Auctions, etc.

[paul K2PH]

----snip-----
>An auction is a PROCESS, in the same way that voting in an election is a
>process. Once an auction is underway, then it CAN NOT be INFLUENCED.
>Using an election as an anology, candidates CAN advertise their
>positions PRIOR to the start of the vote. Once voting begins in an
>election, then it is ILLEGAL for candidates to go door to door saying
>"three hours to go", "two hours to go", or to advertise this fact while
>the voting is underway. This would be considered RIGGING the election,
>and UNDUE INFLUENCE.
-----snip------

I was always under the impression that candidates spent every moment until
the polls close trying to "influence" the election, i.e. getting voters
favorable to them to come to the polls. They make phone calls, go
door-to-door, provide transportation, etc. Certainly no law against it
here........or there would be MORE politicians in jail.

-----snip------
>Similarly, it is ILLEGAL for an individual selling an item in an auction
>to go from house to house, or in this Heathkit list case, from list to
>list telling people about his/her item up for auction, and telling how
>much time remains. Again, this is RIGGING the auction. Let's keep this
>Heathkit list LEGAL. End of story.
-----snip-----

That "E-bxxx" place not only permits one to advertise one's auction, but
actually provides a way for sellers to e-mail news of their particular
auction (not all auctions) to anyone they choose to. As some one mentioned,
advertising is the process for influencing your decisions. Read "Man in Grey
Flannel Suit"

Rigging an auction is NOT telling others to bid on your item. Rigging an
auction is when you yourself try to bid up the price through various
techniques such as "shill bidding" using an alias, having your wife bid, etc.

I am not sure where or when all of the laws in the above quote were passed,
suffice it to say they seem to exist only in someone's imagination.

As regards the bigger question, auctions are just another way of selling
something. Since I can't spend every weekend at a hamfest in some part of the
country,  I and others (including many on this list) buy and sell on Ebay. It
gives my items much greater exposure and allows me to sell little things that
may have a very specialized interest or appeal. Yes, it may inflate the
prices a little, but that's a whole other topic. Posting notice of an item
for auction (or sale) ONCE seems to be well within the rules of the list, and
seems like a proper rule. Very few (if any) of us make a "living" buying and
selling old radios, Heathkit or otherwise.
Last time I looked, this was still a hobby, let's all relax a little and keep
it that way. If we have  lived through solid state, incentive licensing,
restructuring, and guys on 75 phone who won't speak to "kids, lids or space
cadets" we can all probably survive Ebay auctions too.

Paul K2PH

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