- First Name
- Will
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2021
- Threads
- 18
- Messages
- 2,113
- Reaction score
- 2,277
- Location
- S.Carolina
- Vehicle(s)
- Maverick, Miata
- Engine
- 2.5L Hybrid
I have no issues with profits. Do you like ticket scalpers?Buying stock or a house and selling for a profit is not considered greed. Not sure why anyone would think it is greedy to buy a car and sell for profit.
This example is not what I'm talking about. I have NO issues whatsoever of someone profiting off of providing goods or services to make money. In this example, the salt seller provided a SERVICE to others. They were not capable/willing of getting the salt themselves.You couldn't be more wrong. First off, what drives our economy isn't greed, it's survival and the desire to improve your lot. Neither of those are greed. Greed is excessive.
Also flippers, gougers and scalpers serve a very important and even valuable role in the economy. I knew a guy who drove a box truck from PA to VA in a raging blizzard, loaded the truck with sacks of snow melt salt and went back to PA in the blizzard to sell salt from the truck at $40 a bag. People bitched, called him a gouger but they still bought it because there was none available locally.
All he said to them was "Go rent a box truck!". There was plenty of money to be made for someone with hustle willing to risk the drive (and getting stuck with a truckload of salt). And you know what? People really, really needed that salt. His price was eminently fair.
Your carmax example just shows that what's needed is more freedom in the market, not less. They found a niche and exploited it and I can guarantee there are some greedy bastards invested in that company.
On the other hand there was a case early on during Covid where two guys got a box truck and went to all the stores in several counties and bought up ALL the supplies of hand sanitizer- hoping to sell it to people at profit. That's not right at all! They were persecuted and not only lost all their profits but either/or paid fines/ went to jail.
What service is provided by a ticket scalper? Hand sanitizer scalper? What about a Maverick scalper?
In scalping cases, they are removing products from public availability to profit off the scarcity of the product. They are not providing any value or service to the market or planet. THAT is what I have an issue with. Profit without adding value is just not right, even if it's not illegal.
I wouldn't even have an issue if someone buys a Maverick and decides after a little while they don't like it and would prefer something else- and sells it for profit. As long as the primary motivation was not "taking a Maverick out of public market to profit", I wouldn't call them greedy.
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And yes, although I have my "perfect world" wishes, I know the world is filled with humans. There is nothing illegal about SCALPING Mavericks- I maintain that it is immoral to do so. That one person is profiting off of other people without providing any value in return.
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