[Exhibitman]

it is a weird zeitgeist in this country right now, and the feelings expressed on this board in this thread reflect it. On the one hand, we (purportedly) celebrate unfettered capitalism and individual wealth building, but there is also a ton of vitriol for those who emerge at the top of that system and use their money to buy the best toys. Seems to me you can't hold both positions at the same time, or the cognitive dissonance is overwhelming. If you are a free-marketeer, it is not logical to be angry with the winners in that system. After all, the tenets of capitalism would indicate that those of us who cannot afford to buy $25K baseball cards are the losers and that those who run the table financially are deservedly enjoying the fruits of their labor. I'd ask those who are critical of the financial high flyers in the hobby to explain just what they think is the solution? Do we tax the wealthy and redistribute their money so that no one can buy a $25,000 baseball card? I'm curious to hear the answers, if you have any. Or are you just exercising the most precious of American rights, the right to complain?

And no, I am not conflicted in the slightest. If I was able to, I would wave my magic wand and tax the snot out of the rich to pay for social programs and infrastructure, but I can't, so I play the cards I am dealt, and that means working the system as best as I can for my own benefit rather than wasting my time being pissed at those who make more money than I do. Hate the game, not the players. I think I heard that somewhere...