If a customer posts and says what wonderful service they got while trying to make something work or is thanking the merchant for helping them meet deadline or making a special add-on... that's fine. We can all make mental notes that Pete Peddler stands behind his product or goes the extra mile, but it isn't an inducement by the merchant or his testers to "buy this now!!!" It isn't a trick to get us to salivate on cue. Saying thanks is almost always in good taste. Or perhaps someone comes back from shopping saying "lookie what's on sale!" or "yippee, he finally released it!" and starts a stampede. There are certain bragging rights with being the first to acquire something or make a render with it, but that is a thread we users have started. If a member is looking for something, let's say a stork holding a baby for a greeting card, we can all chime in and tell him where to look for storks, diapers, and babies... and the merchants can answer as well. If Fred Flapper says that he has storks available separately or as part of a bundle with egrets and herons, maybe a few more eyes will wander over to his store, but he is basically being helpful to a member-in-need-of-item. This is especially good for items being worked on or in the testing queues. Some shoppers seem to have the product lines catalogued, but even they don't know what's coming up. Being helpful is almost always welcome. Another thing some merchants do in answer to a request is suggest a new use for a product, even if we possibly already have it. Suppose an artist wants a dragonskin carpet for his throneroom, Sauri N. Seller could chime in that her dragon could be made to look something like that if clothified and give him the settings. Whether there are immediate new sales or not, the merchant is being helpful, and we do remember the helpful ones. A critical factor is who initiates the thread, we or the merchant? And why? Merchants want to show off their new children, which is understandable, but they also want to make sales... and some merchants are pushy and desperate and irritating. But if the member makes the request or sings the praises, the merchant comes across as helpful and reliable when he pops into the thread. With a marketplace as crowded as this, reputation is perhaps going to count for even more. Carolly