Why do people mention ongoing auctions they want to bid on?
 

Can't resist pointing out that if I was thinking of bidding on a machine, I sure wouldn't post a link here, as people frequently do. They will ask the forum what they think of the machine or the price and include a link. Among the 30,000+ members who might see your post there is a fairly strong likelihood that someone else might want to bid against you. Also, if I was watching an auction, it would annoy me to have someone else post it here, just increasing the chance for competition. In auctions as in poker, don't tip your hand. Just saying. Good luck to bidders!

Could it be possible in some cases that the poster or a friend of theirs is selling the machine?

CD in Oklahoma

I see no reason why they couldn't describe the machine and what they're thinking of paying for it to get that sort of input without stating where they might be getting it or including a link.

maybe because they consider their fellow-board members a friendly helpful caring bunch of people- we come here to share, get advice and assistance and many people would never think anyone would be here to under-cut; take advantage of us in such a manner.

I had not even considered this possibility, but it makes perfect sense. I guess I could not object to that, although it would increase the competition for bidders. In another forum I belong to, posts of commercial interest are only allowed on Fridays, but if people are surreptitious about being connected in some way to the seller, they can get away with mentioning an auction for "something interesting." I don't even remember if this board has any rules because it just wouldn't be something I'd have reason to do.

In the early days of eBay we used to find clever ways of noticing good auctions that sometimes did not turn up in most people's searches, such as misspelling the key word in a title. For example, my husband wanted to find beer steins and a remarkable number of people would type "stien" in their listings. Then they'd sit and wonder why the exact same item sold for much more a few weeks earlier. Having a friend posting a link to that auction in a forum about beer steins might have created competition that was non-existent up to that point.

I like how you think
 

I love your way of looking at thing...makes me thankful for gals like you.

Judy in Phx, AZ

Would be nice if that were always so - a bargain hunter is a bargain hunter - regardless of whatever else he/she may be!

Hear, hear.

I have not seen any but I would like to know where some one could go lol