First off I don't know if this is the correct place to suggest something like this, but... (admonish me if it isn't)
I searched for something like this but I didn't find one.

Could we get an EBAY thread going long term? A sticky or something?

I bid on multiple blacksmith tools online, all the time! Would it not benefit us if we know we were fighting each other?

This for example
http://cgi.ebay.com/LOT-4-BLACKSMITH-HAMMER-FORGING-TOOLS-/370496847790?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5643553fae&autorefresh=true#ht_3955wt_1139
(It would be nice to know if I'm bidding againt a friend or a COLLECTER)

I'm bidding on it at this moment. If I knew that another member needed something, and I didn't. I wouldn't bid on it.
Say like an anvil , and a new member needed one but I already had a few and could have done without. I wouldn't bid.

-Respectfully
-Agita

I think you have a valid idea if it is possible. I would hate to think that I deprived someone who needed an item just because I wanted to increase my collection. Good Point.

Mark<><

I've seen smiths bid against each other many times at meetings and conferences without guile.......An auction is an auction, we're all big boys here..................mb

Seems like a lot of money for some top tools, I only see two that I would consider useful, that would be the flatter and the hot cut, the other square drift? not exactly something I would need, if I did need it I would make something to do the job. The other tool I do not have a clue to its use, 99% of the time if I don't know what it is then I don't need it. So you are looking at $120 for 2 tools with 3 days left on the auction, I would pass on that deal myself and go to a local event to check the tailgating section.
I do buy and sell on ebay, but I only buy at good prices, and I sell for whatever the market will bear, it goes to the highest bidder

That is illegal in some states of the USA to keep groups from colluding and forcing lower prices on auctions.

I've seen smiths bid against each other many times at meetings and conferences without guile.......An auction is an auction, we're all big boys here..................mb

I'm all for friendly competition. If thats what it is. But I also don't want to fight someone in need.

It could also be a place to bring attention to an particular bid or craigslist piece. I have seen quite a few posts for just this reason.

!! "anyone in this area" !! Sound familiar?

do not forget you can always make your own. I made a Brian Brazeal anvil the steel was a drop and I picked it up for $35.00 made the legs from scrap the most time consuming part was drilling the harder hole and making it square as clinton said the square punch seems a little useless a little to me. I made a flattener from an old drilling hammer with a 2 1/2"x21/2"x 1/2" plate welded to one face works very well

Thomas is right, colluding to manipulate an auction is illegal. Best keep your distance.

Ah, didn't know. makes sense though.

collusion is illegal in all states. It is a form of conspiracy to defraud the auctioneer out of funds in a free market auction. The tough part is PROVING it!

... The tough part is PROVING it!

Not if we have a thread promoting it!

Very easy to prove shill bidding, collusion, ect....everything done on a computer leaves a footprint somehow...be careful out there, as they use to say on NYPD cop show!

If you have a thread that only states what is for auction and people state that they are bidding on such and such item it could draw to the auction and if someone did not want to bid against someone else that is thier perogitive. Seems like it could go both ways. Normally the more people that know about an auction item the higer the price will end up.

I didn't know as an average person. Good thing you guys are around to keep me straight.

Didnt mean to stir the waters this much :D

Didn't know that either. Glad you more ebay savy people are out there.

Lesson learned the easy way. Thanks Thomas and others.

Mark<><

as for a post about the auctions existing, we already have that in the Tailgating section, Items for sale privately as well as Ebay and such

I for 1 think its a waste of time to look at a forum full of e-bay or craigslist postings, as most are over and done by the time I look at the thread that has them, the links are usually dead or the auction is over and one cannot see what the topic of intrest was anyway. I would feel different if the posts were updated and link removed but that would be not worth the time of the admins. If a picture for reference and a final bid amount was posted... along with the date and year of sale, that may be of some intrest. Just my take on this subject. - JK