Dan the Card Lawyer and Josh Adams from 90s Auctions join us to keep pulling back the curtain on shill bidding, reserves, and how auction houses really work behind the scenes. We look at where “accepted hobby practice” ends and fraud begins, why some newer hobby-first auction houses are drawing hard lines, and how much shill is quietly baked into the prices we all rely on. We also touch on eBay authentication horror stories, stolen mail, and whether it is even possible to collect without being touched by any of this.

Highlights include:

A criminal defense lawyer’s perspective on shill bidding, fraud, and why some practices cross the line

An auction owner explaining why 90s Auctions walked away from reserves and house bidding

How guarantees, reserves, and “system bids” can warp prices long before you place your max bid

The uncomfortable question of how much shill is baked into almost every COMP in the hobby

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