ENFIELD TANKER CARBINE sells for over $1000

[browningautorifle]

It could be an auction rope-a-dope where you buy something you made yourself to generate an interest and a standard value before you sell a bunch more.

Once again, one I've never heard of. Interesting tactic of internet sales...somewhat dishonest though.

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[Seaspriter]

Originally Posted by Smellymarkfive

It could be an auction rope-a-dope where you buy something you made yourself to generate an interest and a standard value before you sell a bunch more.

There are some very conniving sellers that know how to manipulate the "game." (BTW, I am NOT alleging this happened in this situation!!! Nor am I saying it is common, I have not personally experienced this game, and have bought guns with very satisfactory results on GunBroker.)

It takes two "names" to play the "Rope a Dope," but these names are either just pseudonyms for the seller or just shills for the seller who are "bidding stooges."

Here's how the game works:
- Seller posts the product, then arranges to have one or two bidders (shills or pseudonyms) crank up the bids, creating a "feeding frenzy."
- Innocent bidder, who is not terribly aware of real values, gets roped in, figuring that if several other experienced bidders are in the fray, the value must be there.
- As the price escalates, the shills watch how fast the innocent bidder responds to their counter-bids. To the innocent, his odds look like 33% because there are 2 other bidders at this point.
- If the innocent bidder slows down his response times in counter-offering, it means he is probably beginning to have doubts about his chances of winning (or is running out of money or doesn't see the value).
- At this point one of the shills drops out, figuring if the innocent thinks he now has a 50/50 chance of winning, he will stay in the game a bit longer.
- As the bidding and counter-bidding slows down again, the last shill drops out, leaving the innocent holding the final bid.
- If the innocent fails to bid on the final round (which is possible, but a lower probability than winning the final bid) the gun never really sells, and shows up on some other auction site at a later date.

Hopefully exposing this technique will save someone the pain of inadvertently becoming "the dope that got roped."

BTW, if in other parts of the world you aren't familiar with the term, it's a boxing phrase that Mohammad Ali (aka Cassius Clay) used to make his opponents think the was "on the ropes" and ready to fold. Then he would miraculously turn the tide as he emerged from his "stupor."

[Smellymarkfive]

There are some very conniving sellers that know how to manipulate the "game." (BTW, I am NOT alleging this happened in this situation!!! Nor am I saying it is common, I have not personally experienced this game, and have bought guns with very satisfactory results on GunBroker.)

It takes two "names" to play the "Rope a Dope," but these names are either just pseudonyms for the seller or just shills for the seller who are "bidding stooges."

Here's how the game works:
- Seller posts the product, then arranges to have one or two bidders (shills or pseudonyms) crank up the bids, creating a "feeding frenzy."
- Innocent bidder, who is not terribly aware of real values, gets roped in, figuring that if several other experienced bidders are in the fray, the value must be there.
- As the price escalates, the shills watch how fast the innocent bidder responds to their counter-bids. To the innocent, his odds look like 33% because there are 2 other bidders at this point.
- If the innocent bidder slows down his response times in counter-offering, it means he is probably beginning to have doubts about his chances of winning (or is running out of money or doesn't see the value).
- At this point one of the shills drops out, figuring if the innocent thinks he now has a 50/50 chance of winning, he will stay in the game a bit longer.
- As the bidding and counter-bidding slows down again, the last shill drops out, leaving the innocent holding the final bid.
- If the innocent fails to bid on the final round (which is possible, but a lower probability than winning the final bid) the gun never really sells, and shows up on some other auction site at a later date.

Hopefully exposing this technique will save someone the pain of inadvertently becoming "the dope that got roped."

BTW, if in other parts of the world you aren't familiar with the term, it's a boxing phrase that Mohammad Ali (aka Cassius Clay) used to make his opponents think the was "on the ropes" and ready to fold. Then he would miraculously turn the tide as he emerged from his "stupor."

I wasn't trying to be super cynical but the antiques trade is full of tricks, the best solution is to knowledge up.