AMCC Auction - Pre- vs. Proxy Bids

I think it's fair to assume that any auction house running their own bidding platform can look at bids and potentially shill bid. Will they? That's up to the auction house. Some have pretty well earned my trust, others I expect I'll lose or pay my max any time I prebid, and bid accordingly.

 

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One thing I find nice at a certain french auction house well known abroad, is the publication of the highest bid after the auction has ended.

We often (including myself) think we have missed an item for a few bucks, but we have actually no idea of what was the max bid the winner had thrown in. With such a system one can see how short they were (or how close all the same).

It also insures you they do not practice shill bidding : I won my last big purchase earlier this year 10 euros or so above the starting price, even though my max bid was 3x times above, since I desperately wanted the coin.

Q

 

I was told by experienced collectors to avoid pre-bidding as it contributes to drawing attention to coins I want.
Normally I use live bids, but when I don't, I use proxy.
I remember last year the weirdest price I saw for a common ancient coin - or at least, nothing spectacular from what I see...



Perhaps I am not seeing something obvious but this looks very fishy.
A 500 EUR pre/proxy bid and during the live auction somebody raises to 480, the very last step before 500.

This is why when I put a proxy bid or, rarely, pre-bid, I put a sum I am comfortable with, and if I want the coin badly, I add, let's say 20%.

I don't think the auction house messed this. I don't see them doing thinks like that. I suspect somebody knew that the winner put an ... interesting pre/proxy bid and decided to use interesting bids as well.