So, what happened here?

[nosmok]

I mean, I know it's evilBay, and I love an Ektar as much or more as the next guy, but this is mind-boggling! I was watching it assuming it was just another Ektra lens, but obviously not. Plus the seller started it at a buck, and there were two different 40-grand bids so I don't think they're shills... Any ideas why this is so special?

 

[Old-N-Feeble]

Money laundering?

 

[skorpiius]

I see the seller ended the auction after those high bids and relisted it, it sold for $1200

 

[nosmok]

I missed that; that makes a whole lot more sense as a price...

 

[xya]

obviously he didn't want to sell for around $930. but you can't end the auction last minute. he has 2 other (fake) identities, he bid a fantastic price with the first one and then with the second he did an even higher bid. so all normal last-second bids aren't accepted. when the first false identity retracts the bid, the price for the second drops to $940. the lens is yours and you can try again. and you can even claim that your second fake identity didn't pay, so you save the fee.

 

[Theo Sulphate]

Wouldn't a reserve price work just as well? Well, perhaps not, as that may sometimes cause the bidding to stall.

 

[Dan Fromm]

It is a perfectly ordinary eBay train wreck. The two high bidders put in absurd bids serenely confident that all of the other bidders will behave sensibly.

The first of them, m**u, put in his bid at 10:14. Several other bidders bid repeatedly trying to find his limit. o**c, the bravest of the small fry, dropped out at 16:45 after having pushed the automatic bidder, acting for m**u, up to $930. And then h**h's ridiculous snipe bid hit at 18:35:28 six seconds before the auction closed normally. KAPOW!

There's nothing mysterious or underhanded, just misplaced faith in other bidders' rationality.

xya, look at the bids' time and date stamps and reconsider your story. I think you got it badly wrong.

Theo, a reserve price (= an invisible high opening bid) has no effect on how much bidders will offer.

 

[AgX]

The bidder m...u did even a lot of automated bids in that bidding before that price rise.

 

[Theo Sulphate]

...
Theo, a reserve price (= an invisible high opening bid) has no effect on how much bidders will offer.

I realize that, but, following xya's theory, a reserve bid would've kept the seller from "giving away" the lens at a less than desired price.

I agree with your snipe bid scenario as being most likely.

 

[Dan Fromm]

The bidder m...u did even a lot of automated bids in that bidding before that price rise.

Y'know, I might be mistaken. I've looked at the bidders and at the seller's completed listings. Several of the bidders have moderate amounts of bidding activity and surprising percentages of bidding activity with the seller. Its hard to interpret because the bidders are anonymous, but they might be part of a shilling ring. A bids on B's, C's, D's, ... listing, B bids on A's, C's, ... and so on. Makes the shilling less obvious. Thing is, the seller's had to pay a moderate amount of money for his 73 completed auctions' final value fees.