... Jim, which WOULD be covered by the Sherman act, just as the real estate business was. However, if a group of art COLLECTORS reached such an agreement, refrained from bidding against each other, then conducted a private auction to see which would actually get the art piece would NOT, in my opinion, violate the Sherman act (or any other law that I know of).

BTW, I re-read the entire Sherman/Clayton Anti-Trust law (15 U.S.C. Chapter 1) tonight, just to be clear on what it says. ----- jim o\-S