Anybody else seeing a pattern from Zeus Numismatics of their prebids going to the limit...everytime?

I know that I've read more than a couple instances, one lately on a very beautiful and rare coin, of Zeus Numismatics maxing out their pre bid on a coin. Now, if that's the case, I should simply take my business elsewhere. But if it's that I'm simply biding on coins that I think are under the radar and others are bidding me up then I also would like to believe that... cause I LOVE their coins as they have wonderful examples of must have coins for certain OBVIOUS areas of my collection.
This in no way is a negative post on them. As I'm one who loves the thrill of getting a good deal on sleepers from "budget" auction houses.
Big fan of Savoca blue (though they're no longer the under the radar house that they once were), Frank Robinson (though his coins can hit IMHO absorbent amounts, due directly to his well earned tenure and longevity in collecting and selling of quality coins) and you can find cheap sleepers on Leu and N & N now and again.
I have just had it happen to me and seen it posted about enough that I'm wondering, "Do I just start only bidding with that firm live (keeping, what could be, dishonest people honest) or if they're really doing it do I stop buying from them altogether??"
Or... am I just tripping?


I'd love to hear from those who have had experiences with Zeus, those who've used auction houses for longer than I (a few years) or anybody who has an opinion

 

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I made my first purchase from them a few months ago and conveniently won by $5 on a $1K+ coin which opened at $1. I'd like to think I'm just that good on pricing but I've since privately heard from three other people who have had similar experiences.

 

I made one bid on a Zeus coin in the auction that closed today. It sold for my maximum bid.

 

I placed a pre bid on a provincial coin about a week before the auction close it had the starting bid of 1 pound I placed my pre bid of 46 pounds and went straight to the leading bid indicting the first bid was 45 pounds, I found this very strange indeed...a fluke, I think not.

 

That is very concerning. (Though, if it was that five headed beauty, I'm still in awe aaand you got a wonderful deal on a highly interesting and artistic sleeper coin, albeit in a different stratosphere of WONDERFUL as Ive dealt, just like I'm talking about).
That they can sell such rarities for so cheap does make you wonder if them boosting to max prebids is how they stay in biz? I mean, they ayre VERY new on the scene.
For example, I did just score an amazing deal on a (possible to probable) lifetime provincial Pompey (thread awaiting further replies):
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/pompeys-head-on-a-platter.365851/
I easily would've prebid 50+pounds for this beauty, and possibly chased it higher depending on how my earlier bids had panned out. While live bidding rendered an incredible 10£!!!

However, I prebid a meager 11£ on this unique but beatup and clearly chewed up bubble gum looking MSC


sure enough cost... drum roll... 11£¡
As well, this wonderful gem, in the same auction, prebid 22£ , won for 22£. However, I will point out that I feel this coin is EXCEPTIONAL and I am pleased that they held the auction on a Friday, whodoesthat? (future thread to come upon arrival):

 

I've won 11 lots from them but I've only done live bidding. Doesn't biddr control the outcome on their end?

 

Great question!. And, more to the point, is the auctionhouse given the prebids from them ahead of time?

 

I have no experience with pre-bids with Zeus, so I can't comment on them, but
I have had similar experiences with other auction houses. Could all very well be chance, of course, and I'm definitely not going to point fingers or jump to conclusions, but as a precaution, I've dropped pre-bids altogether with the lesser- known auction houses.

 

Happened to me on all three of the coins I bid on today. Fortunately, I put in bids I thought were fair.

 

Holy Yikes! Has anybody ever prebid Zeus and NOT had it max out???

 

I had a 170 GBP bid on a rare bronze, I got it for 40.

 

This is an alarming thread!

Looks like I've bid in one of their auctions. Two lots, one I underbid by many increments and the other I won... for my max. It wasn't a valuable coin and my bid was tepid to fair.

I will bid very cautiously with them in the future... if I bid with them at all.

EDITED: My one Zeus auction experience does not apply to the question posed by this thread. My bids weren't pre-bids, they were live.

 

That's heartening.
I better take a closer look back through my purchases with them, though seems a trend is emerging. But as of recently I've just been enjoying the live bidding experience with most auction houses and feeling like it's saving me precious dollars, as I'm trying not to over nor under my speculation of my expenditures (but they've had some really dope coins so I've laid some prebids).
With live bidding I feel I learn more about trends and have a better shot at coins I'm in LOVE with... plus it's just fun to see the other ancient gems that others win...!

 

I forgot about the Zeus auction all together. There were a few Byzantine pieces
I would have bid on. I place all in bids with the thought of expenses. If they
run up/schill bid me to my max that's OK with me. Sure I would like to get the
lot/lots for less, but at least I have them for my collection. In the end, it's what
you got that makes a collection not coulda, woulda, shoulda.
PS I wish they would give the date for their Islamic pieces where applicable.
This old boy is too old to try to learn their script.

 

I edited my post but will also write the edit here because I don't want it to be remembered as wrongly adding to the suspicion.

My one experience bidding with Zeus does not apply to this thread after all because the bids were placed live rather than placed ahead of closing as pre-bids. The coin I won for my max was won for max because I bid live and no one topped me.

I do remain interested in the original question and others' experiences in this matter.

 

I won a few coins at the last auction. The most pricey coins I got I won for my max bids (35 and 26) but some of the lower grade coins I got for less than my max bids. This Tacitus for example:
Max bid of 8, but got it for 4. A few other coins I won for 2-6 pounds less than my max bids. I also got outbid on many others (trying to find bargains lol). I personally don't think that any unethical bidding practices are occurring here, but I am interested in others' experiences.

 

Participating in Live auctions is certainly the "thrill of a lifetime". But let me tell you about auctions for real man ( no misogyny here). Ever heard about "Dutch auctions" style ? That is, the initial asking price will be very high, but the longer people wait, the lower the price. The first to bid gets the item. It's hard on the nerves my friend ! Sweating, hyperventilation and tachycardia guaranteed ! By the way, the historian Herodotus described that kind of auctions held in Mesopotamia (Babylon) in the 5th century BC...However I do not know if this exists in the numismatic world.

 

Yikes! I would not enjoy that type of auction. Might be fun to do it once just for the experience.

 

There used to be Dutch auctions on ebay several years back. You would see a mixed lot of coins at a fixed single price and then watch them drop.....

 

I can offer some inside info here, since I've seen the process on biddr from the auction house perspective. Pre-bids are not private, the auction house can see them. So it would in principle be possible for an auction house to set up fake accounts to shill bid you up to your max. I've been suspicious in the past when my bids were constantly maxed out.

However proxy bids are hidden from everyone except you. That's why I recommend proxy bidding if you prefer not to live bid. Proxy bidding has been available on the biddr platform for a while now, and I'm always suspicious of auction houses that choose not to offer it. Does Zeus? I've only participated in Zeus auctions once & don't remember much. I won this Maurice follis from them: