction for whatever reason refunds/cancels FVF
edited to add: thanks for sharing this account. i am compiling a list and blocking/not buying from anyone with private feedback, i don't care the reason
.

LanceNewmanOCC · March 11, 2013 8:41AM

.
these threads are connected - same seller
.

rhedden · March 11, 2013 8:43AM

I read the other thread and did not notice! Definite scam artist. Ignore his meaningless feedback rating. I pity da fool who bids on this guy's whizzed up junk.

MsMorrisine · March 11, 2013 8:54AM

I think buyers are seeing bright shiny things and paying too much. This seller also does the new trick of putting a grade in the picture.

check 10hans5961 neutral and negative feedback.

Unknown · March 11, 2013 9:08AM

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Unknown · March 11, 2013 9:15AM

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Zrider · March 11, 2013 9:39AM

<< .
these threads are connected - same seller
. >>

Some huge estate he found.. Text

mbogoman · March 11, 2013 9:50AM

In virtually all of his auctions, his crappy coins have multiple bids within hours while other, better coins of the same date and mintmark languish with no interest. It is almost as if he has some software where he plugs in the item numbers of his listings and the program generates bids for him.

LanceNewmanOCC · March 11, 2013 9:53AM

<< I think buyers are seeing bright shiny things and paying too much. check 10hans5961 neutral and negative feedback. >>

+++1 to both statements but especially the first one
.

Unknown · March 11, 2013 11:04AM

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mariner67 · March 11, 2013 12:33PM

Thanks for pointing this seller out.
More red flags for eBay.

Edited for spelling.

AMRC · March 11, 2013 12:47PM

Egregious shill bidding serves only to hurt the seller. I just cannot see running a $75 item up to $600 as sustainable time and again. The seller runs the risk of selling things to themselves, negs, and repercussions from eBay in explaining a lot of cancelled transactions, and besides that is a lot of casting (work) just to find a dumb fish. The more common use of shill bidding is to keep from giving things away to cheaply, or essentially as reserves.

ebaybuyer · March 11, 2013 4:44PM

what did he have a dozen shill bidders run the prices up ? i cant believe any actual collector would be bidding hundreds of dollars for that quarter, do people still bid according to what the seller writes on the 2x2 ? maybe it was a "first strike" 1857 or something else of artificial value

Senex · March 11, 2013 9:59PM

<< 

<< I'd hate to have to pay the seller's fees on those, if they sold to shill accounts. >>

cancel transaction for whatever reason refunds/cancels FVF
edited to add: thanks for sharing this account. i am compiling a list and blocking/not buying from anyone with private feedback, i don't care the reason
. >>

Every time I see FB with "private", I steer clear.

s4ny · March 11, 2013 11:29PM

The seller 10hans5961 is selling hundreds of coins every week. 99% raw. He gets very strong prices even for
coins that are obviously cleaned.

I would think that buyers would ignore the "grades" written on the 2x2 enclosures as they are very inflated.

He has very good feedback and accepts returns within 14 days. All his auctions start at 99 cents.
I think the 99 cent start helps him get top prices. I have bid on at least 500 of his auctions and never bought.
I kick myself for missing the 1911 D Half Eagle that was sold as a 1911 for $540.

The connected flying eagle cent is probably a coin that was purchased from the estate seller and is now being
re offered on ebay.

rhedden · March 12, 2013 12:52AM

S4NY- you didn't get any of his coins because you didn't bid 10X Trends. This seller doesn't want to sell at fair retail. He wants to clean someone out on each and every coin. Good luck with future bids.

Having 10 or more shill buddies is not unheard of on eBay, by the way. Some people pull it off successfully because they don't bid the coins up to ridiculous levels like this guy does. They just have their shill network pump it up bit by bit to the high end of fair retail towards the end of the auction. It's a great business model if one can pull it off, and eBay won't generally find out.

Suspected shill bidding

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