Online auctions and compulsive gambling

[cam99]

HI all
I’m Cameron, a compulsive gambler who has abstained from gambling for some time.
A few months ago I decided to sell my old stereo via a certain online auction site, you know the one… I did some research and set the reserve price before putting it online.
Online auctions aren’t gambling, yet very quickly my sale became an obsession. I hadn’t received any bids on day one so thought about changing my reserve price. My thinking went ‘If I reduce the price by £10 that might increase the probability of a sale by x%’. Looking back, this is very similar to a gambling mentaility.  Anyway I very quickly moved from this to checking the site at every available moment and assessing my sale strategy.  Also looking at the end points of other auctions of similar items to see what they went for.  I also decided to try and buy an mp3 player (which I didn’t need!) and ended up placing simultaneous bids which could have left me buying several duplicate items.
My obsession with the site lasted a couple of weeks before i could see what was happening.  I now no longer visit it.
It has struck me how easy it is for me to become obsessed with something which isn’t gambling, yet was giving me the same buzz.  I have had similar experiences in the past with playing pinball machines and online backgammon – both things that i avoid now.
I was wondering if any of you can relate to this. Is our illness gambling or is it something deeper?
 

[hogann]

I think its the excitement and the kick we look for and I am the same get hooked on all kinds of auctions etc anything where money builds and with speed. There must be a name for this illness not just gambling???

[charles]

Thanks for bringing this back up to the top Epicurean. It’s certainly a topic that provides food for thought.

Whilst these auctions sites aren’t necessarily gambling they can certainly get those gambling juices flowing. Even the language is similar – people refer to their bid “winning” the item for example.

I’ve certainyl seen CGs develop a problem with these sites. they buy things just to try and sell at a profit, is this betting on them? Someone was talking about his buying and selling at a GA meetign I was at recently. At one stage he even said something like:
” I don’t really care whether I make a profit or not”

Again this is extemely similar to gambling addiction as in the end it’s not winning or losing that we want – it’s just the “action”.

Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

[Mred321]

I had a friend who came to meetings . He started buying and selling old coins although this was before the internet really got going. He did end up slipping I believe because of this. I think one should be careful when doing stuff of this type. If in your own mind there is any questions you should avoid doing this or get someone else to do it for you.

[Author]

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