[mix4fix]

Not intending to inflame emotions here but the term "price gouging" for luxury non essential items like NOS tubes seems a stretch to me. A realistic case for price gouging happens when there's collusion between all sellers in a given marketplace for essential needs of life and capitalism no longer functions competitively. 70's OPEC oil cartel formation and the 2015 United Potato Growers of America price fixing anti-trust settlement come to mind as real examples of gouging.

It's collusion if all of a whole industry is doing it, but it's still price gouging if anyone of them is indivually taking advantage of a situation to line their pockets.

Saying something is "luxury" or "essential" is meaningless. It doesn't matter what the product (or service) is.

[rcag_ils]

thats a myth to be outgrown, like easter bunny or santa clause. theres also price-fixing.

If I was the only one who could make tube on earth, I would charge 1 million dollars apiece, buy it or leave it. You don't want to pay, you want to make your own, you would have to pay me royalty for my license and patent. Or you can make a different tube that does the same thing for cheaper, that's called competition, keeping the price down. Again, capitalism, basic economic 101.

[rcag_ils]

It's collusion if all of a whole industry is doing it, but it's still price gouging if anyone of them is individually taking advantage of a situation to line their pockets.

Who likes high end audio and tube sound? YOU, then PAY. No one's putting a gun to your head and forcing you to pay.

[Don_S]

If I was the only one who could make tube on earth, I would charge 1 million dollars apiece, buy it or leave it. You don't want to pay, you want to make your own, you would have to pay me royalty for my license and patent. Or you can make a different tube that does the same thing for cheaper, that's called competition, keeping the price down. Again, capitalism, basic economic 101.

Great plan. You would only have to sell one tube. 

[rcag_ils]

supply and demand sometimes play into pricing. price gouging and price fixing are all ordinary, everyday realities of capitalism. in fact, they and activities adjacent to such can be subject to proscution and all sorts of legal and civil actions.

I don't want to get too in depth into this, but guess which party like to do this the most?

[rcag_ils]

Great plan. You would only have to sell one tube.

Nah, maybe three. But again, I could sell as many tubes as I wanted, free country and capitalism.

[rcag_ils]

You think those football players deserve to be paid millions a year? Hell no, but you keep buy tickets to go see them play, and buying their merchandise too. 

[mix4fix]

If I was the only one who could make tube on earth, I would charge 1 million dollars apiece, buy it or leave it. You don't want to pay, you want to make your own, you would have to pay me royalty for my license and patent. Or you can make a different tube that does the same thing for cheaper, that's called competition, keeping the price down. Again, capitalism, basic economic 101.

Me buying the same product, or similiar product from any supplier or vendor is true Capitolism. I can buy the cheapest tube, or buy the more expensive tube that is better in some way, from any place that sells them.

What you got is a complete industry monopoly: controlling everything involved in that industry. You would probably gonna sue for someone dare making a similiar glass-tubed part that would convert one type of voltage to another type for audio reproduction functions.

That's furthest from Capitolism.

[mix4fix]

You think those football players deserve to be paid millions a year? Hell no, but you keep buy tickets to go see them play, and buying their merchandise too.

Most celebrities ain't worth a nickle. All I can do is vote with my wallet and not go to their movies, go to their concerts, go to their events, nor buy products that they are directly involved with (not just endorsements, buy actually owning the brand).

[mix4fix]

I don't want to get too in depth into this, but guess which party like to do this the most?

Keep politics out of it.

[rcag_ils]

e buying the same product, or similiar product from any supplier or vendor is true Capitolism. I can buy the cheapest tube, or buy the more expensive tube that is better in some way, from any place that sells them.

What you got is a complete industry monopoly: controlling everything involved in that industry. You would probably gonna sue for someone dare making a similiar glass-tubed part that would convert one type of voltage to another type for audio reproduction functions.

That's furthest from Capitolism.

Then make some tubes with your own patent and have some competition. If you can come up with a new idea that would be cheaper to accomplish what tube does, and drop the price; I, the only person who could make tube on earth, would have to drop the tube price from a million dollars a piece to maybe $500,000 a piece, competition keeps the prices down, that's capitalism.

[rcag_ils]

Most celebrities ain't worth a nickle. All I can do is vote with my wallet and not go to their movies, go to their concerts, go to their events, nor buy products that they are directly involved with (not just endorsements, buy actually owning the brand).

But it's only YOU. Millions still pay to see ball games and movies.

[rcag_ils]

Keep politics out of it.

See. you get it.

[ceylon]

Not intending to inflame emotions here but the term "price gouging" for luxury non essential items like NOS tubes seems a stretch to me. A realistic case for price gouging happens when there's collusion between all sellers in a given marketplace for essential needs of life and capitalism no longer functions competitively.

i dont think youre inflaming emotions. thanks for chiming in.

my friend, youre wrong.  thats called price fixing.

i gave a textbook example of price gouging.

in either case, it doesnt have to be essential, but it sure raises the stakes if it is.

heres an example of both:

the first gulf war knocked iraqi oil off the open market. saidi arabia took up the slack & then some. with this sudden and sharp increase in supply, the us gas companies decided to raise the price at the pump. funny thing crude prices even dropped at first. it wasnt a huge increase--about 10%, but it was still a rig job.

10% isnt quite as egregious as 400%, but such an increase across the board on gas amounts to an immense net gain. 

[ceylon]

If I was the only one who could make tube on earth, I would charge 1 million dollars apiece, buy it or leave it. You don't want to pay, you want to make your own, you would have to pay me royalty for my license and patent. Or you can make a different tube that does the same thing for cheaper, that's called competition, keeping the price down. Again, capitalism, basic economic 101.

since when is "capitalism 101" some outrageous revenge fantasy about iverpricing yourself into bankruptcy? was this course taught by a resentful 5th grader?

[ceylon]

Great plan. You would only have to sell one tube. 

and its not likely he would sell one. great business plan!