I couldn't read it all :madgo:
There probably were shills, and it's a shame the writer probably didn't know at the time, but an auctioneer can lose his license if he (or she) is involved with having shills at an auction. Frankly, an auctioneer who would take a job like that . . . I have no problem with seeing them lose their licenses, and one who would allow shills to function is unethical to start with. An ethical auctioneer will handle shills that someone else has planted, dropping a few buys on them or even evicting them from the auction.
The whole thing is sickening.