[Charley Lillard]

If you have never been there you need to go and you will understand how silly the notion is of them bringing a few of their cars to run up prices. It is alot different when you are in that room as opposed to watching it on TV. The energy and excitement is like a living thing as it gets toward prime time. The pace is amazing and at some point it peaks at a high doller car and then you can just feel the energy leave the room and prices drop for awhile.
As for the Futureliner if you watched the auction there was confusion at the end but I don't think anything was intentional or underhanded. It was high rollers in a competition. Right after it closed Craig came down front to talk to the guy in the t shirt and shaved head and the guy was ranting. There was a camera crew taping the whole thing standing right behind Craig. The auction house tapes everything so when a gripe comes up they can replay it to see exactly just what happened. I wonder how many guys came to the auction office saying thay got cheated and produced bidders that they say were trying to bid but when the tape is replayed they are nowhere to be seen. There is big money here and just like Ebay the scum will also try to find a way to get some of it.
As for shill bidding it has been the standard for auctions since before we were born. Nobody is making you bid. I don't condone it but it has been the norm in the auction industry. I also have heard all the rumors of the feds investigating all the auctions. I don't think Barrett-Jackson was shill bidding things up this year. You might have individuals having their buddies bid things up but I don't think the house was. When you actually go to Barrett-Jackson and see how successful it is you will understand why it would be silly for them to risk what they have in order to generate excitement for something that is already excited. When you saw them stop the bidding and sort the bids out I think that is them trying to remain on the straight and narrow. Great event.