Quote:
Originally Posted by G1911
I guess I'm a dick. Buying anything that has more than one potential bidder is at the expense of someone else. I'm an all-collect-no-invest type but I don't believe anyone is entitled to buying a card at X price they want. Whether it's this guy taking 300 Paul Smith's off the market or 300 different collectors driving up the price of Roberto Clemente, I don't see much of a difference. Investors stockpiling stars, player collectors, set builders, they don't seem to offend people but having many of a card for non-investment (I don't believe one of these hoards has ever really panned out financially, and besides bnorth's account above not a single divested hoard has been identified yet) seems to be upsetting. I'm not quite sure why that is beyond the fact it seems quaint.
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The difference is that when it comes to paying way up for an item, a deliberately created market shortage or price gouging situation is not going to be considered the same by many (as one that happens from genuine supply/demand effects in a marketplace.)
Let's say a gas station buys out all the other gas stations in a remote area (and forces people with no other option to pay $10 a gallon when they'd normally pay $3.) Do you really think that station will be viewed the same by customers as if a $10/gallon price there was the result of a nationwide shortage that was out of their control?
Even if none of these situations panned out financially for the hoarder, that doesn't change the fact that it can cause people to pay way up for something that they wouldn't have had to otherwise.
And of course no one is entitled to buy a card for "x price they want". But wanting to avoid that price gouging situation that only exists because of malicious intent from one entity (and pay a reasonable market price for something)? That has nothing to do with any sort of "I want to name any price I choose" entitlement