So go ahead and ask…
“What will it sell for?”
If you enjoy watching agents bob and weave, that’s your question.
Then you might follow up with:
What’s the reserve?
Just don’t expect straight answers.
Play The Nobel Card
The Nobel Memorial Prize for Economics spells out when auction prices go highest.
It’s when there are no secrets. When everyone knows all there is to know.
If you know the real expectations, you’re much better equipped to bid with confidence.
Tell the agent the the Nobel Prize was awarded for showing (among other things) that it’s good for prices when agents are up-front.
Still no answer?
Ask whether the seller knows how much the agent’s games are costing.