I think part of it was just "how can you claim ownership of an item that hasn't been released yet?" Part of it, I think, also had to do with the eBay appraisal system. I think another thing was just to eliminate the possible confusion of someone seeing a user "owning" something that hasn't been released yet and then going on a frantic hunt for the item since "someone on shmax owns it...it must be out".
Personally, I don't really have a strong opinion, either way.
Myself, I tend to consider owning something when I'm holding it in my hands...others add stuff to their collection as soon as they toss it onto their Pile of Loot from BBTS.
Case in point, I ordered some stuff from HTS a couple weeks ago...the box arrived destroyed. Practically everything in there was trashed...parts spilling around the box, packaging mauled, the new cheap bubbles on Generations toys splintered. If I would have indicated that I owned a bunch of MISB/MOSC items back on the day I ordered them, I'd have been totally wrong.
The situation was rectified (partially) by a very helpful HTS CS rep and now all I'm waiting on is a replacement Hun-Gurrr...which is, of course, out of stock on HTS. Once I get him, if ever, the date that he arrives will be the date I enter the collection info.
Again, that's my line of thinking (which is semi-fueled by pessimism), but I can see how others would like to know exactly when their money goes out for something, when they actually receive it, etc. Of course, I can see how this might lead to a debate about what do people consider a preorder, discussion about the different online stores and how they charge upfront or only when something comes in stock, etc., but to keep on subject, "whatever" works with me.
MIKE
engledogg