I checked the source of the page and there is a state object from Nuxt.js SSR. It says "totalBids:0"

It could be fake troll bids. Internet auctions of items deemed "funny" often accumulate a lot of fake bids from trolls who don't intend to pay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Artists-Beanie-/111913567870

It's not uncommon -- especially where you don't have to pay an auctioneer -- to enter some number of fake bids to make it evident bidding has started. When there's just one, you can assume that happened, and impute no dishonesty.

The reason an auctioneer matters is they typically are paid a (sometimes decreasing) percentage of the final bid, or a (sometimes lower) percentage of the reserve, if there are no bids. But details vary.

Yes I'd like to know how he is getting over $1M for this. I have an old laptop that would likely hold at least 7 pieces of malware.