Went to some more auctions....three. Decent crowd, semi-decent lockers. Nothing jumped out at me as being exciting. I bid on a 5 x 5 that I would have been happy with for $100 (in my area). I went to $125 comfortably but then took a 3 month newbie up and let him have it at $180. It was clean and full, but after $125 I wasn't interested.
One 10 x 30 looked good with a big (wheeled) gizmo at the back that we figured out was a concrete pump! I thought it probably sold new for $8,000 or so and that getting $3K for it wouldn't be too hard (if it worked). There were also several good looking sets of golf clubs, some opened suitcases, a 40" or so flatscreen, a 7' tall, four wall dog kennel about 6' square or so. Overall, some definite possibilities for profit.
Started out slow enough, $100 or so but then two guys (both friends of mine) took it up to $600 pretty fast. I was holding back as the concrete thing was out of my area, but both of these guys handle equipment so why not let them have it. Friend #1 got it for the $600.....was wondering why friend #2 was "bidding him up", but I told him that he wasn't, he just wanted it. Hard to take logic into account when in the heat of the bidding. We all bid up newbies and "hogs" who want them all. Our bidding up generally only goes as high as we would be willing to pay, but in some cases we "zing" the other guy to teach him a lesson or deplete his funds for the rest of the day.
Anyway, as others are headed to the office, we go into the locker (yeah, I know, it's a no-no, but oh, well). Got a good look at the main goodies and locked it up. Get to office...THERE'S A PROBLEM !
The legal ad was 3 days short of being legal...had to cancel the sale! After the big disappointment the two of us talked...Friend #2 had left in a huff since he didn't get it (and didn't get that it is BUSINESS, not friendship). We decided the three of us might COLLUDE to keep the price down next time around and buy it all together and split the proceeds...that's if no other buyers get involved....if they do, it's anyone's ball game.
Yes, we know, COLLUSION is a bad thing, an illegal thing even, but so is going more than the speed limit, not feeding a parking meter, etc. No one is being robbed at gunpoint and no one is getting beaten with a club. Ever cheat on your tax return or SPEED just to keep THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC going?