Antique flintlocks and matchlocks at auction

[Daigoro]

I got the impression that pretty much EVERYONE else in the room was a dealer - for that reason I suspect that if I'd been able to bid enough to "win", I'd have implicitly paid too much. There's another auction in August which I will undoubtedly attend.

I believe it would be next to impossible for me to get a shotgun certificate - I think the countersignatory is my biggest problem.

[Arch.Stanton?]

Well , I see it as the reverse of this .
I don't go to auctions much but on the auction floor the 'seller' treats everyone the same ie highest bidder wins .
A dealer will buy to make a profit - on top of what he has spent to obtain it , so in my mind you are quids in bidding against a dealer - they start to slacken off the higher the price gets - less profit .
The only time this can backfire is when you have a dealer who has a specific customer in mind for the goods - he may well go a lot higher into his expected mark up to win the item - and if you want it then you will pay more for it if you win .