Forgive my ignorance.  You say "at their own auction". I assume they run it or finance it or something then?  Would there be an auction, or as nice a one, if it weren't for them?  If not, then they deserve the kick-back, since I'm sure that 15% deal is a large reason they are willing to run/support it (or whatever it is they do).

Can someone clarify for me T&T's relationship to the auction?

You both missed the point and are reading some things into my post that are not there...  I have no problem with Troll and Toad making money on the auction by charging a commission.   However, that commission should NOT give them an UNFAIR ADVANTAGE when BIDDING on items.
 Simply put: if I bid $95 but a Troll and Toad bids $100 and wins: why should they in effect only pay $85 after the 15% commission is considered?  It is an unfair advantage.  I'm sure some Gencon and Origins auction fans don't care; but I'm sure some do ~ or would if they realized the issue…
 Consider this; in all states that require Auctioneers to be LICENSED, it is a violation of the law for the Auctioneer OR THE FIRM running the auction to bid on ANY ITEM.  Why?  Because the commission either gives them an unfair advantage or, if they are the last to drop out, all they've done is raise the price and thereby increase the value of the item and subsequently the amount of commission earned.  Need I post links to lawsuits and/or state by state laws?  Thankfully Indiana does not require a license to run an auction but the precedence is set.
 By the way, Troll and Toad had their bidder in a Troll and Toad T-Shirt right up front so everyone could see who was bidding; nothing was done under the table.  As far as I know (and from what I've heard) the auctioneers are all volunteers; not paid a dime.  I've no issue with any auctioneer bidding because they (as far as I know) have no unfair advantage.  All indications are that Troll and Toad is an upright organization.  It is my opinion that this unfair advantage is an oversight but that does not mean it should not be fixed.
 Yes, I know, Weekend Warrior (the previous owner) also bid on items at the auction but not in the volume that Troll and Toad did in 2008.
 Troll and Toad makes a tone of cash in four days by running the auction; and good for them.  They don't "need" an unfair advantage over other bidders to make running the auction "worth while".  I, as a bidder, need a level playing field.  If I have to beat Troll and Toad by 15% then I may as well keep my card down whenever I see Troll and Toad has their card up.  Considering the number of auctions in which I was the sole bidder against them, they'll get some REALLY killer deals in 2009!  That will really suck for some unlucky sellers…

T&T also violated the rules of Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover by charging a fee to anyone who paid for their auction winnings with a credit card.  The merchant agreements specifically say that merchants CANNOT charge a premium on transactions using their cards.  Giving a discount for other payment methods is also prohibited  The reason being the credit card companies don't want their cards less attractive to the consumer.  

I've been very tempted to report this to my credit card company.

Frank M. replied to this thread on another Auction thread.  Here's what he wrote...
###################
T&T Bidding (other thread): The company that runs the Auction business is a partnership between Jon Huston (who also owns T&T) and Bruce Carson (IT specialist).
Troll & Toad Does Not Run The Auction. The Partnership is a separate entity (that's its actual name), has its own books, makes its own profits/losses, and thus should not be muddled with T&T Corporation. And it's not a false/paper distinction; Bruce is not an employee of T&T or Huston; he's a computer jock in Massachusetts (T&T is in Kentucky). When T&T bids, they pay The Partnership. As a result, your logic about unfairness or an edge to T&T is a bit off. They do have an edge in having reps bidding throughout the auction hours, when most folks take breaks at least, but as far as the financials go, they're precisely the same as other bidders.
####################

 This sounds logical...

Actually of T&T wins an item (overbidding Wags or anybody else) the seller actually get more cash.  If they were not there then the item would have went cheaper.

It is therefore benificail for them to be there for the seller.  They do get a samll discount I guess but really, the seller gets more and is this not the point!