(05-24-2016, 06:51 AM)andrewjs18 Wrote: (05-24-2016, 04:31 AM)Freddy Wrote: (05-24-2016, 02:11 AM)andrewjs18 Wrote: my personal opinion is that a seller should be able to ask any price they want, for whatever they want. forums, ebay, craigslist, etc., help set the market for each item available. if a buyer deems it to be an appropriate price that they're willing to pay, then they'll buy it up. if the price is too high, then the item simply will not sell.
I'm not sure why someone would get upset if a buyer is willing to pay a premium on a product (M&F brush since it's the topic at hand) that isn't easily obtainable for a lot of people, from my understanding.
on the flip side, does anyone get upset when they just scored an item for way less than you know its worth? my guess is probably not...
Actually, we discussed that and I think that, yes, when something is sold inexpensively here, or most other sites, there are always several who will chime in with something like, "That's a terrific deal", etc.
I can accept your premise for places like eBay, craigslist, and places like it but I still think that a hobbyist forum like ours should be a little different. On some sites, caps are in place while here at DFS they are not. However, the whole idea of a hobbyist site is to promote camaraderie through a common interest, not necessarily to make the biggest profit one can. If a very large profit is the motive then eBay is there.
that's the point I'm trying to make. people are ok with saving money on items, but not when someone makes money on items...from people who are willing to pay the premium on their own?
That brings me back to my initial reasoning for disliking such rules.
On the surface they do seem to foster a community spirit by giving the impression of always getting "The Bro Deal".
But in practice, I cant get past what, to me at least, feels like an effort to control profits from members so that the forum and paying vendors will always have the upper hand in market transactions.
This is the internet and we can all find just about anything we want. But most of us dont look very hard, and there are quite a few folks that land on a big forum, and never venture further. Of course, the forum wants this, because that generates ad money and market value. But its unhealthy for the individual stuck there, even if they dont know it. Pricing in the bst is manipulated. Information in the general forum is manipulated. Moderators are instructed to silence nay-sayers and advocate paid vendors. Its all about money.
When something so big is so clearly about money in every other decision they make, its really hard to swallow the pill that says price caps are a community benefit.
I see how it can be on the surface, and thats great, but the seedy underbelly that is hidden and manipulated behind the scenes makes me cringe...
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