Gotta admire your style there, Brian...:

I think I'm going to start using the Krashpad method of E-bay bidding from now on. I think it should be called, "The Krashpad Reverse Murphy's Law Bidding Strategy", in honor of our resident genius who created it:

1) Find a deal guitar on E-bay that I really like and bid on it.
2) Send out a, "I made a big mistake" vibe, and emplore others to "save me" by bidding up the item.
3) Vibe scares off any potential rival bidders who think something's wrong... this auction must be bad ju-ju.
4) Leave it out there until Murphy catches scent of it. Let him move in on the opportunity to "stick me" with one of his "whatever can go wrong, will" disasters.
5) As Murphy gleefully cackles, my new guitar arrives when my wife is the only one home to receive it. :
5) As I frown on the outside at this thing I "never wanted", I'm smiling on the inside at my cleverness...getting it on the cheap, and beating Murphy at his own game....

Brian has the whole world believing it was just an unwitting mistake (his wife included, maybe?). And all it took was an extra couple of $$, and a willing accomplist to pull it off. You sly dog...:

Don't worry, Brian. We won't tell Murphy that you got him...