In a commentary, SMU Adjunct Faculty Dr Larry Haverkamp shared his thoughts on the auction scene, as he related some of his personal experiences at various auctions. He addressed the concept of “shilling”, which means fake bidding. Shills pretend to bid in order to generate excitement at the auction but if they win, they don’t actually buy the item. Dr Haverkamp also urged readers to beware the shipping costs of auctions, adding that shipping is usually the highest unexpected cost to a buyer in an auction.