Hey Lamar, ..Thanks for the link to the news story about alleged fraudulent bidding on eBay.

I frequent the Lionel Train category on eBay. I bid on a lot of items utilizing the Greenberg's Pocket Price Guide as a basic "rule of thumb" to give me a rough idea how much something should be worth. It seems I get outbid everytime. I find it hard to believe that train collectors would always be willing to pay a premium price for a piece.

This makes me wonder if there is a possible conspiracy amongst collectors to drive a price up for a friend. What do they have to lose? Maybe the 25 cent posting fee and a small eBay commission if they are unsuccessful and are forced to swallow a sale once in awhile.

I've been an eBay member for quite sometime now and have dealt with many nice people. I've never got stuck and I hope to keep it that way. I refuse to enter a bidding frenzy above and beyond what an item is worth. My advice is to always be patient and never bid more than an item is worth. Sooner or later a deal will come along.

Bob