Is it my imagination?

Coltrane1, you are missing the point that people are advertising stuff for sale on Audiogon that they do not own, and are merely a bidder on at Ebay (and other variations). There is indeed nothing wrong with buying and selling stuff. It's a free world but serious buyers are often jerked around here by a seller that may or may not have the item to sell.

yes & isn't it just plain illegal to "sell" something that you don't even have? Perhaps not, but if you take payment on an item 'for sale' that's not even in your posession - definitely not kosher.

Bob-

Don't stockbrokers do that everyday? :-))

I think this is how Enron and Global Crossing started their upward climb and cliff downfall.

This tread really does open ones eyes and if still centers on buyer beware no matter what you do.

There is no question in my mind that people play the arbitrage game and the selling what you don't own game both here and on ebay. That's why you have to be very careful about auctions. I've seen lots of auctions terminated early and then re-listed with different reserves, etc. Its a wild market out there, so lets be careful boys and girls. Of course there is nothing wrong with buying low and selling high, as long as you buy first and sell later. Otherwise it IS fraud (unless of course you are selling stock short or buying futures). Oops, there's the "f" word. Maybe its only deceptive, unless you accept $ and don't deliver the goods. I'm not a lawyer. My 0.02.