Mike, Good morning,

Let me share another viewpoint. The bulk of my eBay activity is buying. I would not like to see Privacy auctions get popular. I use the bidders as a sort of "tool", whether talking about chips or other items. The "Bid History" list is the first place I go. I look to see if known dealers are bidding, and if they are in there bidding. That way if I'm not real certain about the item value, I can get a feel as to whether the current price range is reasonable. Auctions "work" because there is a certain mistique about them. I think it is possible for for sellers to shroud their product in so much "secrecy" that the average buyer would rather go to the local mall and buy from a "price tag" and know from the start where they are at. "Secret sealed ballot type" bidding is NOT an auction, in my opinion. I won't for instance bid on any item that has a "reserve". Just enter a starting bid, and let the chips fall where they may. Yeah, it was kind ofa pun. Sorry!! Just food for thought.

Roger