ebay terrors

I currently have the highest bid on any single antique document on offer at ebay. It is for a Peffly family deed dated 1749 and unfortunately has a famous signatory. I just outbid the previous high bidder by a measly 70 cents with an automatic bid of $256.70. At this point, about three hours before the end, I half-hope he comes up with five more bucks and outbids me. I already asked the seller if he'd make high-resolution jpegs available to the Peffley Family Association if we don't win, and he said he would, so maybe I three-quarters hope I get outbid.

Members of the Peffley Family Association have offered to help out if I win, but for the $120 total I've been pledged, I'll need to make and ship nice copies of the deed to five different people. And then I'll need to store a valuable historic document. I can't just fold it up and toss it in a shoebox, can I? And that would be preferable to framing it and hanging it on a wall, except maybe in my closet.

Okay. I 99% hope I get outbid. If I get a nice jpeg, I can print my own 12x18" copy, which should still be readable. I could probably even frame it and hang it on a wall with my rosehead nail and photo from the Peffley cabin.

Update: I still had the high bid 13 seconds before the end of the auction and was starting to sweat. How was I going to explain to Lee that I had spent that much on a piece of paper that would need special care? No fear, as I had pretty much expected, someone came in during the last ten seconds and outbid me by $5.00. Whew.